Favorite Hot Springs and Mineral Springs
Hot Springs and Mineral Springs Spas offer an on-site source of natural mineral, thermal or seawater used in hydrotherapy treatments. The resulting benefits are the backbone of “balneotherapy”, defined as “the branch of medical science concerned with the therapeutic value of baths, especially those taken with natural mineral waters”.
Balneotherapy as a field of study is truly ancient and has been an accepted part of education in medical schools worldwide, particularly in Europe and Asia where ample water sources exist.
What’s the difference between Hydrotherapy and Balneotherapy? Simply defined, balneotherapy is considered a more-inclusive science of medicinally beneficial modalities which, while overlapping with hydrotherapy, includes the broader use use of mineral waters in drinking, bathing, soaking, treatments — including mineral water rich muds and sands for body wraps and scrubs — beyond recreational use.
We’ve selected a few of our favorite places to soak up the waters, both destinations for the simple pleasure of a mineral water hydrotherapy soak, as well as more advanced therapeutic waters used for balneotherapy. Among our favorites is a grand, landscaped pool filled with mineral waters in a resort setting in Tuscany, another is a visually stunning and almost mystical experience in the blue lagoon of Iceland, while another, Kanaguya Onsen in Japan, is believed to be the inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away” bathhouse.
No matter grand or humble, a good soak always does you a bit of good.
CHENA HOT SPRINGS, Alaska
The Chena Hot Springs resort is truly a one-of-a-kind destination whether you are interested in Aurora viewing tours, relaxing in the hot springs, enjoying an “appletini” in the Aurora Ice Museum, getting a fabulous therapeutic massage, taking dog sled or cart rides, enjoying flight-seeing tours or any of the other fabulous activities offered year-round.
QUAPAW BATH HOUSE, Arkansas
The Quapaw Bath House is a day spa on Little Rock’s Historic Bath House Row. The historic bathhouse has been fully restored to offer modern spa amenities and therapeutic services while honoring the legendary comforts. Pay a daily rate for soaking in thermal pools, sitting in the steam cave, book a massage or facial, and then have lunch in the Quapaw Café.
CASTLE HOT SPRINGS, ARIZONA
Castle Hot Springs is a historical icon, nestled in a rugged and remote desert location northwest of Arizona’s Phoenix / Scottsdale metro area. Boasting a colorful history, yet untouched for nearly 40 years, this natural gem in the Bradshaw Mountains continued to produce restorative thermal waters as it waited for this beautiful return as a favorite destination hot springs resort. Enjoy adults-only, pet-free luxury bungalows, spa services, fine dining, craft cocktails, and all-inclusive stay and soak packages.
Azure Palm Hot Springs, California
Azure Palm Hot Springs is in the renowned soaking spot Desert Hot Springs, near Palm Springs. The silky, healing and moisturizing mineral water is odorless, and rich in Sulfur, Silica, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous and Lithium — the perfect “cocktail” for your skin, muscles, and mind. Guests will enjoy luxury spa suites, mineral pools and tubs, pool cabanas, sunbathing pads, a Himalayan salt room, a day spa, Finnish sauna, spa cafe, yoga, reflexology path, hiking, detox cleanse programs, and more.
ESALEN HOT SPRINGS, California
Esalen Hot Springs in Big Sur, on the California Coast, have been in ritual and healing use by the Esselen Indians and others for more than 6,000 years. The Esalen Institute’s cliff-side soaking pools are surrounded by the beauty of surrounding jagged coast and its trees, the “green living roof” planted with native coastal grasses, the native flora and fauna, and glassed walled facilities to take in the views.
WILBUR HOT SPRINGS, California
A “Sanctuary for the Self” in Northern California’s coastal range. Wilbur Hot Springs guests appreciate the natural healing mineral waters in the traditional Japanese style onsen and more – the hotel’s unique and rustic charm, the solitude and peace found here, the many opportunities to reconnect with nature on a private 1,800-acre nature preserve.
