The hot springs come from the interior of the earth at high temperatures and loaded with minerals that benefit your body. There are many in the world, but only 15 are the best.
Let us know in this article where these wonders of nature are, 5 of them in American countries.
1. The Blue Lagoon, Iceland
The Blue Lagoon, in Iceland, is a geothermal spa with a subzero outdoor temperature and a body of water above 40 ° C. It is in a lava field on the Reykjanes peninsula, 50 km south of Reykjavik, the capital of the island Republic.
Reykjavik is one of the main thermal cities in the world for its warm waters rich in sulfur and silica, beneficial for health and for power generation.
Its waters are natural and clean, so you will have to shower before entering them. They are constantly being renewed by supplying a nearby geothermal power station.
The Blue Lagoon is visited by thousands of people from around the world to treat psoriasis and other skin problems, for 35 euros a ticket.
Read our guide on 7 reasons why Iceland is the perfect place for a winter break
2. Pamukkale, Turkey
The thermal waters of Pamukkale are among the most beautiful in the world.
This "cotton castle" so impressed the Romans with its appearance of frozen waterfalls due to the high content of limestone and travertine, that they decided to build the city of Hierapolis, of which ruins still remain.
The price to enter its waters of more than 30 ° C is 8 euros. If you don't have them, you can only dip your feet into the warm currents that run down the mountain.
Pamukkale, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1988, is one of the most visited sites by people seeking relief from bone pain and other health problems.
3. Saturnia, Italy
Saturnia, in Tuscany, positions Italy among the countries with world-class thermal waters.
Its waters emerge from the springs at 37.5 ° C forming small waterfalls and natural pools with sulfates, carbonates, sulfurous and carbonic gases, being highly valued for their therapeutic properties. The Molino and Gorello waterfalls are two of its main waterfalls.
The Termas de Saturnia spa offers health treatments, lotions and thermal creams made on site. There are also free hot springs in the area.
4. Minakami, Japan
Minakami is a Japanese city known for its abundance of hot springs that arise from volcanic springs.
Thousands of Japanese attend it to relax after working days in the bustling cities of the country.
Minakami is on the foothills of Tanigawa Mountain, in Gunma Prefecture, in the central part of the Japanese archipelago, 70 minutes from Tokyo on the bullet train.
Read our guide on the 30 tips to travel to Japan that you should know
5. Burgas De Outariz, Spain
The Outariz spas, in the Orense municipality, in Spain, have natural pools with temperatures between 38 ° C and 60 ° C, free hot springs with water rich in silicates and fluoride that supposedly relieve arthritis and rheumatism.
Other hot springs in Orense are Pozas de A Chavasqueira, Manantial do Tinteiro and Burga do Muíño.
Orense is known as the "thermal capital of Galicia". One theory of this holds that Orense comes from the Latin expression “aquae urente”, which means “scorching waters”. Others say that it came from the Germanic word “warmsee”, which means “hot lake”.
Read our guide on the 15 wonderful landscapes of Spain that seem unreal
6. Szechenyi Thermal Baths, Hungary
Those in Szechenyi, in Budapest, Hungary, are the largest medicinal baths in Europe with pools that reach 77 ° C, fed by artesian thermal wells.
Its waters are rich in calcium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, hydrocarbonates and fluorides, recommended to treat degenerative joint diseases and subacute and chronic arthritis. Also for orthopedic and post-accidental therapies.
Szcechenyi, near Heroes' Square, is a water park rather than an ordinary thermal spa. It has classic, adventure and thermal pools, saunas, hot tubs and indoor and outdoor water jet massages.
The Budapest metro and the trolley bus have stops nearby.
7. Los Azufres, Michoacán, Mexico
Los Azufres are springs, lagoons, geysers and natural pools of hot springs, in the Mexican state of Michoacán, 246 km from Mexico City.
In addition to sulfur, the spa waters are rich in other healthy mineral salts. The sulfurous condition of its waters is ideal for treating skin problems such as dermatitis and psoriasis.
