San Casciano dei Bagni - March 25, 2012

San Casciano dei Bagni - Fonteverde Spa

Yesterday I went to the Fonteverde hot springs pool in the town of San Casciano dei Bagni, Province of Siena.

I do believe that this is my favorite pool of those I have visited so far on my tour of hot springs pools in Tuscany!

To get to San Casciano dei Bagni from Florence, you take the A1 tollway heading south (in the direction of Rome) and exit at Chianciano Terme / Chiusi. Follow the signs for Sarteano, then San Casciano dei Bagni. Once you arrive in the town of San Caciano dei Bagni you will find indications for Fonteverde Spa.

You might want to stop in town and take in the views over the Tuscan countryside:

or the enchanting town itself:

San Casciano dei Bagni

At the pool, you pay the entrance fee at the reception, where you receive a terry cloth robe. You can also rent slippers and a towel at a reasonable price. You can use the indoor lounge chairs free of charge, but if you want an outdoor sun chair you will need to pay a fee. Now you head to the changing rooms. You will need a one euro coin to use the lockers. From there you go to the pools which you can enter either from an indoor pool, going through a tunnel to go outdoors in cold weather, or directly outdoors from the pool deck. You can leave your robe on hooks on the wall, or on your lounge chair.

The wonderful thing about this pool is the warmth of the water - I think it is the warmest I have been to so far! The water is 42° celcius / 107° fahrenheit at the source. I don't know the exact temperature of the water in the pool, but I assure you it is very warm! It enters the pool through several inlets on the bottom of the pool, and these spots are particularly warm. There is also a (manmade) waterfall where very warm water falls, providing a wonderful massage. It's fun to try every possible position!

There are also four gooseneck jets which feel great on the back and shoulders.

The water is chalk full of minerals, including sulfate, calcium, flourine, and magnesium. It is green in color, and there is mineral build up on the sides of the pool, and on the surrounding pool deck.  You can almost feel it doing you good as you soak in it, and as you move around, it gives you a good scrub. There is no particular smell or taste to the water.

There is a snack bar by the pool where you can eat something wearing your robe over your suit. The food isn't very exciting, but at least you don't have to get dressed!

There is also a small pool for children. Don't take a sun chair near it if you don't want to get splashed by the kids!

Fonteverde Natural Spa Resort

Localita' terme 1 
53040 San Casciano dei Bagni (SI)
Tel. +39 0578 57241

Terme Bagni di Casciana - March 2, 2012

Terme Bagni di Casciana

Today I went to the hot spring pool in the town of Casciana Terme, in the province of Pisa. I went by myself, and that was just fine, except the I do better with a human navigator when I'm driving. I confess I got lost a couple of times both coming and going!

To get to Casciana Terme from Florence, you take the "Superstrada" (tollfree highway) called "FI PI LI". FI PI LI stands for "Florence Pisa Livorno", which are the major towns it serves. Exit the superstrada at Pontedera, and take the highway SS13 towards Ponsacco, which you pass through, continuing until you arrive in Casciana Terme. In town there are indications for the pool, and there is a free parking lot just before you arrive, on the right side.

As always, part of the fun of trying new hot spring pools is exploring the Tuscan countryside. When you leave the FI PI LI, you drive through a land where agriculture reigns over industry, and grapevines and olive groves, solar panels and wind farms, replace parking lots and shopping centers.

The entrance to the hot spring pool is a modern building. To get to the pool, you have to walk through a clinic area, and the directions are indicated by signs saying "Piscina Esterna" (Outdoor Pool) and an arrow. You finally arrive to an desk where you pay your fee. You will be given a key for a locker with an elastic band so you can wear it on your wrist while in the pool; you must leave a document as a deposit for the key. The dressing rooms are very comfortable, with lockers, benches, bathrooms and showers. You enter the pool from indoors to avoid the cold, leaving your robe and flipflops in the hallway.

The pool is large and quite shallow, about 3 deep feet all over. There are all kinds of jets and water falls, and even an area with a strong current. I particularly enjoyed a waterfall which was perfect for shoulders and back.

The temperature is a warm 33°C/91°F, but not hot. The water has a green minerally hue to it. There is no strong smell or taste.

There is a small garden and terraces, which would be enjoyable in good weather - I was there in the winter, and it was better to stay in the water! I think it would be fun for a family outing, as kids would love the pool and garden.

The waters are rich in salts and carbon dioxide, and are 35.7°C/95°F at the source. They do not add chlorine to this pool.

On the way home, you can enjoy some more Tuscan countryside:

BAGNI DI CASCIANA S.r.l.
Piazza Garibaldi, 9
56034 Casciana Terme (PI)
Tel. +39 0587 64461 +39 0587 64461
Fax +39 0587 644629