The Thermal Baths You Must Visit This Year

Bodensee-Therme Konstanz

Located in one of the many borders between Germany and Switzerland, Bodensee-Therme Konstanz offers an escape from city stresses without having to drive far. (And let’s be honest: Any spot that has an arresting view of the alps and the lake is already a win.)

Grutas Tolantongo

I signed up for a day trip to Grutas Tolantongo when I visited México City last year. Even though it was almost an eight-hour trip, this was the highlight of my trip to the country. It boasts of multiple thermal pools, a waterfall (cascadas), and restaurants. If you want to spend more than a day there, there are several lodging options (including camping spots) nearby.

The Springs Resort

Built near the mineral-rich waters of Colorado’s San Juan river, The Springs is a destination all on its own. The resort has 25 pools of varying temperatures, ideal for contrast bathing—the practice of taking alternating soaks in hot and cold water.

Guests can buy a day pass for access to the resort, but if you want to make a getaway out of it, The Springs offers 78 rooms in the property.

Casa Maipo

Remember that the months of June to August are winter in the southern hemisphere, so consider a trip to Chile during this time to escape the rising temperatures for the rest of us above the equator. This hotel-lodge—with 17 guest rooms, a spa, bathing pools, and an on-site restaurant serving Chilean classics—is only 23 kilometers (~15 miles) away from the country’s capital.

Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant

Be prepared to turn off your smartphone: Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant does not offer WiFi to guests and you’re asked to enjoy the facilities in silence. (You’re allowed to bring a book or a magazine.) With four hot and four cold pools, areas for relaxation and decompression, and the natural beauty of Quebec’s Laurentian Forest, a trip here is the digital detox that you’ve been craving for.

Keio Takaosan Onsen Gokurakuyu

While Tokyo is not the top location for onsens (that distinction goes to Kinosaki), there are several spots in Japan’s capital that offer a delightful respite from the neon-soaked madness.

The waters at Keio Takaosan Onsen are alkaline-enriched, which is believed to soothe tired muscles, stiff shoulders, and help recover from exhaustion.

There’s also a restaurant on-property that serves tororo soba (buckwheat noodles topped with grated mountain yam), set meals, and light bites, should you work up the appetite.

Termy Goracy Potok

The town of Szaflary is popular during the ski season, but there’s always a reason to visit Goracy Potok year-round. There are several hot-water pools and a plunge lap pool, and spa parties happen frequently.

(If you are a first-timer, the unofficial rite-of-passage at the bath is to enter and wade through the plunge pool in between two thermal pools.)

The attached restaurant, Beef Master Steakhouse, is highly recommended for its Uruguayan sirloin steaks.

Sky Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is more well-known, particularly as a way to pass the time before checking in (most flights from the USA arrive in the early hours of the morning), Sky Lagoon is a lot more accessible from Reykjavik. This means that planning return visits while you’re in the city is easier.

Make an escape out of your trip by having a meal at Sky Lagoon’s Smakk Bar or Keimur Café. Prefer to imbibe a little alcohol? There’s a walk-up bar where you can get a pint of draft beer or a glass of wine.

Széchenyi Gyógyfurdo és Uszoda

One of the best reasons to visit the Hungarian capital is the abundance of thermal baths right smack in the city. A quick metro ride from any neighborhood and you’re enjoying a blissful soak followed by a sweating-it-out session at the sauna.