In this complex you can enjoy thermal baths, hydromassages and mud therapies, which will oxygenate your body, adjust your metabolism and digestive system, tone your nerves and rejuvenate your skin.
Read our guide on what are the 10 best types of tourism in Mexico
8. The Termas de Río Hondo, Santiago Del Estero, Argentina
The thermal waters of the Río Hondo, in Santiago Del Estero, Argentina, come from a huge mineralized hot spring 12 km around through fractures in the ground, which reach the surface at temperatures that reach 70 ° C.
They are rainwater and melted snow from the Nevado del Aconquija that mix with the minerals in the depths of the earth, which later emerge as a healthy flow abundant in carbonates used to tone the body, balance blood pressure and relieve rheumatic pain.
The hot springs of the Río Hondo are the most emblematic 1,140 km from Buenos Aires.
9. Hot Springs of Santa Rosa De Cabal, Colombia
The thermal waters of Santa Rosa de Cabal, in Colombia, spring from the mountains at 70 ° C loaded with healing mineral salts. Upon reaching the natural pools, their temperature has already dropped to 40 ° C.
Its location in the Andean region gives this town, 330 km west of Bogotá, a pleasant and temperate mountain climate that contrasts with the warmth of its hot springs.
It is one of the best hot springs in South America with a lake whose medicinal muds have gained fame as a skin treatment.
10. Tabacón, Costa Rica
In the middle of the Arenal Volcano National Park are the Tabacón hot springs, whose waters heated by volcanic activity descend from the mountain through the dense jungle.
There are 5 springs of mineral-rich water that emanate by thousands of gallons per minute. You will find dozens of hot pools and waterfalls of various temperatures.
The best equipped spa in the place is at the Tabacón Gran Spa Thermal Resort, which you can enter whether or not you are staying at the hotel. Its rooms have a view of the volcano and everything you need for a relaxed and comfortable stay.
11. Thermal baths of Vals, Switzerland
The Vals spa in Switzerland is a sanctuary attended by tourists from all over the world to enjoy the pleasure and healing powers of alpine hot springs.
The construction of hotels and spas in this Swiss commune began in the 1960s, to take advantage of its beneficial waters in hydrotherapy treatments.
12. Termas de Cocalmayo, Peru
Thermal complex with pools of different depths and medicinal waters recommended to treat skin conditions, rheumatism and bone pain, with temperatures between 40 and 44 ° C.
The spa on the left bank of the Urubamba River, at an altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level, in the district of Santa Teresa, Department of Cuzco, Peru, is open 24 hours a day.
13. Hot Water Beach, New Zealand
The only hot springs on our list that are on a beach. By digging a bit in this New Zealand sandbank, you reach hot water that emanates at 60 ° C, a consequence of the meeting of two tectonic plates.
This geological curiosity is on the Coromandel Peninsula, on the northwestern coast of North Island and is visible from Auckland, the largest city in the oceanic island country.
The locals attribute to the thermal waters the power to cure all kinds of conditions.
14. Lake Héviz, Hungary
It is the largest thermal lake in the world among those enabled for recreation. Add an area of 47,500 m2 with waters rich in calcium, magnesium, carbonic acid and sulfides, among other compounds.
Its warm waters are used to treat skin problems, locomotion disorders and rheumatic diseases.
The lake is in Héviz, a spa town in Zala County, near the western shore of Lake Balaton.
15. Hammamat Ma’In Hot Springs, Jordan
The Hammamat Ma'In Hot Springs in Jordan are the most spectacular hot springs below sea level in the world. They are 264 meters deep and form magnificent falls that make the place an oasis in the desert.
The winter rains that fall in the highlands of the Hashemite kingdom gush from the depths after being heated and enriched with minerals, emerging above 40 ° C.
The Dead Sea is very close with its particular attractions, including the ease of floating due to its high concentration of salts and the pools of black mud that clean the skin and leave it soft.
Conclusion
Thermal waters are so beneficial that the World Health Organization recognized them as a type of therapy and included them among traditional medicines.
Although these are the 15 best in the world, there are many more, perhaps one near your city. Go ahead and try this type of help that can be a complement to your conventional medical treatment.
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