Independent guide · updated 22 October 2026

Free hot springs in Italy

Hot waterfalls, pools in the woods and steaming coves by the sea where you can bathe for free. 40 real places, checked one by one, with a map, water temperatures and practical tips.

Explore the map The most beautiful

Places: 40
Free: 33
Regions: 10

Editors' picks

The most beautiful

The free hot springs worth seeing at least once. At dawn or out of season they are even more magical.

The travertine pools of the Cascate del Mulino at Saturnia

Free

Tuscany · Manciano

Cascate del Mulino, Saturnia

about 37.5 °C, constant all year round

By car
Kids
At night

The Balena Bianca along the Fosso Bianco at Bagni San Filippo

Free

Tuscany · Castiglione d'Orcia

Bagni San Filippo - Fosso Bianco and Balena Bianca

up to 48-52 °C at the source; cooler in the pools further…

By car

The hot pools along the Farma stream at Petriolo

Free

Tuscany · Monticiano

Petriolo free hot springs

about 43 °C at the source; cooler in the pools mixed with…

By car
At night

One of the pools of the Piscine Carletti in Viterbo

Free

Lazio · Viterbo

Piscine Carletti

up to about 58-60 °C in the inflow channel; pools from…

By car
At night

Free

Campania · Forio

Baia di Sorgeto (Sorgeto Bay)

springs at about 90 °C on the seabed; pools between 30 and…

At night

The Specchio di Venere lake on Pantelleria

Free

Sicily · Pantelleria

Lago Specchio di Venere (Mirror of Venus lake)

springs between about 35 and 58 °C; 40-50 °C near the banks…

By car
Kids

Interactive map

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Filter by region, type of access and water temperature, or look for springs you can reach by car, that suit children or that stay open at night.

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Free Small fee To be checked / closed

40 hot springs

The gorge of the Caldanello stream at Cerchiara di Calabria

Small feeRegulated

Calabria · Cerchiara di Calabria

Grotta delle Ninfe - Terme di Cerchiara

about 30 °C

By car
Kids

Free

Calabria · Lamezia Terme

Terme di Caronte - the free gurna

about 39 °C

By car

FreeTo be checked

Calabria · Guardia Piemontese / Acquappesa

Terme Luigiane - sulphur pools

to be checked (hyperthermal springs)

By car

The Aragonese Castle seen from the Cartaromana side

Free

Campania · Ischia

Baia di Cartaromana (Cartaromana Bay)

warm pools among the rocks (temperature not given by the…

By car
At night

Free

Campania · Forio

Baia di Sorgeto (Sorgeto Bay)

springs at about 90 °C on the seabed; pools between 30 and…

At night

Lake Telese, a short distance from the Parco delle Antiche Terme Jacobelli

FreeTo be checked

Campania · Telese Terme

Parco delle Antiche Terme Jacobelli

to be checked (sulphurous water; temperature not given by…

By car
Kids

Free

Campania · Serrara Fontana / Barano d'Ischia

Spiaggia delle Fumarole and Maronti

sand and steam up to about 100 °C below the surface; the…

The Rio Foino thermal spring on the bank of the Trebbia, at Bobbio

Free

Emilia-Romagna · Bobbio

Rio Foino - Bobbio's Acqua Salata

about 20 °C, constant

By car
Kids
At night

Free

Lazio · Viterbo

Piscine Carletti

up to about 58-60 °C in the inflow channel; pools from…

By car
At night

Small feeRegulated

Lazio · Viterbo

Terme del Bagnaccio

about 63 °C at the source; pools at different temperatures,…

By car
Kids

FreeRegulated

Lazio · Viterbo

Terme del Bullicame

about 58 °C at the source; lower in the pools

By car

Small feeRegulated

Lazio · Civitavecchia

Terme della Ficoncella

five pools between about 30 and 56 °C

By car

The free hot pool along the stream above Bormio

FreeTo be checked

Lombardy · Valdidentro

Pozza di Leonardo (Bormio free hot spring)

about 38-41 °C

By car

Free

Lombardy · Sirmione

Sirmione hot spring pool (Lido delle Bionde)

warm but not hot (the Boiola spring, at about 69 °C, mixes…

By car
Kids

Free

Marche · Acquasanta Terme

Lu Vurghe - Acquasanta Terme

about 22-30 °C (sources disagree)

By car
Kids

One of the granite tubs of the Bagni di Craveggia

Free

Piedmont · Craveggia

Bagni di Craveggia

about 28 °C

Kids

The spa building of Bagni di Vinadio, opposite which are the free pools

FreeTo be checked

Piedmont · Vinadio

Bagni di Vinadio free pools

to be checked (very hot sulphur springs; the pools change…

By car

The Casteldoria hot springs and the wooden bridge over the Coghinas

FreeTo be checked

Sardinia · Santa Maria Coghinas

Casteldoria free hot springs

65-72 °C at the springs; much cooler where it mixes with…

By car

The Roman baths of Fordongianus along the Tirso

Small feeRegulated

Sardinia · Fordongianus

Terme di Fordongianus

about 54-56 °C at the source; cooler where it mixes with…

By car

Free

Sardinia · Benetutti

Terme di San Saturnino (Benetutti)

about 34-38 °C in the free pools; hotter springs (over 40…

By car
Kids

Montagna Grande on Pantelleria, home of the Bagno Asciutto di Benikulà

Free

Sicily · Pantelleria

Bagno Asciutto di Benikulà (natural sauna)

steam at about 38 °C (a sauna, not a bath)

