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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Despite being only a short car or train journey from bustling Berlin, the idyllic region around the Scharmützelsee and its surrounding smaller lakes is as off the beaten track, as reasonably priced and as untouristy as they come. You can pamper yourself in the thermal brine spas at Bad Saarow, spend the night in the opulent surroundings of the fairytale Schloss Hubertushöhe, a former royal hunting lodge, or just take in the protected beauty of the unspoilt beaches, woodland and wildlife in, on and around the lakes.

Scharmützelsee region, www.scharmuetzelsee.de/dateien/HOLIDAY.pdf. Nearest railway stations coming from Berlin: Bad Saarow - Pieskow, Wendisch-Rietz, Storkow/Mark.
Schloss Hubertushöhe, www.hubertushoehe.de/. Nearest railway station coming from Berlin: Hubertushöhe.
Bad Saarow thermal spa, www.bad-saarow.de/de/bad-saarow-therme/saarowtherme/Cached. Nearest railway station coming from Berlin: Bad Saarow-Pieskow (some direct trains, else change at Fürstenwalde)
Google map: bit.ly/e0d9T4

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Ryanair fly to Karlsruhe-Baden from Stansted with fares rarely more than a fiver. Flight timetables are perfect (out Friday evening after work, back Sunday night) meaning you can spend a long weekend enjoying the spas at Baden-Baden. There are two: the modern Caracella, which has a family atmosphere with large thermally heated pools, and the Roman Friedrichsbad. Enjoy coffee and cake in one of the smart cafes in the pedestrianised town centre and maybe take in the opera or a concert in the cultural district. You needn't worry about paying extra for hold luggage because in the Roman baths (and parts of the Caracella), it's compulsory not to wear clothes, so you can ignore the airline's swingeing baggage restrictions.

www.carasana.de/home/en/roemisch.html
+49 7221 2759-40
Römerplatz 1, D-76530 Baden-Baden
Google map: bit.ly/h7QkDY

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On a week's holiday in Reykjavik last November, I went swimming every morning outside(!) in the thermal pool at Vesturbaejarlaug.
The pool is in a suburb of Reykjavik and filled with all the local grannies gossiping in the (very) hot tubs and school children doing lengths. There is a sauna and steam room and it's a fabulous way to mix with the locals and get a real taste of Reykjavik life. So refreshing. It's great to walk around outside in just your swimming costume, you don't feel cold, but if you do, the hot tub will cook you up like a lobster.

Hofsvallagata, 107 Reykjavik
+354 411 5150
www.spacity.is/index.php?lang=en
Google map: bit.ly/hj16Fw

Open Mon-Fri 06.30—22.00
Sat-Sun 08.00—22.00
Entry 360ISK adult, 110ISK for 6-18 years, free for seniors and under 6
Sauna 450ISK extra
Entry, towel, swimming costume 850ISK
Entry, towel, swimming costume, sauna 950ISK

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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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About 8km out of Pai are hot springs. Apparently many of the hotels and resorts have tapped into these as part of their “spa treatments” – again one is tempted to draw some loose comparisons here - if Chiang Mai is Thailand’s Stratford -on-Avon, then Pai is its Bath or Cheltenham.
Anyway forget about palatial classical buildings housing marbled baths - this place is an open stream in the middle of a wood.
Having parked and paid ( I think it is one of those places that charges about 200 baht - ten times extra for foreigners!) I walked up through a wooded valley. It was forested with a teak plantation but nearer the stream natural vegetation ruled – including some extraordinary phallic flowers (like red hot pokers) that protruded about three or four feet straight up from the ground, with garish green and orange tops. Apart from the plant life around the stream there were a lot of algae in the water - amazing how nature can evolve to such extreme environments. The stream from the hot springs flowed down through the valley in a series of pools. These pools were labelled and some had planks forming crude benches over them to allow bathers access.
First of all we walked up to the top were the hot water emerged. On first arriving we had noticed people buying what appeared to be eggs in a net bag – we now understood why, taken up to the top you could dip them in the water for a few minutes and cook them. Mists hung eerily over the water, the only indication of how hot it was until you looked into the pools and saw the water bubbling and shimmering with heat. A low timber wall had been set up to deter folk from thoughtlessly taking a dip in that scolding water.
As we walked back down the valley the heat was dissipated somewhat and my companion took a liking to a pool labelled “Mineral Bath” - he duly stripped down to swimming trunks, in his bag he had packed towel etc. – for those less prepared, I noticed there were rustic wooden screens to change behind at a discrete distance for the water. He lowered himself in, I dangled a toe in - my god! It was still hot!
My friend managed to sit in in this pool up to his neck for quite a long time, apparently without any discomfort. The only other people to brave this part of the stream were some rather large Germans poaching quietly away in a pool just up stream a little – eventually I managed to dip my feet in for a few seconds – maybe a minute or so, but it was too hot for me, full body submersion was out of the question, at least in that pool.

About 20 minutes out of Pai - you can hire a bike.
Or your hotel will arrange a trip out for you.
We stayed at Baan Tawaan. www.baantawan-pai.com/

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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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Tucked down one of the many narrow streets in the Santa Cruz district is this jawdropping 16th century palace built by an Indian viceroy. The vast baths are vaulted, with stuccoed Mudejars, antique lanterns and roman seating. Float around in the incense-filled chambers - it's a truly magical experience. All this and fragrant tea!

Aire de Sevilla, C/Aire 15-41004
www.airedesevilla.com
+34 955 01 00 25
Google map: bit.ly/idnudY

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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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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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