Free hot springs in winter

In summer the most famous free hot springs are crowded, and hot water isn't at its best when it's thirty degrees in the shade. In winter everything changes: the contrast between icy air and water at 38-40 °C is a pleasure that's hard to describe, steam wraps around the pools and, on weekdays, you may find yourself almost alone.

Not every free hot spring works in the cold, though: many have lukewarm water, below 30 °C, which feels cold in winter. The list below includes only open springs with water of at least 37 °C, sorted from north to south.

The best for a winter soak

• Tuscany: Saturnia, with water at a constant 37.5 °C or so and open day and night, is the classic. Bagni San Filippo and Petriolo offer hotter pools in the woods, San Casciano dei Bagni a historic pool at about 40 °C.
• Lazio: around Viterbo the water comes out at 55-60 °C. The Piscine Carletti are free and open at night too, the Bullicame has daytime hours, and the Bagnaccio and Ficoncella charge a small fee.
• The south and the islands: Sorgeto Bay on Ischia, the Caronte gurna in Calabria, the Polle del Crimiso at Segesta and the pools of Pantelleria, where winters are mild.
• Sardinia: at Fordongianus the water rises at over 50 °C along the Tirso, and at San Saturnino near Benetutti the pools are around 34-38 °C.

How to handle the cold

• Get your change of clothes ready before you go in: bathrobe, woolly hat and dry clothes within reach. Getting out is the trickiest moment.
• Don't stay in too long: your body gets used to the heat and you don't notice how warm you're getting. Drink water, not alcohol.
• Watch out for ice on paths and pool edges, especially early in the morning.
• Check the weather: after heavy rain streams swell, and some riverside pools become dangerous or cool down.
• The best hours: dawn and sunset give the most spectacular steam; at night, where access is free, you'll need a torch.

Read also: free hot springs open at night and safety tips.