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A Trip to the Hot Springs
Reasons to go to a hot spring Found mostly in areas rich with geothermal activity, hot springs offer mineral rich water, which is often credited with healing or relieving a variety of troubles (such as chronic rheumatism, arthritis, sciatica, myalgic pain, gynaecological problems, skin problems and many respiratory conditions). Around the world, people have been soaking away their aches and pains in thermal baths for thousands of years, a tradition that continues down to the present day. In fact, thousands of completely healthy people travel far and wide each year to soak in hot springs, simply for relaxation and enjoyment and a visit to a local hot spring often rates high on a visitor’s to-do list. Everyone knows the really famous hot spots: Bath in England, Rotorua in New Zealand and pretty much the whole of Iceland. Millions of visitors flock to these places to take the waters, soothing aches and pains as well as escaping from the trials of everyday life for a while. Of course, the popularity of these hot springs comes at a price: sometimes they can get quite crowded. Fortunately for those looking for a more private bathing experience, there are many more hot springs around. Some are located in out of the way places, known only to the locals; others are simply not as famous but are equally pleasant. Island of a Poetess One of the best-kept secrets of the Aegean islands is the thermal springs of Lesvos, or Mytilini, better known as the home of Sappho, Greece’s famed woman poet. These hot springs were known and used by the ancient Greeks and were respected for their therapeutic abilities. Fortunately, though tourism has become an overwhelming force on the other islands, it has had little effect on Mytilini, leaving it to go its own happy way. As a result, though the island has little tourist infrastructure, it is also refreshingly quiet and laidback. There are five major thermal springs on Lesvos: Thermi, Eftalou, Geras and Polychnitos. The largest of these is the Thermas springs on the Geras Gulf along the road from Mytilene to Kalloni. Like most of the more established baths on the island, the waters are taken in a bathhouse, which is divided into male and female sections. The usual procedure is to start with a cold shower or dip in the sea (if it’s available), and then step (slowly) into the hot spring bath. After taking as much of the heat as possible, slowly ease out of the water and rest to avoid dizziness. Then it’s off for another cold shower or dip in the sea and another spell in the hot water, finishing up with a cold shower. Like Lesvos itself, the Thermas hot spring isn’t as well developed as those on other islands, but it is also largely free of tourists. On some days, a lucky visitor can have the entire bathhouse to himself. To see hot springs in their natural state, visitors can go to Polychnitou, in the western part of the island. Here, five hot springs flow from the banks of the river Almyropotamos. The riverbeds are vividly coloured by deposits of minerals carried in the water and in the winter, the streams can be seen from afar because of the clouds of hot vapour rising from the water surface. Unfortunately, the water in these streams are far too hot for bathing and most visitors go to the public bathhouse nearby, where the temperature is regulated. For an outdoor bathing experience, there are the hot springs of Eftalou beach (pictured above), near the town of Molyvos. Here, the hot water seeps up from the sand and mingles with the cooler water of the sea. Most people take the waters in the little bathhouse with the round white roof just above the beach. Others prefer to sit on the beach, sculpt the sand to create their own personal pools and just enjoy the scenery. There are also other hot springs scattered around the island, unenclosed by bathhouses and known only to the locals. If you succeed in finding these hidden treasures, they are a great way to relax, far from the distractions of other travellers. A Spa Village in the Mountains One of Spain’s better-known hot springs in located in the beautiful Andalucian region of Malaga. In the foothills of the Sierra Blanquilla Range, sitting snugly on a mountainside to the north of the Guadalhorce Valley is the spa village of Carratraca. One of the famed ‘White Villages’ of Andalucia, Carratraca has been renowned for the curative properties of its sulphur-water springs for hundreds of years. The heyday of the village was during the 19th century, when among its most illustrious visitors was the consumptive English poet Lord Byron. Located near the main square, this ancient facility is constructed in the Roman tradition out of sandstone and marble. There are various rooms in the bathhouse, which offer modern treatments such as osteopathy, aromatherapy and shiatsu massage. Today, many people from around Europe travel here to take the water, including international heartthrob Antonio Banderas, whose family used to live in the village. Carratraca is also well known for its spring water, which is deliciously soft, and can be found at the foot of the village where it pours from a public tap. People come from miles around to fill up their bottles with the water. Then there’s Alhama de Granada, a town that was named after the famous hot springs just outside the town borders (‘alhama’ is derived from the Arabic word for bath). Like Carratraca, this is also an ancient spa town, but its location makes the journey to the hot springs an even more spectacular experience. The town is perched at the top of a ravine, overlooking miles of rolling countryside. To reach it, travellers have to drive through a dramatic gorge. A few kilometres beyond the town is the hot spring itself. The waters have been channelled into baths since Roman times, but the Moors built over the Roman structure in the 12th century; the bathhouse and the surrounding gardens seen today are their work. Usually, people come during the spring and autumn to take the waters and enjoy the scenery. A Champagne Reef
One of Dominica’s most famous features is the Boiling Lake, the second largest hot water lake in the world. Located deep inside the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, it is almost 6 hours hike from the nearest village, but is still popular with visitors, many of whom bring food to cook in the boiling waters. Obviously, bathing in the Boiling Lake is out of the question but nearby are the twin waterfalls of Trafalgar Falls (pictured above). The main stream of the falls begins high in the mountains and is normal cool water, but as it cascades down the cliffs in a series of pools a hot mineral spring joins the flow. The falls are popular with visitors, who can move between the cool pools and the hot pools. The path of the mineral spring can be traced simply by looking at the rocks — the sulphur in the water stains the rock yellow. There are plenty of other hot springs scattered around Dominca, but the most amazing one has to be the Champagne Reef. This very popular diving and snorkelling site is located at the far end of a pebbly beach south of the village of Pointe Michel. The reef is known not only for the beautiful marine creatures swimming lazily around, but also because it is the site of an underwater hot spring. A volcanic gas vent sends hot gas rising through the water and as the gas travel through the surface it creates little bubbles, giving the impression that the swimmer is moving through champagne. The ocean floor around the vent is stained a rusty red from the minerals constantly expelled by the vent. Though there aren’t any reports of the reef water being therapeutic, it is undeniably a unique experience and what’s more, very well suited to the novice snorkeller. These are just some of the lesser known hot springs scattered around the world. Many are refreshingly free of other visitors, as they tend to be a little further from the tourist areas. For the more adventurous vacationers or the long distance traveller however, these hot springs can be pleasant interludes on a long journey, or a relaxing day trip from the more usual sights and attractions.
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Article Information
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‘Taking the waters’ is an old term used when
someone goes to a hot springs for therapeutic purposes, and it is
quite possibly the most pleasant way to treat an ailment. 
There are many countries with hot springs and other geothermally
active features, but perhaps the most spectacular are the ones seen
on the little Caribbean island of Dominica, in the Lesser Antilles.
This charming island is a favourite stopover point for cruises and
refugees from colder climates. It sits on a region crisscrossed with
fault lines, which gifts the island with an amazing number of
volcanoes, boiling pools, geysers and hot springs.