GLENWOOD HOT SPRINGS, Colorado
Glenwood is home to the World’s largest hot springs pool, plus a 107 room lodge, water slides, mini golf course, an athletic club, and a full-service day spa, Spa of the Rockies, offering skin care, massage, and more. A recent and complete renovation of the historic 100 year old sandstone bathhouse was done in a tribute to the spiritual beauty of this majestic landscape in the West.
MT PRINCETON HOT SPRINGS, Colorado
The Historic Bath House at Mout Princeton Hot Springs Resort is open daily to the public. Enjoy the hot springs in Chalk Creek or the Soaking Pool and Exercise Pool. Each pool is fed by its own natural geothermal hot spring that is bubbling up into the actual creek bed and into majestic circles of stones that create natural pools of warmth and rejuvenation. Open late at night the hot springs are great to sit and gaze at the stars at night.
PAGOSA HOT SPRINGS, Colorado
The Great Pagosah Spring feeds mineral water to Pagosa Hot Spring’s 23 soaking pools, and is the Guinness World Record title holder of The World’s Deepest Geothermal Hot Spring. Vist for the day and use the pools with a day pass, or take advantage of the on-site lodging which gives you 24-hour soaking privileges, or book treatments at Pahgosa Day Spa and enjoy complimentary soaks on the day of treatment.
YAMPAH HOT SPRINGS, Colorado
Yampah has natural underground hot steam baths located in a historic hot springs mountain retreat. Hot mineral waters flow through the cave floors at 125 degrees F. to create the natural geothermal steam baths the Ute Indians called “Yampah” or “Big Medicine.” In addition to the Vapor Caves, the AVEDA salon spa offers a full range of health and beauty treatments, including skin care, massage, and more.
OLD TOWN HOT SPRINGS, Colorado
Old Town Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs have welcomed visitors for over 100 years. The Ute Indians who first settled the area knew them as “medicine” springs, frequenting them for sacred physical and spiritual healing. Later the pools were a gathering and bathing place for early homesteaders. Old Town is lucky to have the famous Heart Spring, the source of all the healing mineral water in eight different pools.
OURAY HOT SPRINGS, Ouray, Colorado
Colorado’s Ouray Hot Springs region has five developed springs and mineral pools. Ouray Hot Springs Pool, the vapor caves and pool at the Wiesbaden Hot Springs, and the pools at Orvis Hot Springs are open to the public. Area hotels, Chipeta Solar Springs Resort, Twin Peaks Lodge and the Box Canyon Lodge offer solar-heated spring-fed pools.
STRAWBERRY PARK, Colorado
Strawberry Park Hot Springs is a short distance from Steamboat Springs, and offers a popular park for both day guests and overnight visitors. Enjoy private and public hot springs pools next to the Hot Springs Creek, in a pure and natural setting enhanced by unique stone masonry. The source water stays very hot throughout the year and the coolest pool temp hovers close to 102 degrees F.
DUNTON HOT SPRINGS, Colorado
This beautiful resort in the Colorado mountains is on the West Fork of the Dolores River, perched above beaver ponds and aspen groves. Dunton Hot Springs makes its home in a Ghost Town lovingly restored in rustic luxury. Enjoy fine dining, luxury lodging and camping, spa services, hot springs soaking, and so much more beneath the glistening San Juan peaks.
QUINN'S HOT SPRINGS, Montana
Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort is a historic lodge established in the 1880s on the Clark-Fork River in Paradise, Montana. The resort offers fine dining, a tavern and casino, wedding and event center, lodge rooms and luxury cabins. The resort’s hot springs are 100% natural, geothermal pools individually calibrated to offer a variety of temperatures ranging from hot to cool, and the resort also has an ice plunge pool.
FAIRMONT HOT SPRINGS RESORT, Montana
The Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is a year-round resort in Anaconda, Montana, about 20 miles northwest of Butte. The resort offers four hot spring pools — two outdoor Olympic sized swimming pools and two mineral soaking pools. Guests with families enjoy the waterslide, and the resort offers spa services, steam room, fitness center golf, tennis, two restaurants, and a summer season pool bar and lounge.
