On a warm September afternoon, I joined my fellow travel bloggers of Travel Bloggers Greece on a relaxing journey to experience the services of the newly opened Al Hammam — Turkish baths in Athens.
Al Hammam: Turkish baths in Athens
The hammam is an important element of the Turkish culture and way of life. It is a ritual followed by both men and women who regularly visit the Turkish baths, where they spend a couple of hours catching up with their friends while their bodies are being cleansed to restore their natural glow.
Al Hammam Athens— a socializing experience
The Al Hammam, Turkish baths Athens are located in the heart of Plaka at the foothill of the Acropolis. Once we entered the building and completed our medical forms we were escorted to the changing rooms which had separate lockers to store our belongings.
The sink and bath amenities inside the changing room
We were given disposable underwear and peştemal which is a traditional Turkish towel but you can also wear your bathing suit, if you prefer.
The hammam itself is a spacious marble room with a dome ceiling. It is built in a circular shape with marble benches and features a marble centrepiece. There are water taps lining the walls which you can use to fill in the metal bowls in order to cool off in case it gets too steamy and hot. After about 20 minutes or so when our pores had opened up the Hammam ladies came in to proceed with the treatment.
As I was placed on my back on the central marble centrepiece the lady rubbed my body with a rough sponge, this is the initial part of the exfoliating experience. From head to toe, the process turned from rough to actually being enjoyable. Then came the reward as the lady gently soaped my body with a thin cloth which she magically swirled around to produce foam which she then applied all over my body complimented with a relaxing foam massage. After the relaxing session came the rising session as I was washed with buckets of cool water in order to maintain the correct body temperature.
Manicure and pedicure treatment room
At the end of the Al Hammam treatment we headed up to the rooftop terrace which opens up to the remarkable views of the Acropolis and Anafiotika where we enjoyed warm tea with Turkish delights.
It was a wonderful afternoon catching with the girls while enjoying the rejuvenating Turkish bath experience.
Get your own Al Hammam Athens experience
Address: 16 Tripodon & Ragava St. Plaka, Athens, Greece
Phone: +30 1100129099, +30 213–0310279
View from the terrace of Al Hammam
Have you ever had a Turkish bath experience? If yes, how was it?
If you are looking for a Hotel Spa experience you might also like to read our review of Hilton Hotel Athens.
