Thermal Baths in Sicily – The Hot Springs you Need to Know
- Nature Source Chaude
- Published on
- Updated on 29 April 2025
The Italian peninsula has a considerable number of thermal springs. Richly endowed, they can be found in most regions, not forgetting the islands.
In the very south, Sicily, separated from the mainland for only 3 kilometres by the Strait of Messina, is no exception, with a relatively extensive thermal heritage.
The many remains of the past discovered on this island, the largest in the Mediterranean, clearly show that thermal baths were a reality in the Roman world, but also in the ancient world, when it was under the influence of older civilisations.
In the 19th century, the thermalism boomed (it was called the ‘golden age of thermalism’) and was extremely popular. As a result, many more modern spa establishments were built in Sicily to exploit these springs. This phenomenon affected the whole of Europe, including Italy, which had its own hot springs.
In this article you’ll discover that it’s still possible to enjoy a free natural thermal bath in Sicily, usually near a spa establishment.
IN SUMMARY :
Map of hot springs and thermal baths in Sicily
On this map you’ll find the thermal baths in Sicily and its satellite islands that are open to travellers. These thermal baths collect water from thermal springs. They can be in the form of :
– free spas.
– paid spas.
Some spas have very simple facilities and are accessible at very reasonable prices.
1. Terme di San Calogero - Lipari
The island of Lipari is one of the Aeolian Islands, located to the north of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It enjoys a mild, invigorating climate. In the west of the island, the Terme di San Calogero (San Calogero Thermal Baths), located at the foot of the Monte Sant’Angelo volcano, have an indescribable charm and offer a splendid view of the sea.
The area around the baths is a veritable garden, with a wealth of Mediterranean essences that help to create a sense of well-being. There are few houses in the vicinity.
🚌 Access :
There is no bus service to the site. From the port of Lipari you can take a bus to the Quattrocchi belvedere or to the village of Pianoconte. From here you can walk down the San Calogero road to the thermal baths of the same name.
Over the centuries the spring was exploited empirically. In the 19th century, however, thermal baths became extremely popular in Sicily, as in the rest of Europe. Aware of their appeal, a spa establishment was built, near the remains of the ancient baths, probably around 1872, to exploit the thermal spring. From then on, the baths had to be constantly modernised to satisfy an increasingly demanding clientele.
We are in the 19th century, at the beginning of the industrialisation of the baths. Changes in techniques, customs and capitalism had profoundly transformed the rituals of the baths.
A century later, in 1975, the activity of the spa came to an end due to the lack of facilities and services in the building.
Since 2011, the spa building has housed a museum.
A visit to the spa building is only possible (it seems that this is no longer the case) if you are accompanied by one of the two brothers who are the caretakers of the site. These two elderly men hold the keys to the building and are very attached to the site. They welcome tourists with great enthusiasm. At the time of my visit, however, they were absent.
As can be seen in the picture, the spa establishment consists of a basement, ground floor and first floor. The industrial equipment included showers, bathing cabins, a swimming pool and various installations and appliances.
The small ruined building opposite was probably intended for the poor.
The location of the thermal baths, at the foot of the hill, makes for interesting walks along carriage paths, followed by more adventurous coastal walks.
Probably the most popular walk with visitors is the one to the kaolin quarries, with breathtaking views along the way.
Around the thermal pool, which is filled with warm water, the area is disgraced by an electric turret and concrete walls.
The pool probably dates back to Roman times. The spring was exploited throughout the Middle Ages and the following centuries.
These baths have an underground network that brings the thermal water from the spring to this well-deepened pool.
This water, which comes from a single source, is supersaturated with carbonates. It is piped by gravity into a masonry channel, which is not easily accessible and whose length I do not know. This unmaintained channel (dug by human hands) normally has to be cleaned regularly to remove the deposits. This has the effect of reducing the flow of the spring. As a result, the temperature of the pool is lower and the therapeutic properties of the water are lessened.
💡Petrifying spring :
Because of their high calcium carbonate content and their particular composition, these waters are petrifying. This precipitation of carbonates is the natural consequence of a change in the chemical balance of the thermal water when carbon dioxide is released.
