9 Fabulous Hot Springs in Tuscany

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Tuscany, Italy, has no shortage of attractions. Delicious food, interesting monuments, and great wine. If you’re looking for a longer, relaxing stay try visiting some of its famous hot springs.

The hot springs in Tuscany are some of the most famous in Italy and have often been places where a community was formed around them. Today many towns, evolved around the hot spring baths, bear the name ‘terme’ to indicate their origins. The hot springs have long been known for their healing properties, mainly their healing effect on skin, gastrointestinal as well as musculoskeletal conditions. 

Here are some of the best hot springs in Tuscany you could visit!

Best Tuscany Hot Springs

Saturnia

There are two locations you could visit if you’re wanting to enjoy Saturnia hot springs. The hot springs of Saturnia feed the larger resort of Thermal Park Saturnia, and the smaller Cascate del Mulino, or mill falls. This hot spring is located in the very south of Tuscany, called the Maremma Toscana.

The picturesque blue water with little pools in terraces you see in photos is Cascate del Mulino, which is free and one of the best hot springs in Italy.

They were created by the thermal spring Gorello into waterfalls that naturally formed the pools. The water temperature is 37°C (98.6F) and has a presence of thermal plankton that has benefits for the skin and blood flow. 

These natural pools are one of the most beautiful in Tuscany and are often featured in guides and tourist books. The access is free, and there’s also a parking lot and a little bar in the old mill.

If you’re looking for something more, visit the Terme di Saturnia Spa & Golf Resort. This luxury hotel & spa offers everything you could want while enjoying the healing properties of the hot spring water. Its thermal pools are fed by the same Gorello spring, with the water here being slightly warmer at 37.5°C (99.5F).  

A day ticket to the pools without any massages or other special treatments will set you back €19 on weekdays and €27 on weekends and holidays. In addition, you’ll be required to use white bathrobes and towels, which you can rent at the resort for a surcharge of €6.

Terme di Saturnia is one of the best hot springs in Tuscany and is well worth a visit if you’re in this part of Italy.

Petriolo

Much like the Terme di Saturnia, you can also choose between the natural hot spring pools and the formalized Terme di Petriolo spa and resort when going to the hot springs of Petriolo. These springs have been visited since antiquity; among the most famous visitors are Cicero, pope Pius II., and members of the Medici family.

These natural hot springs in Tuscany are situated along the river Farma, with two larger sections of hot spring pools in a calm river valley. The water temperature in these springs is 43°C (109.4F), which makes these hot springs perfect to enjoy all year long. The natural springs are free and quite easy to access, however, they could be quite crowded during the holiday season.

The Terme di Petriolo spa and pool is situated in Monticiano in the province of Siena in Tuscany. The thermal center offers two outdoor pools and an indoor one, and a variety of treatments, mainly focusing on the healing powers of the hot springs. There’s a selection of massages, mud baths, and thermal baths. 

Daily entry on weekdays costs €11, while the weekend and holiday price is €13. Any additional wellness treatments and massages have to be booked and paid separately.

San Casciano dei Bagni

San Casciano dei Bagni is a town on a hill above the hot springs. These natural springs were discovered by Etruscans, who recognized the healing properties of the hot spring waters and built formal baths.

Like the Saturnia and Petriolo hot springs, this one too feeds natural baths, named the Bagno Grande and Bagno Bossolo, that are free to access, as well as a thermal complex and 17th-century hotel Fonteverde.

The Bagno Grande is located at the bottom of the San Casciano dei Bagni hill and can be reached by a short walk from the parking lot. The water here reaches around 40°C (104F) and is always warm, which makes these thermal pools perfect for visiting at any time of the year.

The Fonteverde resort is a wonderful thermal complex with large pools, a spa center, and a fitness area. Their spa is open to day guests as well as hotel customers. The entry-day ticket on weekdays costs €28 and includes the rental of a bathrobe, while the weekend & holiday ticket costs €32.

After the coronavirus pandemic, the spa operates with limited occupancy, so you should book your spot in advance through their website, especially if you’re planning on visiting during the holidays.

Equi Terme

The Equi Terme hot spring is a mineral spring with temperatures ranging between 17 and 27°C, so it’s not as warm as some of the others. Equi Terme is a small town in the northern corner of Tuscany.

The natural hot springs are situated along the Aulella stream and are fairly easily accessible, following an unpaved path from the central parking lot in town for just a couple hundred meters.

The town’s local baths Terme di Equi offer a range of treatments along with their thermal water pools, such as steam rooms, massages, algae, mud, and cold-compress treatments.