MOCCASIN SPRINGS, South Dakota
Moccasin Springs Natural Mineral Springs is a wellness destination just 50 Minutes South of Mount Rushmore in the Southern Black Hills. Indoor and outdoor mineral soaking, massage, yoga, sauna, sound balancing. After a day of relaxation, be sure to dine on the locally sourced cuisine at Buffalo Dreamer, the facility’s own restaurant.
KRAUSE SPRINGS,Texas
Krause Springs is a camping and swimming site located in the Hill Country, about 30 miles west of Austin. There are 32 springs on the property. Tent and RV sites are both available. Guests are welcome swim, relax and stroll through the Butterfly Gardens; The man-made and natural pools have some of the cleanest natural Texas spring water flowing through it non-stop.
BARTON SPRINGS POOL, Texas
Austin’s 358 acre Zilker Metropolitan Park in Austin, Texas, is home to all manner of outdoor fun, ranging from picnic areas to educational displays — plus one of the most beloved outdoor activities in the city — the Barton Springs Pool. This Texas sized natural pool (about 3 acres) is fed from underground springs with an average temperature of 68-70 degrees, making it an ideal swimming hole year-round.
RIVERBEND HOT SPRINGS, New Mexico
Located in the historic town of Truth or Consequences and near Spaceport America, Riverbend Hot Springs is an affordable, smoke free, hot springs spa, where guests can relax in a beautiful, laid back environment. Riverbend is one of our favorite hot springs in the southwest for its clean, comfortable pools and its unmatched views of the Rio Grande river and Turtleback mountain.
TERMOPOLIS HOT SPRINGS PARK, Wyoming
Thermopolis is home to the World’s largest mineral hot spring. The park features indoor and outdoor pools, relaxing sauna and steam rooms and huge water slides for the kids. Visit Hot Springs State Park and see a Buffalo herd bring to life visions of an old west frontier where Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid made Thermopolis a regular stop.
BERKELEY SPRINGS, West Virginia
Historic Berkeley Springs State Park in West Virginia is home to a mineral spa that has been in use since colonial times — it proudly calls itself “America’s First Spa” and has documented visits by George Washington. The park is renowned for its warm spring water, which flows at a constant temperature of 74.3 degrees. The park’s Old Roman and Main bathhouses offer a wide selection of spa services, including mineral soaks, massages, saunas, baths and showers.
SARATOGA RESORT & SPA, Wyoming
Take a dip in the Saratoga Resort & Spa’s healing mineral hot springs. The incredible high mineral content and no sulphur odor ranks these springs with the world famous German springs. Guests enjoy on-site dining with hand-crafted microbrews are available, pampering spa treatments, healing mineral hot springs, numerous activities, comfortable accommodations, and a friendly staff.
GRANITE HOT SPRINGS, Wyoming
Granite Hot Springs is located above Granite Creek Falls south of Jackson, and features a waterfall-fed, 104-degree soaking pool and a man-made swimming pool built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s. While open year-round, during Winter, a trek to the springs is arduous, accessible only via snowmobile, dog sled, or skiing, making the hot soak all the more enjoyable.
AHALANUI PARK, Hawaii
The best of sea and springs in one pool. The Ahalanui Hot Springs Ponds are approximately 30 miles from Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. The hot springs pool is partly walled of from the Ocean to create a lukewarm swimming pool, with waves crashing over the walls to keep things lively and to cool the water to a pleasant 90 degrees.
SCANDINAVE SPA, Ontario, Canada
This award-winning spa is renowned for the outdoor Scandinavian Baths experience. Guests spend hours soaking whilst enjoying the serenity of the surrounding natural environment. Minutes from Collingwood & Blue Mountain Resort, the spa offers registered Massages, Getaway Packages and a bistro.
TEMPLE GARDENS, SK, Canada
Located in historic downtown Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Temple Gardens features Canada’s largest therapeutic Geo-Thermal Mineral Water indoor/outdoor rooftop pool. Sun Tree Spa is named after the Sun Tree that was built by local Moose Jaw artists, saved from demolition, and moved to its home at Temple Gardens in 2002.
