Fitness in Ankara

All 4 spa venues in Ankara with a fitness area are inside hotels: three in city hotels in Çankaya and one in a thermal resort in Kızılcahamam. None of them is a stand-alone sports club; the right to use the gym, and the pool, sauna or hammam access that goes with it, depend on staying at the hotel or on whether outside membership is accepted.

City centre or Kızılcahamam: Navitas Spa Merkezi, Ankara HiltonSA in Kavaklıdere offers its fitness area together with an indoor pool, sauna and jacuzzi. New Park Hotel on Ziya Gökalp Caddesi, and Newlife Spa Center inside it, have a Turkish bath, a sauna and massages such as Balinese, shiatsu and medical massage alongside the gym. At Eliz Hotel Convention Center Thermal Spa & Wellness in Kızılcahamam, fitness is on the same premises as thermal pools, saunas and hammams separated for women and men. It suits those who want to combine exercise with thermal water on a weekend stay rather than a daily workout. Eliz's record mentions separate hours for women and men; ask in advance whether the gym follows the same arrangement.

What to ask: whether there is a day pass or membership for guests not staying at the hotel, whether membership covers the pool, sauna and hammam, the gym's opening hours and whether help from a trainer is included in the price. If you are going into the sauna or thermal pool straight after a workout, drink some water first; if you have a heart or circulatory condition or blood pressure problems, consult your doctor.

General information on sports facilities at spas is on the fitness page; all spas and hammams in Ankara are listed on the Ankara page.