The most spectacular hot springs around the world

If you wanted to know how the royals bathed back in Ancient Egyptian times, there are few places better equipped than the UNESCO World Heritage village of Pamukkale, based in the Menderes River valley a little while from western Turkey’s city of Denizli. Of the 17 hot springs and pools that collect on the way down the hillside, the most famed is Cleopatra Pool, which – legend has it – was gifted to the pharaoh queen by Roman general Marc Antony. A gift these hot spring baths certainly are, despite being closed to bathers and all too hot (at 36°C) anyway. Instead, visitors can but marvel at blinding white travertine terraces filled with crystalline blue water, walking barefoot between each to find ancient sculptures, columns and a museum before dunking in the overlooking swimming pool. Nearby, the ancient Roman spa town of Hierapolis awaits with more thermal historical discoveries.

Bigger and more conducive to group bathing is Iceland’s Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa, which cuts into the volcanic moonscape surrounding with a mix of 70 per cent seawater and 30 per cent fresh. Originating at a depth of 1.9 kilometres, the geothermal heat source blends with icy waters and rises to the surface to create the perfect temperature for a healing bath, made all the more powerful by the water’s silica, algae and mineral components. The Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa lies just 50 minutes from Reykjavik, built upon by a number of spa hotels allowing visitors to relax in the best conditions, with access to beauty treatments and swim-up mud bars in view of distant black rock mountains. To avoid disappointment on arrival, pre-book a day ticket (at comfort, premium and luxury price points) choosing to stay at either of two on-site hotels; Silica Hotel for minimalist stays or Retreat Hotel for a more luxe haven.

Cascate del Mulino is Tuscany’s answer to communal bathing, free for all on the outskirts of the small village of Saturnia. The waters here are full of sulphur and minerals, said to help heal ailments since Roman times. In keeping with old-world Italy, the Cascate del Mulino hot springs hot tubs bubble up from underground springs and run through fields to settle in naturally carved tubs at the base of an old country house miles from the stress of the city. Come here to soak at any time of day or night, avoiding the height of summer. You can also consider staying overnight at an on-site resort to enjoy extra time in the Tuscan countryside, taking spa treatments and teeing off on the resort’s golf course.

Bringing the spa to the great American outdoors is easier than it sounds at Yellowstone National Park, a site home to the largest hot spring in the US, Grand Prismatic Spring. Going north from Old Faithful, you’ll find a huge open area centred on the 370-foot Grand Prismatic with Opal Pool, sided by Excelsior Geyser and Turquoise Pool. There’s much to see here but the kaleidoscopic colours of Grand Prismatic, a circle of deep blue ringed by orange and yellow, really take the breath away. Thermophile bacteria cause these colours, thriving in the hot water that emerges from deep cracks in the earth below and changing colour at different depths. What with the heat and the sulphur content, Grand Prismatic is not for bathing, though visitors can stay amused by hopping between the pools on the Firehole River boardwalks, moving out thereafter the explore the many wonders of Yellowstone and Wyoming.

Equally stark beauty in a wholly different climate presents itself at California’s Travertine Hot Springs near Bridgeport where magma-heated waters pool in several spots on a sliding temperature scale as they trickle down the Eastern Sierras. As well as being based in a pristine camping spot, the view from the pools is pretty blissful too, especially when watching the sunset over Sawtooth Ridge. If you fancy camping, come prepared for a complete lack of facilities, though very elemental cooking – boiled eggs, anyone? – can be done on the boiling hot earth beside the pools!  Those looking for more of a party vibe, can trade Travertine for any number of hot springs in Palm Springs (some six hours south), surrounding Cali’s most lively desert town.

Embedded in the lush greenery of Parque Nacional Villarice Sur near Pucon in southern Chile, Termas Geométricas is continents away from what you might expect. Here, a Japanese theme plays out amidst the Chilean jungle, leading expectant bathers over red-painted walkways and a fast-flowing river to reach any of 11 steaming pools. Designed by architect German del Sol, Termas Geométricas’ facilities harmonise with the natural environment, providing a maze among crashing waterfalls and untamed scenery to energise the soul. There’s even an on-site restaurant, El Quicho, helping refuel visitors on fajitas and pumpkin soup after a long soak.

Suckers as we are for some mid-morning bubbles, we pop the cork on Waiotapu’s Champagne Pool over on New Zealand’s stunning North Island. Just over 30 kilometres from Rotorua, Champagne Pool is part of a larger geothermal complex formed some 900 years ago, notable for its yellow-green hues and precious metal deposits made so by extreme temperatures and carbon dioxide fizzing from the ground in the style of our favourite beverage. Too hot to swim in, Champagne Pool is best for gazing at in all its fluorescent glory, before exploring the other sites across Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland such as the bubbling mud pools and the explosive Lady Knox Geyser.

Continuing in Asia for the rest of our travels, our next hot springs bath lies in northwest China’s Sichuan province in an elevated valley carved out by the Minahan mountains. The valley runs several kilometres, its entirety strewn with rainbow-coloured pools, streams and waterfalls, made all the more intriguing by caves and woodlands beyond. As this valley is protected within Huanglong National Park, visitors must travel on foot to all the best spots, including Lotus Waterfall and Flying Waterfall, but beware of altitude sickness during the journey. At 9,800 feet above sea level, the area is best explored slowly in summer or fall, sticking close to the visitor centres for oxygen supplies if necessary. Besides following the back of the golden dragon past 3,400 ponds, hikes in the wider region can also introduce visitors to endangered species like the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey.

Sat within a dense forest north of Gunma and flanked by the peaks of Joshin’etsukogen and Oze National Parks, Takaragawa Onsen couldn’t get any more quintessential. Its dazzling beauty makes it one of the leading tourist attractions in Japan, despite there being more than 3,000 onsen across the country. Its proximity to Tokyo helps keep Takaragawa Onsen popular, with the wider Minakami Onsen Resort easily accessible on a day trip from the capital. As you may know, the Japanese do things slightly differently when it comes to bathing, having gender-segregated baths where bathers are usually expected to go naked (although mixed baths do allow for a discretionary towel). If you have tattoos, you may also be denied entry to certain baths, though you can always hang out at a traditional ryokan hotel nearby to dine on kaiseki instead.