8 March 2023
Locanda in Tuscany allows you to fully enjoy the beauty and richness of the Tuscan landscape. From the countryside of Castiglione d’Orcia, you can easily reach some of the best natural spas in Tuscany, which you can access for free or against payment. Below we have listed them in order of proximity to our resort.
Learn more about the history and characteristics of each of the spa towns and thermal baths. If you want to indulge in rejuvenating body and mind care, plan a stay at our resort in Val d’Orcia: it is a perfect strategic point to reach many of Tuscany’s spa centers and free hot springs, the ideal facility for a wellness vacation.
In addition to housing an ancient, non-bathing thermal pool in the central square, the charming stone hamlet in the Sienese region, near the Via Francigena, is home to a rectangular pool along the Orcia River, where sulfurous waters are collected. At the free thermal baths of Bagno Vignoni there are no services, but the space is perfect for enjoying maximum relaxation: the influx of tourism is very low and you can bathe in the hot thermal waters for free.
From the village it is easy to get to Parco dei Mulini: an ancient canal system dating back to the 12th century, which can be reached via a well-marked path that opens among the aromatic lentisk bushes typical of the local Mediterranean scrub.
In southern Tuscany, between the Val d’Orcia and Mount Amiata, Bagni San Filippo offers an enchanting, wild landscape with small waterfalls and hot pools surrounded by a lush forest. The free hot springs Il Fosso Bianco are characterized by the light color of the sulfurous waters and limestone formations, which are contrasted by the green of the dense forest.
Walking along a path that skirts the small river, you arrive at the White Whale Waterfall, a limestone formation so named for its resemblance to the mouth of the cetacean. Here the water flows hot, gushing out of the spring at 48 °C – the ideal place for bathing even out of season.
Famous for spas and thermal baths, the town of San Casciano dei Bagni is also home to completely free natural pools, which are less impressive and well-known than the nearby spas of Bagni San Filippo and Saturnia, but still worth visiting.
From Via Fontanaccia, walk down 200 meters until you reach a parking lot on the left. Continue down the road on foot to the first pool. The area is served with a fire grill and tables for those who wish to stop for a picnic in nature. A few hundred meters further on are 2 more natural pools, Bagno Grande and Bagno Boscolo, and a very small one where you can soak on your own, all carved out of stone.
The town in the province of Siena is famous for the presence of spa centers, where you can enjoy the disparate benefits of sulfurous waters for the skin and body. Among the best we suggest:
The town in the province of Siena is a strategic point from which to explore the picturesque Crete Senesi, an incredible combination of hills and rows of vineyards in the heart of Tuscany. It is home to 2 spas:
The famous Saturnia hot springs are located 15 km from the center of Manciano, a town in the province of Grosseto that can be reached in about an hour and a half by car from our resort. The complex includes spa centers as well as free hot springs.
The Saturnia Thermal Park, which charges a fee, is among the largest in Europe and consists of 5 outdoor pools, whirlpools and hot and cold water paths, 2 children’s pools, as well as locker rooms, a restaurant and a spa center.
The most representative postcard of Saturnia’s thermal baths, however, is the Cascate del Mulino: a set of small waterfalls and limestone pools formed over the centuries by the flow of the Gorello thermal stream. Saturnia’s free thermal baths are extremely impressive because of their location: they are in fact overlooked by an ancient stone mill. Admission is free. There are no services, except for a small bar and free parking.
