A geothermal spa that helps to relax every muscle in your body, cleanse your skin and provide an incredible volcanic setting for all that visit. Spending a day here is rather too easy: the 37–39 °C waters, containing an array of minerals and algae for those aching appendages, are ideal for men and women alike. Even visiting as a 17-year-old, I loved the openness and steam filled surroundings whilst being pampered beyond belief. There is even a hotel on-site so that the tranquility can be extended for as long as you like.

www.bluelagoon.com
240 Grindavík
+354 420 8800
Google map: bit.ly/uZHXce

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Something slightly different, this stunning village has healing sulphuric hot springs running through it and you can bathe at the lido, or the river in the valley below. It is an experience not to be missed, kids love it! Further along the valley there are sulphur hot spring waterfalls, my boys bathed for hours - a great tonic for them after hours of sightseeing!

Bagno Vignoni, near Pienza, Tuscany, Italy
Google map: bit.ly/lKp0yc

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Head for the hills, and the charming village of Saturnia in the Maremma district of southern Tuscany. Drive past chi-chi spa hotels and end up in a field. Slip into your costume beside your car - don't worry, everyone does - then step into the shallow pools, baths and waterfalls of the beautifully named Le Cascate del Mulino and Le Cascate del Gorillo. Fed from springs 200 metres below the earth, the stunning blue/white water is a constant temperature of 37.5° C.
Admire the view, sitting or lying in one of the many scalloped pools created by countless bottoms since Neolithic, Etruscan and Roman times. Bliss, and it is free! You will emerge smiling and relaxed though smelling somewhat of sulphur. Remember to remove silver jewellery!

Google map: bit.ly/ityUec

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The scenery is fantastical on the trek through this unique Atlantic rain forest. It is like watching the earth evolve in fast motion beneath your feet. Exciting and spellbinding lush rain forest meets the lunar scape just before the boiling lake. The best place to relax is on the way back from the lake, in the gentle thermal river with small hot natural pools, safe to bathe in and the water is the colour of blue white.

Best to get a local guide as the landscape is as unpredictable as is the weather.
www.avirtualdominica.com/thelake.cfm
Google map: bit.ly/g2fMOe
whc.unesco.org/en/list/814

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Located less than an hour's drive from the popular destination of the bay of Islands in Northlands NZ, is Ngawha Springs an authentic and inexpensive thermal spa owned and operated by Maoris.
Ngawha features eight bubbling thermal pools which, unlike other more popular spas, are not cleaned or sanitised for cosmetic appearance but left as they have always been thereby retaining the essential restorative qualities contained in the variety of salts and minerals present in the muddy waters which fluctuate in colour from creamy white to deep black and in temperature from a tepid 26c to a hot 40c.
Although this unique resource is under promoted in NZ it is very popular with Maori families who are under no illusions as to the healing properties of these pools and encourage willing and adventurous visitors to daub their bodies in mud and dry naturally before showering off and emerging refreshed and invigorated by the experience. Highly recommended!

Ngawha Springs Road, Ngawha Springs
+64 (0)9 405 2245
Google map: bit.ly/giUVtd

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An array of thermal pools set among lawned gardens. Some of the pools are in natural rock form and range in temperature from warm to extremely hot and sulphuric. The effect is instant relaxation. Also in the complex are several large free form swimming pools catering for all ages from fun themed with flumes for children to graduated depths for stronger swimmers. All pools are heated via natural springs and are useable even in snow. There is a glass fronted cafe serving wonderfully healthy food all reasonably priced. There is a backdrop of mountains and a wild west feel to the small town where you will find a range of cheap (such as hostel) to luxury accommodation. This was my favourite place in New Zealand and an ideal way to recouperate after many days on the road.

www.hanmer springs.co.nz.
42 Amuri Avenue, Hanmer Springs 7334, New Zealand
+64 3315 0000
Google map: bit.ly/fMzalO

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The smell of sulphur assaults the senses long before you turn into the natural amphitheatre where the Bains de Saint Thomas nestle into the snowclad foothills of the Pyrenees. Celebrated as ‘Les Sources d’eaux chaudes naturelles’, these baths provide everything you could wish for and more: a range of pools, water jets, showers and jacuzzis plus a pair of swimming trunks for my husband who had managed to forget his. Stretched out in the warm, softly bubbling water, gazing at the mountains and deep blue sky above, you do not want not want to be anywhere else in the whole world. Very friendly staff and a nice little café to boot.

