Thermal tourism in Italy: tours to discover the best thermal destinations

Thermal tourism in Italy is highly appreciated by lovers of relaxation and people who want to take care of their health and well-being. It offers numerous benefits and allows one to regenerate, balance body and mind, detoxify from the stress of daily frenetic life, and reconnect one's circadian biorhythms with those of natural systems. Italy is sprinkled with splendid locations where you can spend time relaxing in an exclusive setting alone, with family, or as a couple.

Visit Italy offers an overview of the best destinations for thermal tourism in Italy. From the enchanting Veneto to Campania, from Emilia Romagna to Tuscany, there are a lot of Italian regions, where you can find prestigious accommodation facilities of the highest quality. You can experience the curative properties of the precious thermal springs, spring mud baths, and hydrotherapy treatments, pampering you in an elegant and comfortable environment.

Treat yourself to authentic moments of leisure, relaxation, and pleasure by enjoying the medicinal properties of Turkish, hydrotherapy, and hydroponic baths and the many treatments available in the magnificent temples of thermal tourism in Italy, set in lush landscapes of great natural charm.

Let's embark on this tour together to discover the most renowned destinations of thermal tourism in Italy. With our guide, we will outline and provide you with a detailed overview of the various wellness proposals, which you can supplement and deepen with articles focusing on the different regions to find the most suitable thermal resorts for your needs and expectations.

Piedmont is a region known internationally for its beautiful landscapes, delicious gastronomic traditions, and wine treasures. Although this is a little-known aspect compared to the rest of its attractions, it also boasts a strong propensity for thermal tourism, dating back to ancient times, when people particularly appreciated the properties of thermal baths. From the 2nd century B.C., people were used to attending the thermal baths of Acqui Terme, while Valdieri station was built and opened in the mid-1500s. If you wanted to treat yourself to a weekend far from the stress of the daily routine, you could enjoy a pleasant stay in a thermal resort to be in shape.

Thermal tourism is renowned in Piedmont, where you can find numerous thermal stations and wellness centers to satisfy your every need. The centers around which Piedmont's prestigious spa facilities revolve are the Acqui Terme in the province of Alessandria, Garessio, Valdieri in the splendid Gesso Valley, Lurisia and Vinadio in the Cuneo area, Agliano Terme (Asti) and Crodo, Bognanco in the province of Verbano Cusio Ossola.

Among the many Italian thermal centres, we would like to mention Crodo, Turin, Valdieri, Vicoforte, Acquiterme, and Premia in Valformazza. The hot springs of Crodo, whose waters flow from three sources, the Valle d'Oro, the one from Monte Cistella, and the Lisiel, are located in the Alpe Devero area and are excellent for hydroponic treatments focused on curing digestive diseases. The thermal site of Valdieri, located at 1370 m, lies in the Gesso Valley within the Natural Park of the Maritime Alps. It gushes from Monte Matto springs, characterized by a sulfurous component. You can admire the luxuriant alpine vegetation, consisting of beech forests and monumental patriarchs with a centuries-old history. The toponymy of the prestigious thermal center of Acquiterme, which dates back to the 1st century A.D., indicates its origin from the epoch of the ancient Romans. 

The Aosta Valley, a crossroads of peoples and cultures and cradle of imposing peaks, such as Mont Blanc and Monte, offers marvellous landscapes and uncontaminated environments, dominated by ancient fortresses and picturesque villages. If it has always been your desire to treat yourself to a relaxing holiday, we suggest you try the exclusive centres of thermal tourism in Valle d'Aosta. In addition to its extraordinary natural beauty, its territory also offers luxurious thermal resorts and facilities where you can enjoy unforgettable moments of wellness, with attention to the smallest details and high quality, from where you can admire mountain views.

The innovative thermal parks exert a strong attraction on visitors due to their unique natural surroundings. You will have the opportunity to enjoy fantastic invigorating baths in the thermal pools while contemplating the magnificence of the snow-capped peaks. In addition to the traditional complexes, you will find spas offering a wide range of services, from invigorating saunas to steam baths and solariums. Among the most prestigious thermal destinations of Aosta Valley, there are Saint Vincent, Prè Saint Didier, Pila - Gressan, Cervinia, Champoluc, Gressoney-la-Trinité, and Cogne.

