Spa towns have been drawing adventurers, explorers, and globetrotters for centuries thanks to the mysterious allure of healing water, be it in hot springs, ice-cold lakes, or mineral baths.
These rejuvenating destinations, which can be found across the globe, from New Zealand to Georgia (and even include some of the best spas in the UK) boast curative properties with water therapy often being touted as the oldest form of medicine.
Rich in minerals and naturally warmed, thermal springs are perhaps the best-loved form of bathing, boasting endless mood-boosting health benefits like helping to alleviate back pain and promoting better sleep.
Healing spa towns for the ultimate tranquil break
Strandhill, Sligo, Ireland
The 300-year-old art of seaweed bathing is Ireland’s only indigenous therapy since 80% of the seaweed plant is made up of essential minerals, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds that help support the maintenance of normal healthy skin, help combat the signs of ageing, and soothe skin conditions. Sligo’s Voya Seaweed Baths allow visitors to benefit from the therapeutic properties of wild seaweed by immersing themselves in the healing mineral-rich waters. Great for detoxifying the body, soothing and hydrating skin, as well as being a rich source of Iodine which is great for hormone regulation, the benefits are endless.
Buxton, Derbyshire, UK
Chances are you already know about Buxton on account of the town’s famed drinking water, but it’s also one of the UK’s most beautiful spa towns and the ideal place for a UK staycation. Situated on the edge of the awe-inspiring Peak District the best way to indulge in the town’s famed bathing rituals is to head to Buxton Cresent Spa where water wellness is at the forefront of the spa’s offering. The main draw is the non-chlorinated pool, sitting under a colourful expanse of stained glass. Filled and heated daily using Buxton’s mineral-rich water the thermal pool offers the most authentic way to be immersed in the town’s healing waters.
Baden-Baden, Germany
Victoria Beckham is said to be a fan of this little-known town in Germany’s Black Forest and it's easy to see why. The town’s thermal waters bubble up from twelve springs with temperatures reaching as high as 68C and are said to be rich in healing minerals. Friedrichsbad is one of the town’s most traditional thermal bath houses and the ideal place to experience the water for yourself.
Pozar, Greece
Greece stuns with heavenly beaches, incredible cuisine, and you may not have realised, spa towns too. Pozar is one of the prettiest with its endless stream of waterfalls situated along a river, where the crystal clear thermal water reaches a blissful 37°C. Aside from the river springs the town’s thermal complex offers 48 individual baths, 6 indoor pools, hamams, and a jacuzzi. All of which are recommended for rheumatism, skin conditions, and respiratory and circulatory problems.
Hot Water Beach, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
This incredible spot allows you to pitch up in your own time, dig your own spa pool in the sand, and allow the naturally heated water to rise from the earth making your very own private, and free thermal bath. With a view of the ocean, this is perhaps one of the most exquisite spots where all elements of the natural world merge to make a truly unforgettable experience. Be sure to visit at low tide as that’s when the part of the beach with the hot springs becomes exposed and don’t forget your shovel.
Tbilisi, Georgia
While the capital of Georgia is well-known for its whimsical buildings, underground bars, and incredible street art, not many people realise the place is a spa town too. Even the name Tbilisi roughly translates to ‘warm place.’ Tbilisi’s few remaining bathhouses are the best places to witness the sulphurus waters for yourself where it’s easy to alternate between hot and cold pools. Most of the spartan buildings are located in the neighbourhood of Abanotubani, try Gulo’s Thermal Spa or Chreli Abano for a more tourist-friendly, albeit pricer option.
Yamagata, Japan
Characterised by their cloudy water, Yamagata's hot springs have a high sulfur content to help detoxify the body. Surrounded by trees, the pretty series of open-air pools are varying temperatures and can be enjoyed all year round providing the ultimate healing experience.
Chaudfontaine, Belgium
As with other spa towns, the water at Chaudfontaine, which is famed for its balanced mineral content is bottled and sold across Europe. But rather than drink it, it’s much more fun to bathe in it. Balanced in calcium, magnesium, and fluorine after its 60-year limestone-soaking journey, the naturally heated water is best enjoyed at Château des Thermes, a gorgeous castle-like structure where outdoor and indoor thermal pools, ice cabins, and musical baths all await.
Budapest, Hungary
After a day of exploring the pretty city of Budapest, one of the city's famous thermal spas will revive you instantly. Lukacs and Szechenyi Baths are both relaxing and surprisingly photogenic with the latter being one of the biggest natural hot spring spa baths in Europe. Over 100 million bathers have enjoyed the warm medicinal waters of the pool to date.