+33 468970313
www.bains-saint-thomas.fr
66360 Fontpedrouse
Google map: bit.ly/hjIKmH

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Gorgeously hot mineral water springs, relaxing mud baths and local massages.
Not the most comfortable journey, but the appeal of locally endorsed Thap Ba Hot Springs in Nha Trang, Vietnam is well worth a winding, bumpy bicycle ride.
Relax in wooden bathtubs full with hot mineral mud, or share a larger pool with your pals, enjoy wonderfully warm and refreshing hot waterfall showers. In case you hadn’t chilled out enough, feel free to unwind further in soothing thermal mineral water baths, hour long massages for less than a fiver and an outdoor heated swimming pool, all whilst admiring the backdrop of eucalyptus trees, striking tropical flowers and an on-site lake. Still not enough? The pristine beaches of Nha Trang are merely a stone’s throw away.

www.thapbahotspring.com.vn
25 group,
Ngoc Son Hamlet,
Ngoc Hiep Ward,
Nha Trang City ,
Khanh Hoa Province
Directions: Leave Nha Trang town by crossing the Xom Bong and Ha Ra bridges, turn right after the Thap Ba temple and on your left there should be a sign for Thap Ba Hot Spring there, follow from there.

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The natural spa is just outside the village of Wotten Waven in the Roseau valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty and geothermic activity which creates hot sulphur springs.The spa has four hot pools with a constant flow of mineral rich water. The surroundings are very beautiful. You lie in the natural pools looking up at a canopy of lianas and vines. All the construction of pools and showers and a changing area is from natural materials and blends into the landscape. Screw, the Rastafarian creator of this tropical paradise, has the warmest welcome and makes bathers feel at ease. The spa is popular with locals and visitors alike, costing from 10 US dollars for a 45 minute session. After lounging in the pools and perhaps enjoying a lava scrub fresh local fruits and juices are offered to guests. A small bar provides other local drinks such a cocoa tea. It really is the most relaxing and beautiful place, once visited you have to return.

On the road from Wotten Waven to Trafalgar, there is a well sign-posted car park, or take the local bus the driver will know where to drop you. +767-440-4478
open 10am-10pm, except Mondays, arrive early or late if you want to avoid cruise-ship parties.
Google map: bit.ly/hefwed

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I had this little mineral pool all to myself one March day, on a side trip from visiting the Lake of Fire in the centre of Sao Miguel island. It’s nicely warm on a cold day, with a pretty waterfall, and all surrounded by exotically lush vegetation, mainly ferns. A high iron content has coloured the water and surrounding rocks orange. There are a few little wooden changing huts, picnic tables, and steaming fumaroles (geysers) nearby.

Caldeira Velha Park Sao Miguel, Azores
Google map: bit.ly/hrTEhr

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The outdoor Sultaniye baths are right on the shore of Lake Köycegiz on the Turkish Lycian coast. Last October chilly rain encouraged me to wallow straight down into the shallow bath of warm mud - in summer apparently, the form is to allow the air to dry you afterwards. Instead, I lowered myself gingerly into a very hot (40C) thermal mineral pool and read the long list of what exactly was benefiting my skin. It’s apparently “radioactive, hyperthermal, hypertonic” - which means good for arthritis, rheumatism, and skin complaints. Finally a swim in the silky waters of the lake and a visit to the restaurant. There are tourists here certainly, as
from here it is a short boat ride along the Dalyan delta to the Carian cliff tombs and ruins of Kaunos. (Look out for kingfishers darting across the river). But there are also many locals, obviously taking their “cure” very seriously.

