There’s nothing quite like the feeling of relaxing into warm hot springs and letting all of your tensions melt away. For many centuries people have visited hot springs in order to enjoy the health benefits of these healing waters.
Here are some of the best hot springs around the world where you can soak away your cares:
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Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, New Zealand
Surrounded by the lush green countryside of New Zealand, these pools come from the Te Manaroa Spring; the largest source of pure boiling water in New Zealand. The spring waters cascade down into the main splash pool and then flow through luxurious pools surrounded by gardens.
credit: Brian Gatwicke
Tabacon Hot Springs and Thermal Resort, Costa Rica
This gorgeous tropical paradise is thought to have the best luxury natural hot springs in Costa Rica, and these beautiful pools actually contain rainwater that is heated by volcanic magma before it bubbles up to the surface. Gravity creates lovely waterfalls in these naturally occurring series of pools, so you can sit back and listen to the soothing sound of flowing water.
Pamukkale, Turkey
credit: Esther Lee
The name Pamukkale means “cotton palace” and this natural phenomenon got its name from the pale white hue of the huge cascading limestone cliff formations. There are 17 different hydrotheraputic water basins in this amazing natural site where locals and tourists can enjoy the relaxing hot waters.
Mornington Peninsula, Australia
These beautiful pools in Australia contain natural thermal mineral water which varies between 98 and 109 degrees Fahrenheit, with cooler pools to plunge in during the hot summer days. You will find a bath house with a pool complex, a Turkish steam bath, a cold-plunge pool and much more.
Banff Upper Hot Springs, Canada
The hot springs in Banff were once considered a sacred healing spot by the native residents of the area. They were discovered in 1882 by some of the workers who were building the Canadian Pacific Railway and they quickly became a popular health and wellness retreat for European visitors. The bathhouse was built in the 1930s and it is now a protected Heritage Building. These hot springs are high in key minerals such as sulfate, calcium, magnesium and sodium, which have wonderful properties to heal the skin and relax the muscles.
credit: Ignacio Garcia
Bath, England
People have been bathing in these springs in southwest England off and on since 8,000 BC. The Romans built these elegant formal bath buildings in the first century AD. The baths were very popular in the 1700s and 1800s with people who wanted to enjoy the health benefits of the mineral rich waters which contain calcium, iron and silica. Doctors would send patients here for many centuries as they believed that the water could cure their gout, psoriasis, rheumatism and even skin issues.
These are just a few of the most amazing hot springs around the world where you can soak your cares away on your travels.