Most Scenic Hot Springs to Soak Away Stress

From Banff to Baden-Baden, here are our steamy favorite thermal baths to put your mind and body at ease.

Hot springs are among Earth’s most deep-rooted gifts. Created from groundwater’s interaction with magma and hot igneous rock from the planet's molten core, super-heated springs (aka thermal baths) are found around the globe—ranging from small natural pools and waterfalls to entire rivers. Many of them have been in use for thousands of years.

In Europe, basking in naturally heated water has been a way of life since ancient times—with evidence that the thermal waters in the English city of Bath were used as early as 8,000 BC. By AD 43, Romans were developing villages around hot springs for public benefit. Wounded soldiers, for example, were brought here to recuperate in the mineral-rich waters. During medieval times, “taking the cure” became popular for the upper class, while the 1700s through the early 20^th century saw a significant expansion of European “spa towns.”

In the U.S., there’s 10,000-year-old archeological evidence that Native Americans gathered at various hot springs. Historians suggest they were often considered sacred places and neutral territory. Early Spanish explorers Ponce de Leon and Hernando DeSoto were most likely in search of hot mineral springs with mythical healing powers in their search for the fabled Fountain of Youth.

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To this day, there are plenty of arguments in favor of the healing benefits of thermal pools with their various combinations of minerals dissolved from local rock. Hot water is also thought to increase circulation, reduce stress, and relax muscles. All pointed health talk aside, they just feel good, and are great places to hang out, socialize, and unwind. Whatever you seek, here are some of our favorite spots around the globe for a hot soak.

12 Best Hot Springs in the World 

1. Les Grand Bains du Monêtier, France

In the southern French alpine village of Le Monêtier les Bains, you'll find Les Grand Bains du Monêtier, one of the most scenic thermal baths the world over. Huge indoor and outdoor pools offer a frothy variety of bubbly and waterfall-esque features—alongside a giant steam room, brisk cold plunge, and massive hot pool called Caldariumand (note the Latin heritage). Several “theme” baths include one where you lie on a concrete slab with your ears underwater while listening to soothing music and watching a light show on the domed ceiling.  

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2. Colorado, USA

Travelers and locals alike have been enjoying public and private hot spring-fed pools in Colorado for decades. Check out the Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop for a one-stop shop of the state’s premier hot springs destinations. There are self-guided itineraries to explore 23 unique soaking experiences at your leisure.

For a superlative spring, head to the 140-year-old Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. It houses what’s reputed to be the world’s biggest geothermal swimming pool. Unique and picturesque, Strawberry Park Hot Springs is tucked above the mountain town of Steamboat in northern Colorado. Guests must make reservations in advance (capped at two hours). Note: Clothing is optional after dark; when the sun drops, so can your swim trunks.

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Deep in the southwest, Ouray Hot Springs is a picturesque favorite, ringed by the San Juan Mountains. So is the gorgeously expanded Durango Hot Springs Resort & Spa, now offering over 40 thermal pools of varying temperatures with an alpine backdrop.

In Pagosa Springs, The Springs Resort dives into wellness with a clay-infused water treatment, sound baths, and “results-oriented” soaking guides. Back in Glenwood Springs, Iron Mountain Hot Springs is hard at work on Upriver, a new section that'll feature eight riverside pools, a cold plunge pool, and a “large experience” pool projected to be completed by mid-2023.

3. Banff Upper Hot Springs, Canada

The Canadian Rockies are world-renowned for their rugged beauty and accessibility to mountain sports and culture. A visit isn’t complete without a soak in Banff Upper Hot Springs. The Hot Pool is open to the public daily (periodic closures occur when water flow is too low) with public transportation from the town of Banff. 

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For a luxury experience, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel has a 40,000-square-foot spa with an indoor hot mineral water pool and three waterfall treatment whirlpools. Outside is a party-sized jacuzzi with postcard-perfect views of the Bow Valley and surrounding peaks.

4. Orr Hot Springs, California

Tucked in the ancient redwood groves of Mendocino County, the 27-acre Orr Hot Springs Resort was originally part of the late 19^th-century stagecoach route before the resort began building cabins in the ‘30s. Nearly a century later, you’ll find a mix of lodging options next to a gurgling mountain spring. The swimsuit-optional resort has a secluded mineral bath and two communal tubs set between 104 and 107 degrees. For stargazing, there are two tubs on top of the bathhouse building. After a hot soak, cool off in the spring-fed plunge (65-75 degrees) built into a picturesque rock sidewall. 

Another great hot bath option in the area is Vichy Springs Resort and Spa, off Highway 101, near Ukiah, CA. The 700-acre historic resort (earlier guests included Mark Twain, Teddy Roosevelt, and Jack London) boasts the country’s only warm, naturally carbonated Vichy mineral baths and an Olympic-size pool. 

5. Thermae Bath Spa, England

England’s City of Bath is home to one of the most historic Roman Bath sites. It was once a favorite hot spot of old European royalty as well. While you can’t swim in the actual historic baths (featuring a magnificent temple and bathing complex you can visit), walk a few minutes to the Thermae Bath Spa and enjoy the giant rooftop pool with views of the old Abbey and charming town. In the nearby Georgian Pump Room Restaurant, you can sample freshly pumped water from the fountain and enjoy an establishment that dates back to Jane Austin and Charles Dickens.

