On Sunday I went to the hot springs swimming pool Calidario Terme Etrusche in Venturina, Province of Livorno. I have been to this pool many times in the past, but the last time was in 2008, so it was time to pay a visit. The owners of this property tend to make occasional changes and "improvements", so I couldn't write this blog according to my past experiences.
To get to Calidario from Florence, take the FI-PI-LI superstrada (free of charge) almost all the way to Livorno, turn onto the A12 tollway towards Rosignano, exit at Rosignano, take the Aurelia SS1 south, exit at Venturina, then follow the signs to Calidario Sorgente. There is a large public parking lot near the entrance.
At the entrance you pay the fee and are directed to the dressing rooms. Lockers with locks incorporated, towels, and sun loungers cost extra. The lockers are in a common room for men and women, with separate changing rooms and showers in other areas. You can enter the pool from an indoor entrance, or go directly outside to the pool deck.
Calidario is a strange mix between a lake and a pool. It is very large, with shallow areas around the sides, and a deeper area in the middle, marked off with lanelines. The bottom of the pool is covered with rounded pebbles. Because of this, a sort of muddy sediment is kicked up by bathers, and the water is cloudy. It seems more like an organic sediment than a mineral one.
The water is warm, not hot, and varies day by day. The day we were there it was 33°C, 91°F. It enters the pool through two streams where one person at a time can sit to enjoy the small waterfall. Water also enters the pool through springs in the bottom, and you can feel the warmer water as you move around the pool.
Lovely maidenhair ferns grow along the side of the pool, and there is a prolific water snail population as well. Doesn't bother me at all - they are tiny, and you really have to look for them, as they blend in. I must say that this pool has such a lake feeling to it, I am surprised there aren't fish in it! But, no worries, I wore goggles and swam all around the pool, and didn't see anything swimming, except for other humans.
I quite like Calidario, but it doesn't really fall into my thermal bath/hot spring definition. It's not hot enough, and it's not minerally enough. It's lovely to float in the warm water, but I don't get that feeling of regeneration that I do in pools thick with salts and sulfur. The water leaves you with a sort of slimy feeling rather than that nice scrubbed feeling after a mineral bath. The chemical characteristics of the water are listed on their website as: sulfate, chlorine, calcium, and magnesium. I read on wikipedia that the water from the springs also contains "dirt" which I think is what I feel.
I would suggest Calidario for warm days, not cold. The water isn't warm enough for cold days. Also, weekdays when there are less people would be better, as they do kick up the pepples on the bottom, causing the sediment to make the water cloudy.
If you are there on a warm, sunny day, you may prefer to take a dip in the sea at the nearby beach of San Vincenzo. It's free of charge ("spiaggia libera"), unless you decide to rent an "umbrella" and beach chairs from the concession.
Calidario Terme Etrusche
Via del Bottaccio, 40
57021 Venturina (LI) - Toscana