Sultaniye Thermal Baths and Hot Springs at Lake Koycegiz
Google map: bit.ly/hzYjzv

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The seaweed baths in Enniscrone Co Sligo are Ireland’s earthy answer to a hammam.
It’s refreshingly simple, steam yourself in a cabinet straight out of the silent films, and then step into a hot bath infused with fresh seaweed. If you want to wake yourself up afterwards, have a cold shower or you can just jump into the sea. The oils leave the skin silky, and the ambiance is unfussy. The prices are pre-crazy and there is no time limit. You can book a massage beforehand and although the baths themselves cannot be booked, you can ring ahead.
Open all the year round, until 8pm. October- May from 12 noon Saturdays and Sundays included, the rest of the year from 10 am.
Single rooms €25 sharing € 32 Double rooms (two baths ) €40 with steam €45

www.kilcullenseaweedbaths.com
Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, Ireland
+ 353(0)96 36238
Google map: bit.ly/hFlKt2

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The hammam in Malaga is the antithesis of the Costa del Sol. Calm, dimly lit, it is as authentic as I have found outside of Turkey. You can have a steam - no time limit - or book a massage as part of a package. The massage takes place either in the hammam itself on a marble slab, or (for more privacy) in a separate room. Afterward you can rest on the outside terrace with herbal tea. One of the most memorable moments in Malaga for me, apart from the Picasso Museum which is close by.

(+34) 952 21 23 27
www.elhammam.com
C/ Tomás de Cózar, 13
29008 Málaga (España)
Google map: bit.ly/gkI8n3

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On the main Hwassa/Dilla road, a few kilometres before reaching Dilla, stands a rusty iron notice with the unlikely proclamation of 'swimming pool' and an arrow pointing in the direction of a dirt track dipping sharply down to the right. The track is steep, rough and winding but can be negotiated by local taxi and a careful driver in about ten minutes. The 'swimming pool' is still a figment of someone's imagination or ideals but the hot springs are real and wonderful. Don't expect any luxuries (take your own towel) but for 10 birr (40 pence) you are given a ticket and a small bar of strawberry or lemon scented soap which entitles you to have piping hot shower and/or bath with enough steam in the small wooden cubicles for your own private sauna; stay there until your heart is content or the heat drives you out. Recover with chai or boona (tea or coffee) purchased from the small kiosk/ticket office and then walk the short distance along the river to the waterfall and natural pool where you can indeed swim.Magical at any time but particularly so if you are unlucky as we were, to be staying for three days in a hotel in Dilla without a functioning water supply!

Dilla is a moderately sized town in the south of Ethiopia,about two and a half hours drive from Hwassa.There is a sign stating 'swimming pool' on the right hand side of the road approximately 2 kilometres from Dilla as you approach Dilla from the main Hwassa/Dilla road
Google map: bit.ly/h0HzqK

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Originally built by Yavuz Sultan Selim in the 16th Century this is a beautiful mixed hammam - a fantastic place to be steamed, scrubbed and massaged. With most hammam's now based in hotels this is an original alternative with its traditional Moorish design and architecture (check out the brass fittings.) Having arrived covered in seasalt (it's neatly located in the Old Town near the marina) I and my partner in crime were returned to former glory ready to face the haggling and the raki that lay beyond the white walls. It is professional and welcoming, swimwear is worn in the hammam and girls can request a female masseuse. As with any Turkish establishment they may try and sell you an additional massage such as a facial while there so just be aware that they will add this to your bill when you leave and don't be afraid to say no! Other than that you really do feel amazing, radiant and squeaky clean!