The decompression of the gas contained in the thermal water (the pressure decreases as the underground water rises) causes the carbonates to precipitate. This masonry channel reduces the flow velocity (dynamic factor) of the thermal water and accelerates this phenomenon.
These waters are sodium bicarbonate and contain a high concentration of sulphates. The sulphur is therefore in the form of sulphate; I didn’t smell any rotten eggs (sulphur in the form of hydrogen sulphide). In fact, if you like the smell of rotten eggs, you must visit the neighbouring island of Vulcano🌋.
The age of the baths is attested to by numerous finds dating back to ancient times. On the other side of the concrete wall, close to the spa establishment, there are two other pools with cement slabs on the floor. The large, slightly rounded pool dates from the Hellenistic period (323 B.C. – 32 B.C.), while the small rectangular pool dates from the Roman period.
The paved floor of the pools, which is not natural ground, alters the therapeutic properties of the thermal water. The nature of the environment in which the water circulates is extremely important (chemical factor) and has consequences for its dynamic state. To find out more, I invite you to read the article: The soil, base layer and living medium of a hot spring. However, these pools are not protected by a cover and are exposed to direct sunlight. Light is an essential element in a hot spring. It is necessary for the water, the micro-organisms that make up the water and the thermal plankton.
The round, domed cave next to the building is surrounded by a stone wall dating from the Mycenaean period (16th-11th centuries BC). These remains, which are still standing, make this one of the richest and oldest spa sites in the Mediterranean.
The cave was also used as a sauna.
2. Terme di Vulcano - Vulcano
Vulcano is a pleasant, well-built island with thermal baths that offer remarkable benefits, superior to those of neighbouring Lipari.
The island has a large pool of thermal water mixed with mud, creating a wonderful alchemy of very high therapeutic value.
The gases and mineral salts that accompany the sulphurous element, present in large quantities in the water (the highest in Italy), partly explain its great therapeutic power in baths and inhalations. On the other hand, it is better not to consume it.
Most ailments will find relief in this simple mud bath. The salty sea water, heated by gas jets, is another reason to go there.
The inhabitants of the Aeolian Islands (Lipari, Stromboli, Panarea…) don’t hesitate to go by boat to Vulcano just to take a bath.
There is also an entrance fee for the mud baths (a few euros). The thermal baths are managed by Geoterme Vulcano SRL (official website). To find out more about these mud baths, I invite you to read our article : Visit Vulcano – Mud Baths and Sulphur Baths.
3. Terme di Pantelleria - Pantelleria
I love how quickly you can get to the Aeolian Islands. On the other hand, the crossing to Pantelleria, the largest of the Sicilian islands but also one of the most remote, isn’t exactly ‘express’. Its location, closer to Tunisia than to the Sicilian mainland, means that it is not subject to mass tourism. Outside the summer season, Pantelleria’s stony beaches are almost deserted. What’s more, the thermal springs by the sea are never crowded at this time of year.
The village of Gadir is still the favourite spot for hot springs enthusiasts, as it has very accessible baths. However, the more adventurous will find other places on the island where they can look after their health.
In Gadir you can swim behind the jetty without fear of strong currents.
In the harbour of Gadir there are two hot water pools (the third is too hot) where you can take a bath. To find out more about the island, I invite you to read our full article: Visit Pantelleria and its Natural Hot Springs.
4. Terme di Segestane - Castellamare del Golfo
In the west of Sicily, in the province of Trapani, the Terme di Segestane (Thermal Baths of Segestane) are undoubtedly one of the most famous thermal baths in Sicily. An entire local population comes here for cures. People even come from far away (Palermo, Trapani…) to take a bath, especially when they know that these thermal waters, which are the source of the region’s wealth, have well-known qualities.
Sicilians also come to fill bottles. However, the effects of the mineral waters can only be fully appreciated if they are drunk on the spot.
The thermal area site is also rich in archaeological remains and magnetic influences. The slightly sulphurous waters of the spring are hyperthermal and naturally radioactive. The site is therefore subject to beneficial telluric radiation.
