Imagine spending a lazy, relaxing day covered in clay and soaking in warm mineral water. Sounds good, doesn’t it? So when you’re in Italy, jump to one of the natural thermal baths in Tuscany. The region is rich in hot springs, so you don’t need a fancy hotel(unless you really need) to enjoy a kind of SPA totally free of charge.

Free Thermal Baths in Tuscany – Not Only Saturnia

Saturnia is probably the most popular and picturesque thermal bath in Tuscany.

And I believe the most often photographed using filters, so it looks like a dream on Instagram. In reality, the water isn’t that blue and crowds are thick – that’s why we decided to check its authentic alternatives: Bagno Vignoni and San Filippo.

How to get to Bagno Vignoni

From Perugia, where we stayed that time, it takes about 1.30h to get to Bagno Vignoni. From Siena – not even 1 h. By car, of course, as usual – I don’t trust public transport in Italy at all. There’s a bus to Bagno Vignoni from Siena and Florence, but I have no clue how reliable this option is.

Bagno Vignoni: A Village Built Around a Pool

At first glance, Bagno Vignoni looks like many medieval villages in Tuscany – a square surrounded by small stone houses, rather typical. But there’s something unusual about this 49 m long and 29 m wide place – it’s not just a square, it’s a pool filled with thermal water (about 49 degrees) flowing from underground. Already, the Etruscans and ancient Romans appreciated bathing in natural hot springs, believing in the healing properties of thermal water.

The town has built its reputation on this faith, for centuries attracting famous and not-so-famous figures.

The “Silver Something” and Other Modern Mistakes

Of course, it’s forbidden to swim in the pool, and perhaps to scare off potential bathers, there’s a weird silver sculpture in it.

I’m guessing it symbolizes something, maybe lava from the volcano (but why is it silver?), or maybe it was supposed to add beauty to the square. If that was the intention of the town authorities, it failed. The silver something looks stupid surrounded by picturesque houses. Apart from it, the square is a charming place with restaurants and bars also open for lunch.

Boiling at Parco dei Mulini: Why You Need Shade

The water flows from the pool heads towards the steep slope of Parco dei Mulini, with the ruins of old mills. I wouldn’t say I was impressed by them, but I’m spoiled. Being in so many places, I became picky. Anyway, in the park you can also soak your feet in the hot streams, additionally, sizzling/frying in the sun. I was there in July and felt like in a convection oven: my feet in hot water and my head in the sun, as there are just a few trees, so no shade.

Bagno Vignoni is a SPA town, so you can have various kinds of professional beauty treatments.

Free Thermal Bath Below Bagno Vignoni – Mud, Clay, and Milky Water

Fancied a free outdoor SPA, we went down below the town, and followed a beaten path. After a short walk, we found the first large pool with milky blue water.

I looked at the murky, stagnant water with leaves floating in it, and somehow the desire to bathe disappeared.

Getting Dirty at the Free Clay Pits

Fortunately, a little up the slope is a smaller/better pond; this one was pretty busy, but we found room to spend some time splashing in milkish water. The bottom of the pool is covered with mud with a high content of elements. Dry mud is nothing more than the clay used to make face masks. They might be expensive, but here, voilà! For free, you can roll around in them and get covered in clay from head to toe, which I did.

Well, it was probably not enough to smooth my skin or so; still, it was enjoyable. Clay was drying on me, and I got a funny colour.

As the place became busier and busier, we decided to move to Bagni San Filippo. After a 30-minute drive, we arrived at the place.

Bagni San Filippo – Free Thermal Baths Hidden in the Forest

Hidden in the forest, Bagni San Filippo is much larger, more crowded, and in my opinion, prettier. Like other thermal baths in Tuscany, Bagni San Filippo has been known since Roman times, and there you can also visit a professional SPA.

San Filippo is a small village; we parked and set off for the hot springs. This one in San Filippo, called Fosso Bianco, is long, but the first pools are right at the beginning of the road; since there was no room in them, we continued on.

Bagni San Filippo: The “White Whale” and the Hunt for a Spot

About halfway down the path, we saw something. It was a White Whale, not the real one, though. This is the charming name of the rock, or rather, a formation formed from infiltrating limestone and minerals.

The whale is large, as whales usually are, and small waterfalls flow down it. Climbing on this Tuscany nature attraction is prohibited; apparently, the bans are there to avoid them, so lots of people were walking up and down.

Hunting for the Perfect Pool 

We stopped a little further and began hunting for a spot in a crowded spring. I had the extravagant idea of ​​snatching a small pool all to myself. I wasn’t the only one with this plan: the hunt was in full swing, with people running here and there, jumping in and out of the water whenever a spot became available… I stood and watched. And I saw an empty mini-pool with a mini-waterfall. Ha! It worked. I jumped in, and within a minute, more people started appearing in my puddle… and it became crowded. But whatever, I still had the best spot in the pond, with the warm water flowing down my back.

I didn’t move for the next 2 hours, and it was a time of pure laziness and relaxation, as it should be sometimes.

The water is 48 degrees regardless of the season. The thermal spring itself is rather a shallow river with mini-waterfalls and numerous smaller and larger pools. It stinks (sulfur), but who cares about a slight odour when you can laze around in a warm spring.

Is it worth spending a day in free thermal baths in Tuscany?

I don’t know whether  BagnoVignoni and Bagni San Fillipo are the best natural hot springs in Tuscany of course, but I liked them. If I had to choose only one, I would go for the second option, because it’s in the forest, and I’m not a huge fan of the sun. Both places though, are great if you want to see Tuscany off the beaten path and to have an alternative to running around the charming, but rather similar towns in Tuscany.

Reality Check: Practical Tips for Visiting Free Thermal Baths in Tuscany

• The free thermal baths in Tuscany are public places, but there is no infrastructure there, so don’t expect changing rooms etc.

• There are no lifeguards, and even though both bathing areas are shallow, it’s good to use common sense.

• The road to Bagno Vignoni is easy, but Bagni San Filippo is hilly. Comfortable sandals/shoes, not flip-flops, are a better choice.

• Bring a towel and sunscreen. While Bagni San Filippo is in the woods, Bagno Vignoni is like a grill, and it’s hard to find shade.

• And remember – thermal baths in Tuscany are usually crowded.

If this post made you laugh, made you angry, or simply reminded you of your own mishap, let me know in the comments or by email. I love reading about your experiences in similar places. And sign up for the newsletter – a new post once a week (usually Wednesdays at 6:00 PM). No spam, no “most beautiful Italy ever.” Only authentic events, small wonders, and off-the-beaten-path places. I’m waiting for you!