www.oldturkishbath.com

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About an hour's drive south of the busy urban centre of Athens lies Voulgiameni, a wealthy coastal suburb and beach resort. Nestled in among its fabulously clean beaches, spectacular houses, restaurants, clubs and resort hotels (all reasons to go there in themselves) you'll find Voulgiameni Lake (sunken lake in English), a mineral/thermal lake (constant temperature of around the mid 20c) with therapeutic properties open all year, the likes of which you are unlikely to have experienced before. Story has it that millions of years ago it was a cave. But its roof collapsed due to the heat and moisture generated by the hot springs feeding the lake within it, possibly aided by an earthquake. So now its an open crater in which you can swim/bathe, exercise (assisted by the various aides within it) and lounge around for a relaxing/healing day out. In addition to the usual change/shower facilities you'd expect to find, there's a cafe/restaurant on site to complete the experience. And if you get bored at any stage, there's always the beach opposite or the trendy suburb of Glyfada not far away for a spot of shopping...

Poseidonos Avenue, Voulgiameni.
Beach A bus stop.

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Just as a beer tastes best after physical exertion so a hammam is blissful when muscles are weary and the body has a degree of grubbiness. So head for Jordan and spend a couple of days trekking in the desert at Wadi Rum, sleeping under the stars and enjoying Bedouin hospitality but no washing facilities. Then on to Petra where a hammam just before the site provides sublime refreshment. It may not be a world beater but it will certainly feel like it and the staff are skillful and welcoming. You leave cleansed and reinvigorated, ready to explore Petra; a much larger site than expected where it is easy to escape the crowds. As the sun sets walk on to a second Bedouin camp where a traditional meal awaits plus an untraditional beer. Perfick!

Google map: bit.ly/gcPnZs

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Nestled in a valley of the River Sals, Rennes-les-Bains is a picturesque retreat for those in search of relaxation. This Roman spa town is host to a Turkish bath and to both hot and cold springs with the strong bath or 'le bain fort' reaching temperatures of up to 46°C, perfect for soaking in on a chilly winter's night. The popular waters are still used today as a natural cure for joint problems and skin conditions, a treatment that dates back thousands of years.

11190 Rennes-les-Bains, France
Google map: bit.ly/h4Vt2o

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You are spoilt for choice when it comes to visiting a spa in Budapest. On both sides of the river that winds its way through the city you can find yourself in hot and healing waters.
The Gellert Baths though are revered by many and their grandeur means they are the most iconic in the city. The image that stands out for me though is not the still blue waters flagged by magnificent pillars, but that of the outdoor pool and it's wave machine.
The turbines that drive this gear up every hour and their force is one unrivaled in any "no bombing, no ducking" swimming pool. A classic example of their power was seen in Micheal Palin's New Europe series when he is standing in the shallows of the pool doing a piece to camera and he is literally floored by the wave that comes his way. You barely have enough time to stand up before the next wave comes crashing in. Great fun!
Where the Gellert Baths rule supreme though is in mid-August when thousands of people descend on Budapest to enjoy the Sziget Festival. This isn't a weekend affair, but a week of camping on Sziget Island in the middle of the Danube and enjoying music and entertainment on twenty stages. Festival-goers might be able to get away with not showering for a few days, but when you're camping for a week and the shower queues as they always are at festivals, the Gellert is the best way to spend your day before the bands start.

www.gellertbath.com/
H-1118 Budapest, Kelenhegyi út 4
+(36-1) 466-6166
Google map: bit.ly/e3HW1w
www.sziget.hu/festival_english

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Forgo any inhibitions and don your birthday suit in Germany's thermal bath mecca. Caracalla spa has a variety of indoor and outdoor spas and saunas to keep you relaxed yet stimulated throughout the day. Nudity is the norm in the upstairs sauna level, so when in Rome. In January the bath’s central building and surrounds lights up at night, creating a glowing atmosphere. And if it snows during an outdoor bath session, even better for a magical winter break.

Römerplatz 1, 76530 Baden-Baden, Germany
+49 (0)7221 275940
www.carasana.de/caracalla.html
Google map: bit.ly/g51e8W

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