Piešťany, Slovakia
Well known for its natural healing waters, Slovakia has at least 15 spa towns loved by both locals and tourists. The largest and perhaps most famed is Piešťany in the Western part of the country where thermal springs have been used since the Middle Ages. 1778 marked the year the very first spa buildings were erected harnessing the medicinal properties of the local water and drawing historical figures like Beethoven to the area. Today people from all over the world visit the town’s spa where as well as water therapy, the property uses sulfurous mud extracted from the river bed to help treat patients.
Palm Springs, California, USA
The mineral-rich springs of the area are what gave Palm Springs its name, yet today there’s just one spot in town where you can get an authentic hot spring water experience. Séc-he in the Coachella Valley offers treatments designed to promote healing and well-being using mineral baths where the natural hot water is said to help aid a myriad of health complaints, from muscle aches and joint inflammation to skin redness.
Águas de Lindoia, São Paulo Brazil
Known for its mineral springs Águas de Lindoia is a small town in the Serra da Mantiqueira mountains in the southeast of Brazil. The town is part of the Circuito das Águas, a set of towns that can be visited in a loop, each famed for hot-water springs. Águas de Lindoia boasts clay baths, medicinal pools, and drinking fountains so you can reap the water’s benefits inside and out.
Matlock Bath, Derbyshire
The clue's in the name with this one. Matlock Bath, once famed for its hydro and spa treatments was once described as ‘little Switzerland’ by Lord Byron and while we’re not quite sure that still rings true since the main road teems with fish and chip shops and games arcades, there’s no doubt Matlock Bath is home to some of the country’s finest spring water. Today most of the hydro treatments have vanished but there’s a great outdoor pool and spa at the New Bath Hotel. The pool is naturally heated using geothermal spring water and is rich in minerals, dating back to 1934 it’s somewhat of a local institution.
Spa, Belgium
Frequented since as early as the 14th century Spa is a famed site of healing cold springs. Though other sources of healing mineral springs have become famous throughout the world, it is the town of Spa that become eponymous with any place that has a natural water source that’s believed to possess special health-giving properties. Today the town is one of Belgium’s most popular tourist destinations and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - a must-visit for spa aficionados.
Cascate del Mulino, Tuscany, Italy
As well as being stunning, with breathtaking views out over the Tuscan countryside, these turquoise thermal baths, with waterfalls and nearby rivers are completely free to use. The series of cascades which are surrounded by grasses and wild flowers are heated naturally with sulphuric waters rising from the ground. Reaching an amazing 37°C they’re the perfect thermal pools for bathing in winter or summer.
Bath, Somerset, UK
The Roman Baths within the town’s well-preserved spa are a must-visit, especially after dusk during summer months when the main bath is illuminated by atmospheric torchlight and champagne flows from an expertly placed pop-up. Claims were made for the curative properties of the town's spring water during the 17th century and Bath has been known as a popular spa town ever since. You can't use the Roman Baths these days but there are plenty of other spas in the city; head to the nearby Thermae Bath Spa to bathe in Bath's warm, mineral-rich waters - all from the vantage point of their rooftop pool which overlooks the historic city.
Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia
Home to Donat natural mineral water which has the highest magnesium content in the world, and is said to help stimulate, regenerate, cleanse, rejuvenate, and even heal the human body, there’s no wonder travellers flock to this unique spa town. Surrounded by rolling countryside the health resort town now offers an abundance of restorative hydro treatments and health therapy programmes.
Pamukkale, Turkey
This natural beauty site in Turkey’s beautiful Aegean region is famous for being oh-so photogenic due to a deposit of carbonate minerals left by a continual flow of thermal spring water. Meaning cotton castle in Turkish, Pamukkale refers to the bright white shimmering limestone effect of the many beautiful mineral terraces. It’s possible to bathe at the UNESCO World Heritage site by heading to the Antique Pool where the warm healing waters provide the perfect accompaniment to the astounding views.
Burabay, Kazakhstan
Surrounded by National Parkland, Burabay attracts lovers of nature and hikers who are keen to explore the picturesque mountain peaks and lush greenery of coniferous forests. But there’s also another draw to this interesting town, and that’s the lake’s healing mineral waters and therapeutic mud. When used, the town’s mud is said to help detoxify the skin in turn giving it a healthier and clearer appearance.
Varkala, India
The relaxed town of Varkala provides a great introduction to India for travellers who have never been to the country before. As well as yoga schools, cute cafes, and lots of colourful temples to explore there are also hot springs making it one of only four spa towns in India. The mineral water springs which have high medicinal value mingle with the ocean meaning a swim in the waters of Varkala will have more benefits than you may have anticipated.