The Prè Saint Didier resort is a renowned oasis of relaxation, whose spring springs from the Dora di Verney cave at 38°. Heading towards Piedmont, along the Dora Baltea, you will find the Saint Vincent complex, fed by a spring known as Fons Salutis, which stands out for the high quality of its facilities and services. 

If you choose Friuli Venezia Giulia as your holiday destination, the beauty of its landscapes, still off the beaten track compared to the classic tourist routes, will captivate you. After contemplating the artistic masterpieces of its cities and the enchanting natural scenery, you may want to recharge your batteries by taking up thermal tourism to relax and experience its benefits. You will find pleasant destinations characterized by lush nature and high mountains or bordering coastal areas. Among the sites where this tourism can be practiced, there are Arta, Grado, Lignano, Monfalcone, and Lignano Sabbiadoro.

Compared to other regions of the peninsula, fewer options and thermal centres are available due to the morphology and small size of the territory. However, you can count on state-of-the-art accommodation facilities that will mesmerize you.

In Arta, which is located in the province of Udine, the eponymous complex in an idyllic mountain landscape stands between the Canric Alps and the But Valley. Its waters flow from the Pudia Spring, with extraordinary properties for the epidermis and digestive apparatus. The thermal center in Grado, not far from the sea, was already appreciated by the society of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for the undisputed properties of the Santa Croce spring and the wonderful panorama. The Lignano Sabbiadoro establishment has a large swimming pool, whose waters have a temperature of 34° C to alleviate respiratory and circulation problems.

People who want who discover the Marche region will be pleasantly allured not only by the artistic masterpieces and the vast cultural heritage but also by the natural beauties and wellness oases. They set like gems in the bursting nature of the woods or accommodation facilities equipped with every comfort. If you are a lover of unspoiled environments, you will have numerous opportunities to enjoy the benefits of thermalism. The main areas dedicated to this kind of tourism are Macerata Feltria, the Frasassi thermal area in San Vittore di Genga, the Aspio center in Camerano Acquasanta Terme, San Giacomo in Sarnano, the Petriano area, and Tolentino.

Are you looking for a unique experience in a fascinating landscape? The thermal resort of Lu Vurgu, located in Santa Maria di Maggese, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, is an inviting open-air Eden of the Ancient Romans.  It is an oasis nestled in a beautiful natural setting. Following a path through the vegetation and descending a staircase that leads to a beach on the banks of the Tronto river, you will reach a clearing that holds a natural sulfurous water spring.

Two of the most popular locations for thermal tourism in the Marche region are the Frasassi and San Vittore di Genga areas, located in an area surrounded by lush woods near the Gola of the same name. You can try the beneficial properties of the sulfurous-chlorinated-sodic water, suitable for the treatment of rheumatic and respiratory diseases, peeling, and balneotherapy. The essential oil mud baths have not to be missed as well. In the thermal area of Aspio, in Camerano, a charming village inside the Parco Regione del Conero, you will find an ideal spring for anti-age treatments and for taking care of yourself and your psycho-physical well-being. In the Sarnano area, there are several mineral springs, the most renowned of which is the San Giacomo spring: it is a bicarbonate-calcic water, ideal for inhalations and hydroponic treatments.

If you are in Basilicata and would like to discover the magnificent thermal locations in this region, you can spend a weekend of psycho-physical well-being. You will be able to take advantage of excellent thermal resorts, although fewer in number than in the rest of Italy.

Among the various attractions and places of interest, its thermal centers offer facilities of excellence for the high quality of their thermal waters with effective curative properties. The uniqueness of these areas is represented by the purity of their unspoiled natural environments, where people will welcome you with warmth and hospitality.  Lucania's thermal areas offer the traveler a therapeutic value, capable of stimulating your psycho-physical well-being. Lovers of relaxation will be able to enjoy relaxing holidays in wellness thermal stations.