6. Benton Hot Springs, California

This historic spot has wide-open views and a real Wild West feel. You can stay at the Inn at Benton Hot Springs, rent a historic bungalow, or book a campsite with a private hot tub. The well-preserved mining town is kept rustic by the owners and a land conservation easement with Eastern Sierra Land Trust and Historic Benton Hot Springs Non Profit. 

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A dozen hot tubs here are fed by natural hot springs once used by the Paiute Tribe. A booming silver mining town in the 1860s, Benton is now a peaceful refuge from urban life for avid hikers, bikers, soakers, and stargazers—a ghost town that never died. 

7. Ma‘in Hot Springs, Jordan

Who doesn’t want to bask in a thermal oasis surrounded by exotic plants and palm trees under a vast Arabian sky? You may have heard of the Jordan Trail, stretching from the country’s Syrian/Israeli border past the climbing mecca hot spot of Wadi Rum to Saudi Arabia. 

Lesser known is that Jordan is home to some of the world’s most exotic thermal baths—including Ma'in Hot Springs. Stay at the eponymous Ma'in Hot Springs Resort & Spa, just an hour’s drive south of the nation's capital, Amman. Travelers have visited these famous hot springs near the Dead Sea since pre-Roman times. The water—rich in magnesium, calcium, and potassium—tumbles off the hillside in a series of waterfalls before collecting in pools for public bathing.

8. Chico Hot Springs, Montana

Built in 1900, Chico Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa originated as a boarding house for gold miners in Paradise Valley, MT. Located 35 miles north of Yellowstone National Park, the hot springs and hospitality have attracted guests to the end-of-the road-oasis for 123 years.

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Two natural hot spring pools are fed by underground geothermal sources from the foothills of the surrounding Absaroka Mountains. The smaller pool flows at temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while the larger one averages around 104 degrees. Both pools are free for hotel guests, who can check into rustic Conestoga wagons in the summer or luxury cabins year-round, while non-guests can buy a day pass. After a good soak, wet your whistle with a custom-brewed Chico Pilsner in the property’s old-time saloon.

9. Yellowstone Hot Springs, Montana

Yellowstone National Park is brimming with scalding pools that are far too hot to touch. It’s also home to some excellent public hot springs near the Park’s northern entrance. These mineral-rich developed pools on the banks of the Yellowstone River include a hot pool, main pool, and cold plunge, as well as the area’s only Kneipp walk—a form of hydrotherapy with origins in 19th-century Bavaria where you alternate walking in hot and cold water (i.e. contrast therapy) over pebbles to benefit circulation and stimulate your legs and feet. 

Chances are you’ll see eagles and red tailed hawks soaring overhead, plus the odd stray moose or elk meandering by. The Yellowstone Hot Springs Resort features cabins available year-round and an RV park/tent campground open between May and October.

10. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Cradled in the 300-million-year-old Ouachita Mountains, the abundant supply of hot water in this scenic region was a staple of local Native American culture for at least 10,000 years. In 1832, U.S. Congress granted the area Federal Reserve status and the town of Hot Springs would quickly evolve as a recreation destination in the style of the great spa villages of Europe.

Nearly 50 geothermal springs here produce about four million liters of water per day (at a blistering 141 degrees Fahrenheit). Hot Springs National Park is home to Bathhouse Row, featuring eight preserved historic bathhouses and their surrounding gardens along Central Ave. The Hotel Hale, right on Bathhouse Row, provides thermal water baths in each room.

Also not to be missed is the World Championship Running of the Tubs (June 2-3)—starring costumed teams that race bathtubs on wheels down Bathhouse Row. 

11. Palm Springs, CA

Palm Springs developed as a playground for the rich and famous, but actors, musicians, and notorious gangsters weren’t the first ones to soak in the area’s abundant springs. Long before all that, the Cahuilla Indians were enjoying the desert valley’s mineral-rich geothermal waters flowing from the underground aquifer. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians further embraces its cultural tradition of bathing in the hot, healing waters of the Aqua Caliente Hot Spring with The Spa at Séc-he. The new 40,000-square-foot wellness center is slated to open in early spring 2023 at The Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza. The spa includes private mineral baths, float pod suites, a resort-style pool with a waterfall and grotto, a zero-edge mineral pool, and a poolside bar. 

Hiding up in the hills of nearby Desert Hot Springs, a favorite thermal site—and movie location (remember The Player?)—is Two Bunch Palms. The unique resort and spa includes a photogenic mineral water pool known as The Grotto, adjustable-temperature teak tubs, and mineral soaking pools overlooking the hulking San Jacinto Mountains. 

Another exotic option in Desert Hot Springs is El Morocco Inn & Spa, lavishly decorated with lush colors and furnishings from Morocco. Stay overnight or get a day pass to soak in the hot (and cold) mineral pools.

12. Kiss Salis Therme, Germany

Germany boasts one of the world’s biggest concentrations of thermal baths dating back to Roman times. There’s Theme Erding, Europe’s largest thermal waterpark with its 35 sauna and steam baths, 28 slides, and 40 pools, as well as the nearly 150-year-old architectural wonder, the Friedrichsbad Spa in Baden-Baden, where guests are washed, soaped, and brushed before soaking in luxurious surroundings. 

We like KissSalis Therme in Bad Kissingen in the Rhön region, as it's huge, inexpensive, and state-of-the-art. There are 10 outdoor and indoor pools, plus dozens of whirlpools, water massage recliners, salt baths, and a Moor room for applying restorative mud to one’s skin before relaxing on heated recliners.