By car

Free

Sicily · Pantelleria

Gadir thermal pools

about 39-50 °C

By car
At night

Free

Sicily · Pantelleria

Grotta di Sataria (Sataria cave)

about 40 °C

By car

Free

Sicily · Pantelleria

Lago Specchio di Venere (Mirror of Venus lake)

springs between about 35 and 58 °C; 40-50 °C near the banks…

By car
Kids

Free

Sicily · Castellammare del Golfo

Polle del Crimiso (Segesta free hot springs)

about 47 °C at the source

By car

The village of Sclafani Bagni in the Madonie mountains

Free

Sicily · Sclafani Bagni

Sclafani Bagni thermal pool

about 32-37 °C (sources disagree)

By car

Punta Nikà, on the south coast of Pantelleria

Free

Sicily · Pantelleria

Sorgenti di Nikà (Nikà springs)

very hot in places; more pleasant where it mixes with the…

By car

Small feeRegulated

Sicily · Lipari

Vulcano - Pozza dei Fanghi (mud pool)

variable (hot mud, fumaroles at very high temperatures)

Porto di Levante on Vulcano, next to the Acque Calde beach

Free

Sicily · Lipari

Vulcano - Spiaggia delle Acque Calde

sea warmed by underwater emissions; variable

The pool of the Bagni di San Michele alle Formiche

FreeTo be checked

Tuscany · Pomarance

Bagni di San Michele alle Formiche

about 25 °C (rather cool water)

By car

Free

Tuscany · Castiglione d'Orcia

Bagni San Filippo - Fosso Bianco and Balena Bianca

up to 48-52 °C at the source; cooler in the pools further…

By car

The thermal pond in the Parco dei Mulini, below Bagno Vignoni

Free

Tuscany · San Quirico d'Orcia

Bagno Vignoni - Parco dei Mulini pool

source at about 38-50 °C (sources disagree); the free pool…

By car
Kids

Free

Tuscany · Fivizzano

Bozzetti di Equi Terme

about 25-27 °C

By car
Kids

Free

Tuscany · Manciano

Cascate del Mulino, Saturnia

about 37.5 °C, constant all year round

By car
Kids
At night

Free

Tuscany · Colle di Val d'Elsa

Le Caldane di Gracciano

about 20 °C (cool to lukewarm water)

By car
Kids

Free

Tuscany · Monticiano

Petriolo free hot springs

about 43 °C at the source; cooler in the pools mixed with…

By car
At night

The Bagno Grande, the historic thermal pool of San Casciano dei Bagni

Free

Tuscany · San Casciano dei Bagni

San Casciano dei Bagni - Bagno Grande

about 40 °C

By car
Kids
At night

Free

Tuscany · Castelnuovo di Val di Cecina

Sasso Pisano - thermal pools and washhouses

36 °C at the washhouse by the cemetery; other springs in…

By car

Maronti beach, behind which lies the Olmitello spring

FreeClosed

Campania · Barano d'Ischia

Sorgente di Olmitello (Olmitello spring)

to be checked

Small feeClosed

Lazio · Viterbo

Terme delle Masse di San Sisto

to be checked (when open: one hot pool and one cooler)

By car

Region by region

Free hot springs by region

Read before you go

Guides

Day trips

Free hot springs near Rome

From Rome, little more than an hour's drive takes you to a pool of hot water under the open sky, often without spending a cent. Here are…

Read the guide

Regional guide

Free hot springs in Tuscany: the complete guide

Travertine waterfalls, hot streams in the woods and medieval pools: Tuscany is the home of Italy's free hot springs. Here is how to choose…

Read the guide

Experiences

Free hot springs open at night

A hot soak under the stars, with steam rising into the cold air: some free hot springs have no opening hours and can be enjoyed at night…

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Good to know

Safety tips for natural hot pools

Free hot springs are natural places, with no lifeguards or staff. A few simple rules are enough to enjoy them safely and leave them intact…

Read the guide

Regional guide

Free hot springs in Sicily

Volcanic lakes, pools by the sea, hot caves and even a natural sauna: Sicily is one of the regions richest in free hot springs. Here's…

Read the guide

Regional guide

Free hot springs on Ischia and in Campania

Ischia is the island of hot springs, but almost all of them charge for entry. Here are the few places where the hot water is still free,…

Read the guide

Guide

Free hot springs in northern Italy

In the north, hot springs are almost all paid spas. Free pools do exist, but they're few, small and often in the mountains. Here's which…

Read the guide

With the family

Child-friendly free hot springs

Not every free hot spring suits young children: the water can be too hot, the path steep or the bottom slippery. Here are the ones we…

Read the guide

Seasons

Free hot springs in winter

The best time for free hot springs is winter: cold air, steam rising from the water and far fewer people. Here's where to find really hot…

Read the guide

How we check every hot spring

Real places only. Every spring is confirmed by public sources and by OpenStreetMap.
No made-up data. If a temperature or an opening time is uncertain, we say "to be checked".
Free or not, clearly. We separate truly free springs from those with a small fee or rules.
Source and date. Every page shows its source and the date of the last check.

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