Finally, there are many thermal springs further up the gorge. Some of these are used by a spa establishment. To find out more, read our article: Visit Segesta – Hot Springs
5. Terme di Sclafani Bagni - Sclafani Bagni
The location of the Sclafani Baths is truly astonishing. If you take the cement road that joins the SS120 road between Cerda and Caltavuturo, you’ll discover a surprising sight : thermal baths at the foot of an impressive cliff.
Access :
It’s easy to get there by car: the road leads to the abandoned baths, where it’s easy to park. But it’s not so easy to get there by public transport. There are a few buses (operated by Macaluso) that run from Termini Imerese to the village of Cerda, but they are few and far between (less than 5 a day). And it’s still a long walk from Cerda to the thermal baths.
The spa establishment, which must once have been elegant, is now disused.
There’s almost nothing left of the facilities designed for spa visitors, but it’s easy to imagine what life was like in this small spa resort, whose spa establishment is no longer in use. The building was designed by Count Matteo Sclafani and built after 1851 in a place far from the spring.
In fact, in 1748 there was already a spa establishment built around the source (emergence), which was further upstream. It was completely renovated by the Count of Sclafani in 1846, but was destroyed by a terrible landslide in 1851.
In this building, which is now abandoned, the spa guests found facilities such as baths, showers, a kitchen, a games room and so on.
Spa activities ceased in the 1990s. Since then, the spa building has remained but is no longer maintained. The spring still flows, but its water no longer reaches this point. It is collected a little further upstream, 140 metres from the building, in tiered basins.
The water flows into these basins through a pipe at a temperature of 32.5 degrees.
This water is transported by gravity through a plastic pipe, the length and origin of which I do not know. As a result, the fact that this water is transported in a straight line and comes into contact with plastic alters and reduces its therapeutic properties compared to its natural state.
Nevertheless, at first sight, the flow rate of the spring is at least 150 litres per minute, which is considerable for this small pool whose water is quickly renewed (the temperature of the pool is 32°C). What’s more, the environment in which the thermal water flows is natural (and rich in various micro-organisms). These two conditions help to keep the water in a dynamic state.
When I visited the site, I was surprised by the beauty of the land.
A long alley of rare beauty borders the Baths and a magnificent umbrella pine dominates the view. It could be called ‘the Bath Alley’. The area is surrounded by charming promenades and lush green mountains. The Sclafani Thermal Baths are located at the gateway to the Madonie Regional Park, one of the most beautiful places in Sicily.
Finally, these salty, sulphurous, chlorinated and iodised waters were undoubtedly noted for their very pronounced rotten egg smell. No other sulphurous spring in Sicily (at least I don’t know of any) has the advantage of possessing such a high quantity of hydrogen sulphide, with the exception of the mud baths of Vulcano. Even in Tuscany I haven’t seen such a superiority in terms of sulphuration. So Sicily has the advantage of having some of the best thermal springs in Italy.
These hot waters are also highly mineralised with sulphates, chlorides, sodium, magnesium, etc. These thermal waters are also highly mineralised, with sulphates, chlorides, sodium, magnesium, etc. After tasting these waters, I could see that they have a very high degree of mineralisation, which makes this spring remarkable in every way (except for the pipe).
The health benefits of hot springs
For thousands of years, ancient civilisations around the world have recognised and appreciated the benefits of hot springs.
Even before you know its composition, a bath in a hot spring is useful for its temperature alone, and its effectiveness is already so great. To find out more, I invite you to read this article: The Amazing Health Benefits of a Hot Bath.
Mineral water that comes into direct contact with the skin (and skin lesions) or mucous membranes is an effective treatment for (⚠️ if the thermal water is not altered) :
– respiratory diseases. To find out more, I invite you to read the end of the article : How to Cleanse your lungs with simple, natural ways ?.
– Dermatological conditions : acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, etc. can be effectively treated with thermal baths and showers.
– Gastrointestinal disturbances (when used as a drink).
It is also used to treat rheumatism, bone diseases, etc. Hot springs rich in minerals, trace elements and organic substances are particularly useful for this type of pathology.