The main tourist areas in Basilicata are Latronico and Rapolla, beautiful locations we recommend you. In Latronico, in the province of Potenza, you will find an exclusive thermal center. Its waters with thermal properties reach a temperature of 22° and are fed by three springs: the Piccola of sulfurous type, the Media, and the Grande of bicarbonate-calcic quality. 

Rapolla is another famous Lucanian thermal destination located near the regional border with Puglia. This picturesque village hosts an excellent thermal resort, where you can explore various wellness treatments. Exploring these enchanting places, you can admire other regional treasures and magnificent natural landscapes.

Splendid Umbria, also known as the green heart of the Italian peninsula, is dotted with magnificent villages, natural habitats, and springs that offer elegant thermal centres to visitors. In addition to the renowned gastronomic products, you will be pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the locations where flourishing thermal tourism has developed. There are numerous free-access thermal areas with natural pools of the purest water to regenerate you in contact with nature. In these natural thermal resorts, you can rebalance your body and mind far from the stress of the metropolis. Near Città di Castello, amidst the sinuous hills of the Taberina Valley, is the thermal structure of Fontecchio, in a very evocative setting, dominated by trees with a centuries-old history.

Two thermal springs gush out in the park, one with bicarbonate-alkaline-sulphur type water and the other with carbonate-calcic-oligomineral qualities, suitable for purifying, dermatological and anti-inflammatory treatments. Among the numerous thermal centres are the Assisi area, fed by the Santo Raggio springs, San Faustino, with its extraordinary organoleptic qualities, the Fabia and San Gemini springs, with their calcium-rich waters, perfect for hydroponic treatments, and the Franciscan establishment of Spello. Near the luxuriant Amerino Thermal Park, you can reach the Acquasparta area, from which you can contemplate the grand natural spectacle of the Marmore Falls and the crystal-clear Clitumno springs.

The Bagni di Triponzo, whose waters, mentioned in Virgil's Aeneid, were known since ancient times, maintain a constant temperature of around 31° all year round. The springs from which this thermal area in Cerreto di Spoleto, located in the heart of the Sibillini Mountains, are fed are ideal for the treatment of various pathologies. The facility has three thermal baths and areas reserved for emotional showers, ice waterfalls, and Turkish baths. Massa Martana is home to the San Faustino thermal centre, built near an ancient carbon dioxide spring with purifying properties. Among the most renowned Italian thermal resorts, there is the San Gemini center, located in the luxuriant Parco delle Fonti, which stands out for its waters with a high calcium concentration.

If you choose Sardinia as a location for a pleasant stay, you will have many opportunities to relax and enjoy thermal tourism. This region is an important landing place for holidaymakers, and it tickles the imagination and makes visitors dream with its beautiful beaches and turquoise sea. Visiting the hinterland, you will realize that there are also destinations outside the classic itineraries, which host exclusive thermal stations, some of which are open-access and already existed in Ancient Roman times. By organizing a trip out of season, you will have the opportunity to enjoy more of the magnificent locations of the area without the crowds of the high season.

Among the thermal sites on the island are Fondorgianus, Casteldoria, Benetuti, and Sardara. First of all, to immerse yourself in the most authentic and wild nature, you could visit the thermal area of San Saturnino, located in the picturesque Sassarese countryside between Benetutti and Bultei. In one of these enchanting natural pools, known as Su Anzu'e sos Nervios, you can benefit from its therapeutic virtues for joint and muscle problems. The area between Bultei and Benetutti is sprinkled with several springs with various healing properties.

The thermal baths of Sardara, a treasure of the Medio Campidano easily reachable in an hour's drive from Cagliari, are located in Santa Maria Acquas, on the southern side of the island. It is one of the oldest thermal resorts on Sardinian soil, characterized by meteoric waters, with a temperature ranging from 45° to 60° of bicarbonate-alkaline-sodic and hyperthermal type, which provide dermatological, anti-inflammatory, and circulatory benefits.

