Experience The Healing Waters of Greece With These 5 unmissable Hot Springs

Hot springs really are magical water. A pool of water in a beautiful scenic setting that has been miraculously and naturally heated by the earth to a temperature that is just perfect for our human bodies to enjoy. What’s not magical about that? Everyone loves the feeling of a deliciously hot bath to soothe away the stresses and strains of a long day. The same can be said about getting into a steaming hot spring that’s in nature, with the cool air outside refreshing you whilst a whole lot of miracle minerals water rejuvenates you.
If the geology of hot springs isn’t inspiring and magical enough for you, just think about how mother nature has added an extra sprinkling of the good stuff to the water. Not only does it feel good it heals. With just the right amounts of minerals, elements and microorganisms to heal all types of ailments. The act of bathing in a hot spring doesn’t just leave your body feeling eased but also your mind feeling calmer and refreshed.
Bathing in the healing waters of hot springs has been a revered tradition and loved for millennia. Not surprisingly, the ritual, art and practice of bathing in therapeutic waters of a hot spring go as far back as the classics and even beyond. The ancient Greeks believed that the healing waters of spring were intertwined with the gods. Temples, places of worship and Ascelpieins were built next to and near hot springs. Some of the greats like Hercules and Hippocrates were frequenters of hot springs, they knew that the waters were healing in their own mystical ways. 

Greece’s volcanic landscape means there are over 700 hot springs dotted all around the mainland and the islands. Many of these hot springs are located in easy-to-reach and convenient locations. Some have public access and public pools so you can soak like an ancient Greek hero for free, how magical is that!

Here are some of the unmissable hot springs you have to visit in Greece.

Hot spring soak with your bestie

Thermopylae 

01 – Thermopylae

Thermopylae is a hot spring and place of epic proportions. Not only is it a hot spring river, but it is also the site of the ancient and infamous Thermopylae battle also known as the battle of 300, where Leonidas the king of the Spartans held up the Persian army at the coastal mountain pass of Thermopylae. Although the Greeks lost the battle it went down in history as one of the greatest examples of fearlessness, unity and perseverance. Being able to bathe at “The Hot Gates” (which is what it is called in Greek) around the site of such significant history is well and truly a wonder. Soaking in stories that have been swirling around for millennia, just doesn’t disappoint. Thermopylae is located in mainland Greece and is easy to get to by car only 2 hours and 15 minutes from Athens.

Thermopylae takes the form of a long hot river, quite narrow at some parts, with very easy access to parking all around. At the top of the river, there are a few small public pools where the hot spring water flows from a waterfall. We recommend bathing downstream where you can find your own private little area to soak in. There are lots of big reeds and long grasses on both banks of the river which makes for a more atmospheric soak. The water can reach temperatures of over 40 degrees and is packed with algae, minerals and sulfur so make sure you only bathe for up to 10 minutes at a time. Due to the high sulfur content, the river does have a distinctly strong smell to it, you do get used to it though! It is public and free to access and there is parking all around, facilities are very rustic.

Our Van at Thermopylae

02 – Lake Vouliagmeni

Lake Vougliameni just outside Athens, on the Athenian Riviera, is a geothermal mineral-rich invitingly warm lake. The temperature is a constant 22-29 degrees all year round making it popular for swimming. The lake with its brackish water is fed and consistently replenished by a natural underground thermal spring and flowing seawater. which is what makes this place a really special place to bathe. The lake is a natural phenomenon, formed by the collapse of a sea cave, that along with the idyllic landscape makes it a true hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

Lake Vougliameni is a leisure, wellness and event space that is beautifully maintained and looked after. The place resembles a luxury spa feel, there are many cabanas, daybeds and loungers you can rent for the day, along with excellent facilities, events and spa experiences. There is also an award-winning restaurant on sight.

03 – Methana

Methana is a volcanic peninsular surrounded by blue and beautiful waters of the Aegean sea. South of Greece in the Eastern Peloponnese, and reachable from Athens in under 3 hours of driving. The region was formed over 2300 years ago when a volcano erupted creating with it a lasting geology of hot springs and volcanic activity. The area has more than 25 springs, With the town of Methana being the most famous.

The old thermal baths of Methana was a grand old spa building dating back to the early 1900s. It was a hugely popular health and wellness destination, the majestic building housed many bathing areas and baths and in its heyday, it was a full-scale healing and therapeutic operation for the flocks of 20th-century health-conscious, spa enthusiasts of Europe.

Unfortunately, the old Methana baths have recently closed their splendid doors, which is a real shame for us history and hot spring lovers. You can however still bathe in the healing waters of Methana at a few of the town’s public pools: Pausanias Baths, Sulphur Sea spring, and a radon bath. All three springs are rustic, public pools with no infrastructure to them. so expect a very natural, adventurous and wild experience. Some springs are hard to find with only reviews and information online guides to get you there, but they are all free and have open access for you to enjoy. They can be hard to find as these baths are a bit off a hidden gem but you can use the what3words app to find the locations.

Sulphur Sea Spring is located just outside of the old Thermal baths of Methana, across the road from the building. The water is fed straight into the sea, there are some stairs on a platform you can enter the sea from, so you will essentially be bathing in the sea in hot spring thermal waters.
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Pausanias Bath is a tiny pool located along the North coast of Methana. Hidden and tucked away behind a small house right the sea, there is a small thermal pool you can bathe in.
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Radon Bath which doesn’t sound the most inviting is another very tiny bath with high alkalic and thermal waters along the sea. This bath and bathing experience is only doable in high tide when the water level has risen.
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04 – Loutra Eleftheron

Loutra Eleftherons is a really intriguing yet oddly creepy hot-spring experience. Located in Kavala in the Macedonia region of Greece along the east coast of the Greek mainland. It was once a whole hotel complex of healing and now sits in ruins, completely abandoned. There are many derelict and decaying buildings which still hold natural thermal pools that you can bathe in however you will be bathing in an apocalyptic atmosphere. There are 3 pools in the buildings still intact amongst all the rubble, some were extremely hot and they were all very sulphuric. As well as the pools in the buildings there are 2 natural outdoor hot springs that flow straight into an icy cool river, so there are plenty of choices for you. You can park anywhere around the abandoned complex and is just over an hour s drive from Thessaloniki.

05 – Pozar

Pozar is undoubtedly the most famous of all the hot springs in Greece. It is actually a hot spring haven with 48 individual baths, 6 indoor pools a large outdoor pool and hammams, jacuzzis and spas galore. Overshadowed only by the fact that Pozar is also the birthplace of Alexander the Great! Bathing in Pozar is a full experience of relaxation and healing and the fact that it’s less than a two-hour drive from Thessaloniki makes this place unmissable. Nestled in the North of Greece in the foot of Mount Kaimaktsalan in Macedonian Greece, it is not just healing its scenic, wild and wonderful.

Pozar forest bathing

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