AINSWORTH HOT SPRINGS, BC, Canada
The springs originate in the Cody Caves area, west of Ainsworth Hot Springs. The water works its way down through porous rock and picks up temperature at a rate of 40C per km down until it strikes what is known as the Lakeshore Fault. This hot mineral water flows through Ainsworth’s pools, naturally changing the water at an impressive rate of six times daily.
BLUE LAGOON GEOTHERMAL SPA, Iceland
The Blue Lagoon is a unique geothermal spa where guests relax in warm geothermal seawater. Facilities include modern dressing rooms and showers, indoor pool, conference room, and restaurant. A geothermal beach, lava caves and silica mud are parts of the lagoon area. In addition to bathing in the lagoon, guests enjoy relaxing in a lava cave and geothermal steam bath.
LES BAINS DE LAVEY, Switzerland
The Thermal Baths of Lavey feature the hottest thermal water in Switzerland. At night, the illuminated pools shimmer like a fairytale. Amenities include a Nordic sauna and pavilion, an oriental space with Hamman and Eastern treatments, an underwater currents pool, waterfall, underwater massage, an indoor relaxation area with fireplace and foot bath, color therapy and aromatherapy rooms, and more. Open to both onsite hotel guests and day guests, and welcoming guests all year.
TERMAS PAPALLACTA, Ecuador
Termas de Papallacta Spa and Resort is located in the Andean highlands, in a unique natural environment. The resort welcomes day guests and lodge guests, and offers pools with different types of hydro massage, a restaurant, thermal club treatment area, a no cost medical clinic, and lodge rooms.
HEVIZ SPA, Hungary
Lake Heviz is Hungary’s largest thermal lake and has been healing weary travelers since the end of the 4th century, BC, most famously the Roman army. The spa village was formed around the end of the 18th century, and has been renovated multiple times. The flow of water is strong enough that the lake is completely replenished every 72 hours. Passes to use the lake are available daily or by the season, and massage and wellness services are also offered.
KANAGUYA ONSEN, Japan
Kanaguya Onsen inspired Hiyao Miyazaki’s film Spirited Away and was deemed a National Cultural Asset in 2003. The historical 250 year old ryokan sits on a narrow street dating back to the Edo period, in Nagano. This traditional Onsen has both private and communal baths for men and women. Kanaguya’s hot spring water comes from 4 different sources of hot springs in the mountains surrounding the inn.
TAKARAGAWA ONSEN, Japan
Takaragawa Onsen may be one of the most scenic hot springs on our list. Takaragawa means “river acquiring treasure.” The onsen is 2 hours from Tokyo, this traditional riverside onsen village looks like a film scene. The onsen has both large outdoor baths (both mixed and women-only) and indoor baths. The famed mineral water has a reputation for healing. Day guests are welcome, and the baths are open year round.
PUYUHUAPI LODGE & SPA, Chile
Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa sits on the edge of a fjord where water from the sea, waterfalls, and thermal springs converge with vistas of water and mountains. The Lodge has 3 thermal open air baths on the edge of the fjord that allow you to enjoy a rejuvenating open-air experience. The warm water and heating in the rooms also comes from its thermal springs.
ARENAL HOT SPRINGS, Costa Rica
Thanks to the Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano’s geothermal activity, there is a number of natural hot springs throughout this beautiful and wild region. Several Arenal Hot Springs and Resorts offer visitors an ideal way to relax after a day spent exploring this area, and in a variety of styles from natural, to hot, to cold, and some with swim-up bars.
BANJARAN HOT SPRINGS RETREAT, Malaysia
The Banjaran Hot Springs Retreat is in Ipoh, Malaysia, and offers a complete menu of hydro therapies and complementary services, including GeoThermal Dipping Pools, Steam Cave, Ice Cave, Meditation Cave, Crystal Cave, Doctor Fish Pool, Jungle Walk, Fitness Center, and a dedicated wellness program featuring healthy meals, exercise and treatments.
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HISTORIC SPAS
Browse our collection of Spas of Historic Interest, including hot springs, spas in national parks, landmarks, legendary sites and buildings.
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Needs more. I’ll shoot an email to you with MY favorites hot springs, mineral springs, and such!
Please do! Always eager to receive tips to share.