The thermal complex of Benetutti, currently known as Area Termale Aurora, is 80 km from Olbia and 100 km from Alghero and is suitable for antalgic cures, aerosols, insufflations, and inhalations thanks to the sulfurous, salso-iodine, and salso-bromo-iodine types of its springs. The thermal resort of Casteldoria, located in Santa Maria Coghinas near the Gulf of Asinara, is set in a bucolic scener. Its peculiar feature is represented by hyperthermal salso-bromo-iodine waters, with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that stimulate the immune system and promote relaxation. You can treat yourself to mud-balneotherapy treatments, Turkish baths, and Finnish saunas. The Fordongianus thermal destination overlooks a magnificent archaeological site.

Due to its lengthened morphology, Apulia is a charming region with diverse identities, located in the easternmost portion of the Italian peninsula. The extraordinary beauty of its landscapes, its syncretism of cultures and traditions, and its magnificent historical and cultural heritage are much appreciated. If you are thinking about the stages of a magical itinerary in Apulia, you will contemplate the uniqueness of its enchanting coastal landscapes and brightly colored sea. You could combine culinary, historical, and cultural itineraries with the opportunity to discover unspoiled corners and the most famous centers of thermal tourism.

Along its magnificent coastline, dotted with wide beaches with flourishing vegetation typical of the Mediterranean maquis, you will find oases of relaxation and tranquillity, including precious hot springs. Take the opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of wellness while contemplating truly suggestive views. The fascinating natural pools where you can enjoy thermalism are nestled in romantic corners, set in fairytale settings. Among the main destinations we can suggest, there are Torre Canne, Santa Cesarea Terme, Margherita di Savoia, and Castelnuovo della Daunia.

The natural thermal center of Santa Margherita di Savoia is one of the best-known in the heel of Italy. Its magnificent location, adjacent to the salt pans, enriches the clear waters of the springs, with a high concentration of bromine and iodine, with exceptional beneficial virtues, also offering the opportunity to enjoy natural mud treatments with medicinal properties. The area of Fasano is famous for the thermal station of Torre Canne, which extends over a complex of eleven springs with sinuous underground ramifications, two of which, Torricella and Antesana, are used for therapeutic purposes. The thermal resort of Santa Cesarea is also very characteristic of its location, as it directly overlooks the coastal strip, and its waters come from the Sulfurea, Fetida, Solfatara, and Gattulla springs. The thermal center of Castelnuovo della Daunia, which flows from the Cavallina spring, is another destination well known for the therapeutic qualities of its waters and mud.

If you dream of a pleasant stay dedicated to thermal tourism, Campania is a region whose landscape is decisively influenced by volcanic phenomena and magmatic activity, thus favoring the birth of numerous springs for practicing this activity. The Phlegraean Fields area was a popular destination even in the ancient world, both for treating oneself to periods of precious relaxation and for socializing. Thermal centres represent a consolidated tradition in this area: proof of this is the fact that you can choose from a wide range of proposals and destinations to satisfy all your needs. The composition of the soil enriches the waters of the thermal springs, bringing essential cosmetic and therapeutic principles.

Most thermal resorts are concentrated on the charming island of Ischia and in the Contursi area.The essential factor that every year attracts an increasing number of tourists to spend a holiday in the thermal centres of this magnificent region is the possibility of combining a relaxing stay at a thermal center with a holiday at a seaside resort. One of the favorite destinations is Ischia, which offers dreamy beaches, spectacular views, and state-of-the-art thermal resorts.

There are two establishments with free access, the Fumarole, and Sorgeto, both easily accessible on the island of Ischia. The Fumarole thermal area is unique because it overlooks the beach and originates from a very deep spring of volcanic derivation. The high temperature of its waters makes the sand particularly suitable for treating articular and rheumatic pathologies. The Sorgeto spa offers marvellous views and is a favorite location for locals and VIPs staying on the enchanting island of Capri.

Other popular thermal resorts in Campania include Telese, whose spring springs in an area belonging to a natural park on the slopes of Mount Pugliano, Pozzuoli, located in a natural and historical context of great value. Contursi area in the province of Salerno, Bacoli, the Agnano thermal station, inside which you can find the famous Stufe di San Germano, saunas of natural origin that emanate a heat suitable for the treatment of rheumatism and arthritis. Then we suggest the San Teodoro thermal center, in the Villamaina area, set in the heart of green Irpinia, the Castellammare di Stabia thermal complex, to which Pliny the Elder also referred.

