Water to bathe and burn
Closer to Lankaran you can benefit from the undoubted pleasures of hot water springs. Close to town and charmingly rustic, a couple of ‘isti -su’ sites offer private bathing facilities where you can magic your health problems away, improve your fertility (one couple were blessed with 5 sons and 2 daughters), and also become young, beautiful and fabulous. Ok so I added in the last bit. You drink the water too (for the ultimate in internal cleansing, I was told) but it tasted a bit salty to me. Yanar Bulaq, The Burning Spring, is another tourist attraction within easy reach, on the road south towards the town of Astara. Still used by locals who gather their drinking water here; have a go at lighting the water and watch the flames flicker. The best drink in Lankaran, however, is undoubtedly the tea. Served with or without lemon, it is the most refreshing tea