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
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.
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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