Calabria, a popular destination especially during the summer season for its coastline lapped by the crystal-clear waters of the sea, for lovers of archaeology, history, natural landscapes, and food and wine products, is also acquiring a role of primary importance in the field of thermal tourism. Its territory, sprinkled with artistic masterpieces and a treasure chest of precious treasures from a cultural point of view, is also very fascinating regarding thermalism.

Among the numerous resorts, you will find a wide range of attractions and proposals, including free thermal stations. Before you set off, you should know that you will have to travel by car to reach the most suitable facility for your needs due to the absence of public transport in some mountainous or maritime areas. That said, you will be pleasantly enchanted by authentic thermal bijoux just waiting to be discovered.

There are thermal centers immersed in natural settings of great charms, such as the Grotta delle Ninfe in Cerchiara and the free thermal sites of Lamezia Terme. The former is a charming thermal spring near Cerchiara, which gives rise to a natural pool protected by high rock formations. You will be allured by the magnificence of the bursting nature and evocative sceneries.

Other Calabrian thermal resorts include Caronte, on the foothills of Mount Reventino, the Luigiano complex, between Guardia Piemontese and Acquappesa, Cassano allo Ionio, the Antonimina Locri spa, Galatro, Caronte in Lamezia Terme, Spezzano Albanese and the Sybarite spa. It is possible to alternate stays dedicated to psycho-physical well-being with pleasant days spent by the sea or sunbathing, to combine the desire for relaxation with the vitality and cheerfulness of the children, who are always ready to have fun.

Are you thinking of choosing Liguria as a possible destination for an itinerary dedicated to thermal tourism? You will be pleasantly surprised by the fact that, although this land is not often referred to as a purely thermal area, it has a very prestigious tradition in the relaxation and wellness sector.

If you wish to spend a weekend or a long-lasting holiday of relaxation away from the traffic and chaos of the city, you can find oases of peace where you can treat yourself to moments of leisure and wellness. Planning a trip out of season, you can enjoy the calm of the locations less congested with tourist crowds. Let yourself be captivated by the riot of colors of the buildings in the seaside villages and the Mediterranean scrub.

The thermal center of Genoa, located near Voltri, is worth recommending. It's one of the ancient hamlets that make up this wonderful town, also known as the city of the Lantern. The surrounding scenery will mesmerize you, offering a spectacular panorama that embraces the lush woods of the Ligurian Apennines and the beautiful coastline of the Ligurian Riviera. The thermal structure of Genoa, whose foundation dates back to 1485, is one of the oldest on the Italian peninsula.

Wellness and relaxation tourism in Liguria is possible in the establishments of Acquasanta, Pigna, set in a charming medieval village in the Nervia Valley, the biothermal and holistic establishment of Eira, located on the Battaglino thermal spring, equidistant from Diano Marina and Diano Castello, and Alassio.

If you decide to spend your holidays in Molise, a lesser-known region outside the classic tourist routes, you will discover a welcoming and generous territory. It has undergone cultural stratifications that have followed one another over the millennia. In addition to its gastronomic delicacies and the sceneries, chosen as locations for famous film productions, its territory will surprise you with the magnificence of its villages and several thermal establishments of considerable tourist importance. 

The prosperity of this land and the virtues of its thermal springs were famous even in the Roman age. The construction of an aqueduct and three thermal sites during the principate of Augustus prove it. Due to the small size of the area, I could optimize your stay by deciding to dedicate part of your time to thermal cures, in conjunction with the White Week or by combining it with a visit to the extraordinary archaeological sites.

The offer of Molise's thermal resorts is varied and made even more attractive by the landscapes of considerable appeal and naturalistic value. Among the main destinations where you can practice thermalism is Sepino, in Campobasso, already used in antiquity by the Samnites, from which you can see the uncontaminated environments of the Matese mountain chain, whose waters flow from the Tre Fontane spring. We also find, in the province of Campobasso, Busso, Campochiaro, Bonefro, and, in the district of Isernia, Agnone, Acquaviva d'Isernia, the Castelpetroso thermal station, the thermal springs located in Bagnoli del Trigno and Belmonte in Sannio.