Panticosa, Pyrenees, Spain
One of the most interesting, modernist spas sits high up in the Pyrenees utilising the town’s thermal springs that rise from deep beneath the earth’s surface. The Thermal Baths in Panticosa have been designed with curved walls and brushed concrete providing a marked contrast to the usual spa aesthetic. Nestled into the mountainside guests are invited to weave through the interior taking in hot pools, Turkish baths, ice showers, and saunas before.
Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, UK
Leamington Spa grew in popularity and size during the 18th century when it was reputed that the town’s water had medicinal qualities. Over the years, the town's natural springs were said to help relieve several ailments including rigid joints and the effects of rheumatism, and while the spa water is said to have a mild laxative effect it didn’t stop visitors from drinking it, even Queen Victoria was said to be a fan, bestowing the town with its ‘royal’ title in 1838.
Jiaoxi, Yilan, Taiwan
The two public bathhouses in Jiaoxi use water that’s said to contain potassium chloride, sodium sulphide, potassium hydrogen carbonate, and rich organisms that promise visitors the softest of skin. Originating at the foot of a hill behind Fuchung Temple the bubbling hot waters of Jiaoxi Hot Spring gather into a brook, making the ideal bathing spot for local people and tourists alike.
Harrison Hot Springs, Canada
A major attraction for tourists who come to stay in the town is the two natural hot springs which reach temperatures of 40°C and 65°C. They have incredibly high mineral concentrations adding to their appeal so it’s easy to spend a lazy day soaking with a cool beer. As well as relaxing in the sulphuric waters, the dramatic landscape offers endless hiking and swimming opportunities with the pretty Harrison Lake just a stone’s throw away.
Zestoa, Spain
Famed for its ancient archaeological sites and medicinal waters, Zestoa, just a short drive from the foodie capital of San Sebastian is kind of unknown outside of the country meaning you'll have a true local experience. Balneario de Cestona opened its doors for the first time in 1804 after the sulfurous waters had been declared fit for public use. Now it is regarded as one of the most prestigious in Spain and since there’s also a hotel on site, it’s easy to spend a few days unwinding in the natural salt waters.
Băile Herculane, Romania
Inhabited since the Paleolithic era, the history of Băile Herculane is impressive, to say the least - legend has it that the Hercules stopped in the valley to bathe in the town’s hot springs. Since then endless streams of weary travellers have harnessed the healing properties of the hot waters that are rich in sulfur, chlorine, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. During the Communist era, mass tower blocks were built to house visiting tourists, many of which still dominate the skyline today.
Caldas da Rainha, Portugal
Famed for curing a Queen of a wound that would not heal, the waters of Rainha soon became popular with local people who started to bathe in them to help cure them of their ills. Later a hospital and village were formed around the source of the hot spring and the town’s popularity continued to grow and grow turning the place into a spa resort loved by both visiting nobility and royalty, and locals.
Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
Discovered by Benedictine monks in 1242, who quickly recognised the healing effects of the town's hot spring water, guests soon flocked to Bad Ragaz eager to try the mineral-rich waters for themselves. As the original spot for bathing the town’s gorge soon became home to multiple wooden bathhouses where the 35C water was said to improve heart function, circulation, and lung disorders. Today the natural water has been directed into several upmarket spas where outdoor pools and indoor baths lure guests with its mystical powers.
Ciechocinek, Poland
With over 40 spa towns, hydro culture is well and truly embedded in Polish identity. One of the most famed, with its unique saline graduation towers (one of which you can go inside), is Ciechocinek where experts have called one of the town springs a ‘wonder of nature’. The therapeutic properties of the town’s natural water supply are endless and prompt thousands of visitors to descend on the place annually.
Birštonas, Lithuania
Surrounded by pine forests, Birštonas is known for its sanitoriums that utilize the town’s mineral water and curative mud for health treatments. Popular with residents of both Poland and Russia as well as visiting Lithuainians the spa town boasts three epic pools, one so large it can treat 730 people at one time. Halotherapy, mineral baths, and peat pulp baths are all popular treatments in Birštonas.
Dax, France
Made up of pretty coloured houses with a fast-flowing river that splits the town in two Dax specialises in mud treatment for rheumatism where packs of the unique thermal mud with a temperature of between 38°C and 44°C are applied to areas of pain. While France boasts over 50 spa towns, Dax was the country’s very first so you know you’ll be in safe hands when you visit the famed town.
Air Panas Banjar, Bali, Indonesia
With four pools this tropical hot spring complex is a must-visit when in beautiful Bali. With a high sulphuric content the hot springs provide a sublimely therapeutic experience especially if you book a massage to follow.