If you’re coming to the town, you should also go check out Equi caves on the hill above the village. They’re a UNESCO-recognised Geopark and an impressive network of karstic activity.

Casciana Terme

The town of Casciana Terme is known for the hot spring named Casciana, fed by the stream Mathelda. This hot spring in Tuscany is set in the hills, less than an hour’s drive from Livorno and Pisa.

The waters from the spring feed into the external pool of the Terme di Casciana thermal complex with a spa and massage center. The water temperature here is a comfortable 37.5°C (99.5F).

Terme di Casciana resort focuses on rehabilitation and physical therapy, so if you’re someone who enjoys the calm, this might be the spring for you. Their indoor pool is mostly reserved for rehab classes in the mornings but offers swimming possibilities and preventive water aerobics in the afternoons.

The resort spa and massage center offers various options for regenerative massage treatments with packages offering several types of massages.

Montecatini Terme

Montecatini Terme is a town that developed around four hot springs in the Pistoia and Lucca areas of Tuscany. The town has antique roots and had its first thermal complex in the 1700s. The first thermal complex was built on the order of Peter Leopold, the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

The four hot springs of Montecatini Terme are called Leopolddina, Regina, Rinfresco, and Tettucio. Their respective water temperatures are:

• Leopoldina (33.6°C), 
• Regina (27°C), 
• Rinfresco (26°C), 
• Tettucio (25°C).

All of the hot springs can be enjoyed in private thermal parks that make up the Terme Montecatini. The four thermal complexes are Terme Tettuccio, Terme Excelsior, Terme Redi, and the Giardini Termali. These offer several possibilities for massage treatments, hydro-physical therapy, and holistic treatments.

While Montecatini Terme is primarily known to be a thermal bath town,  it’s home to some other points of interest. You can enjoy a visit to the Maona Cave, the stronghold on top of a hill called Castllo Di Montcatini and numerous churches.

San Giuliano Terme

The little town of San Giuliano Terme is located about halfway between Pisa and Lucca. The town’s main attraction, the resort, was established in 1743 as a summer residence of the Grand Duke Francesco Stefano Lorraine of Tuscany. 

While the town has a train station, you’re better off visiting by car because it allows for better and more independent mobility.

The town itself is tucked in the Arno Valley among several natural parks and was a popular summer residence town for the wealthy families of Florence and Pisa.

Today, it’s best suited as an option for travelers who want to enjoy its healing waters and the surrounding nature, as well as the proximity to Florence, Pisa, and Lucca.

Today this healing hot spring can be enjoyed in the Bagni di Pisa thermal resort. It offers multiple options for holistic healing, massage treatments, and simply enjoying yourself in the healing hot spring waters. This is one of the best options if you’re looking to enjoy a hot spring near Florence.

Bagni di San Filippo

Bagni di San Filippo is a little village in the south of Tuscany, known for its healing hot spring. The natural hot spring water is full of calcium matter which deposits around the spring, creating a magical landscape of small waterfalls and pools.

This is the sight that awaits you if you choose to visit the Fosso Bianco hot spring in Tuscany. Bagni San Filippo is best suited for anyone who wants to enjoy the hot springs in a magical natural environment while staying away from the crowds.

The town itself also has a spa resort that offers a standard range of holistic treatments, massages, and hot spring water pools. It’s set in a peaceful environment of a park with a view over the natural hot spring Fosso Bianco.

Bagno Vignoni

Bagno Vignoni is a town with a unique hot spring situated in Val d’Orcia in the south of Tuscany. In this town, the hottest hot spring in all Tuscany springs to the surface right in the middle of the town in the main square! The water temperature is 52°C!

While bathing in the main square isn’t allowed, all you need to do to access the healing spring is to follow the little canals of water off the square and into larger pools where you can bathe. Remember, though, that the water will be colder the further you go from the source. 

While these pools of water are certainly enjoyable, Bagno Vignoni also offers several spa resorts for anyone preferring to pamper themselves with a spa treatment while still enjoying the healing benefits of the hot springs.

The four resorts using natural hot spring water are Santa Caterina, Adler Spa Resort Thermar, Hotel Posta Marcuci, and Hotel Le Terme. They all offer a similar range of massages and therapeutic treatments to suit your every need.

Tuscany certainly has a lot to offer. From completely natural, free to the public hot springs to luxury spa resorts that cater to your every need, anyone can find a hot spring in Tuscany that will be a perfect fit.

FAQs: Hot Springs in Tuscany