What to do in Tuscany when it rains? Thermal pools in Rapolano Terme
What to do when it rains in Tuscany? Walking in cities and towns becomes less pleasant, rural areas are not as charming as on a sunny day, and museums? Not everyone is a fan of them to such an extent that they can watch the exhibits all day or half a day. The day before yesterday, in the pouring rain, I went to Val d’Orcia to soak in hot thermal springs. This time they were paid thermal baths, but not those that require staying in an expensive hotel, but those where you buy a ticket for a few hours and have several large swimming pools, a cafe and sun loungers with a stunning view. I invite you for details!
Baths in Tuscany – free and paid
In Tuscany – and especially in the south of Siena – there are natural hot geothermal springs. These waters are created when rainwater soaks into the ground, then it is heated and saturated with sulfur compounds. The cause of this benefit of nature is the cone of the extinct volcano Monte Amiata, which dominates the landscape of the areas south of Siena. Such sources are available in two forms:
free as a pond in forests and near towns, about which you can find information in the post „Hot thermal springs in Tuscany – free SPA for everyone”, published eight years ago,
payable, in the form of well-kept swimming pools located at hotels with SPA.
This post is about this second form of possible use of sources, but I am not going to persuade you to pay for accommodation in an expensive hotel. The whole thing is that you can come to the thermal baths described below for a full day or half a day, buy a ticket to the acqua park and enjoy almost the same as hotel guests. I described the same opportunity to relax in the Dolomites in the post about QC Terme in Val di Fassa, but here it was a bit different.
San Giovanni Terme in Rapolano Terme
This place offers various entry packages. You can buy admission to the pools, you can buy a package extended with other attractions, such as a sauna or salt cave, you can also take advantage of SPA treatments. A half-day ticket to the pools only costs 14 euros. This is less than, for example, in the above-mentioned resort in the Dolomites, but the standard is also lower. There are no towels, disposable flip-flops or a bathrobe included in the price here. There is a deposit of 5 euros for the padlock to the locker, and some of the lockers in the women’s locker room are broken. Nevertheless, we had a lot of fun, especially my husband, for whom this trip is a vacation and at the same time convalescence after a long illness and several operations, including the last one in March this year.
Pools and terraces with sun loungers
There is one large round pool inside and the water in it is very warm. Warm enough that for me in the long run the swimming pool with slightly cooler water located outside turned out to be better. Both pools are connected to each other, you can go out from the indoor pool to the outside. Exactly, swimming. These are not pools designed for swimming, but if someone insists – like me – if there are no crowds, they will be able to swim at a slow pace from one end to the other. In addition, there was another large swimming pool on the lower level. Such a few hours of relaxation is a great thing, I recommend it. However, I was most impressed by the wonderful views of Val d’Orcia from the terraces in the garden. I managed to take a few photos when it cleared for literally fifteen minutes
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