Sclafani Bagni thermal pool

About Sclafani Bagni thermal pool

Sclafani Bagni is a small hilltop village in the Madonie mountains, in the province of Palermo, and owes part of its name ("bagni" means baths) to thermal springs known since ancient times. Below the village are the ruins of an old spa and, a little further south, a pool carved into the rock where the sulphurous water collects and where you can bathe freely.

Sources give a temperature of 32 to 37 °C: a warm, pleasant soak, especially in spring and autumn. The pool is small and reached by a scenic downhill path with lovely views over the Madonie and the Imera valley. You'll have to climb back up afterwards, so suitable shoes are a must.

It's easy to reach from the A19 Palermo-Catania motorway, leaving at Scillato and continuing for a few kilometres. Without a car you can take the train to Termini Imerese and continue by local transport, but it's much less convenient. There are no facilities on site: no changing rooms, no bar.

The ruins of the old spa are fascinating to look at but shouldn't be explored, as they may be unsafe. The pool is also listed as free on OpenStreetMap. Because of the downhill path and the rock pool, this isn't the most suitable place for small children.

Sclafani Bagni is a good stop for discovering the Madonie Park, with villages such as Caltavuturo, Polizzi Generosa and Petralia, and trails through woods and uplands. A thermal soak at the end of a hike is the best way to round off the day.

The pool is small, so it's good manners to leave it free after a reasonable soak if other people arrive. As always, no soap and no rubbish along the path: in such intimate places even a small act of carelessness spoils the experience for everyone. Please let us know about any changes to the state of the pool or the path.