There are so many incredible hot springs in the world and each is so unique. Some are located in remote mountains while others have healing mineral qualities and some are just picture perfect.
While we haven’t been to every hot spring in the world (and there are plenty still on our bucket list), these are 10 of our favorites that are sure to bring out the wanderlust in anyone.
Here are 10 of the best, most stunning hot springs in the world:
- Grutas Tolantongo – Mexico
- Fuentes Georginas – Guatemala
- Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool – Iceland
- Umpqua Hot Springs – USA
- Hierve El Agua – Mexico
- Termales Santa Rosa De Cabal – Colombia
- Landbrotalaug – Iceland
- Chochołowska Baths – Poland
- Termas de la Virgen – Baños, Ecuador
- Remington Hot Springs – USA
Have you been to any of these hot springs? Let us know in the comments below!
Grutas Tolantongo – Mexico
Ever since I saw a photo of Grutas Tolantongo hot spring on Pinterest, I had DREAMED of visiting it. A couple of years ago my dream finally came true and during our 6 months long trip in Mexico we made it out to visit these gorgeous hot springs.
Grutas Tolantongo is THE best, most beautiful hot springs that I have ever been to. Nestled in the midst of Mexico’s lush jungle Grutas Tolantongo hot springs is like a piece of paradise on Earth.
Grutas Tolantongo hot spring is very remote and getting to it isn’t exactly easy. The closest major city to Grutas Tolantono is Mexico City that’s located around 5 hours south. This deters most international travelers from going there but anyone that does never regrets the extra effort to visit this location.
When we arrived at Grutast Tolantongo, it was just as I imagined. Hanging off a cliffside, these stunning blue pools called “Las Pozas” were surrounded by the jungle and overlooked mountains in the distance.
Along with these turquoise pools, Grutas Tolantongo resort also features a heated river, waterfalls, and even hot caves filled with unique rock formations.
Grutas Tolantongo hot springs resort is quite large and we spent a few days here relaxing and exploring various parts of it. It’s a long way to get there so you might as well set aside plenty of time to enjoy it. If you plan to stay overnight, there are camping sites and a hotel available on the property.
Cost: 150 Mexican Pesos ($6 USD) per day
Location: San Cristóbal S/N, Ejido San cristobal, 42375 Cardonal, Hgo., Mexico
Fuentes Georginas – Guatemala
Guatemala is known for volcano hikes and colorful colonial towns, but it also has its own hidden hot springs.
Fuentes Georginas hot springs is located 40 minutes outside of Quetzaltenango City, just west of Lake Atitlan.
Although Fuentes Georgina’s hot spring is popular between locals, not many international travelers know about it. If you enjoy finding hidden gems while traveling, you will LOVE this place. Located relatively close to a major city its well worth an adventurous trip to soak into these beautiful jungle hot springs.
We had our personal car with us so we drove to Fuentes Georginas ourselves but you can also arrange public transportation to get there from Quetzaltenango.
The drive to Fuentes Georginas is very scenic and passes beautiful farmlands in remote Guatemala mountains.
We arrived at Fuentes Georginas right before the sunset and we enjoyed a quick dip before the nightfall. The scenery was so moody and beautiful that we just couldn’t get enough of it.
We left immersed in the dense Central America jungle and we could hear howler monkeys in the distance as we swam in these stunning hot springs.
Most people visit Fuentes Georginas as a day trip but we decided to stay the night and return for a long soak in the morning. While we just slept in our campervan, there is an on-property hotel as an option.
Cost: 60 Quetzal ($8 USD)
Location: Zunil, Guatemala
Read Next: 8 Epic Places To Visit In Guatemala
Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool – Iceland
Located along the Ring Road drive, Seljavallalaug swimming pool is one of our Iceland favorites and for a good reason.
Hidden in the wilderness and surrounded by mountains on all sides of it, Seljavallalaug hot springs is very picturesque (and free!). Plus it’s the oldest swimming pool in Iceland so over the years it’s become quite iconic.
Seljavallalaug hot spring is located in the southern part of Iceland. After parking in the designated lot, a short 20-minute hike leads to this pool.
Seljavallalaug hot spring is very popular so if you plan to visit it, try to go early to avoid the crowds. We hung out at this location for about 2 hours and at some portions, we were the only people there, but at other times we shared it with 20+ people.
I really loved visiting Seljavallalaug hot springs and it’s the perfect location for beautiful photos but note that the water at this pool is lukewarm and overall this location was pretty dirty.
Seljavallalaug hot spring is free and open to anyone so it’s up to visitors to keep it clean, which unfortunately doesn’t always happen. The pool house was tagged with graffiti and there was trash and forgotten clothes laying around the pool.
Following the “Leave No Trace” initiative we can all do our part to protect outdoor places like this and to leave them better than we found them.
Cost: Free
Location: Skogar, Vik and Myrdalsjokull, Iceland
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Umpqua Hot Springs – USA
Umpqua Hot Springs is one of the best natural hot springs in the United States. Nestled within the Umpqua National Forest in Oregon, this hot spring offers remarkable views all around it.
Just 4 hours south from Portland, Umpqua Hot Springs is a favorite for PNW residents. While it used to be a hidden location, in recent years Umpqua Hot Springs has gained quite the popularity.
Umpqua Hot Springs is located in the middle of the wilderness next to a river. There is a designated parking lot that costs $5 to park at and a short 0.3-mile trail that leads to this hot springs.
Umpqua Hot Springs is accessible most of the year but occasionally the main road leading there does get closed off especially after heavy snowfall in the winter. In that case, you can park a mile up from the gate and hike that extra mile in.
We’ve done it ourselves and we prefer to come here in the winter because it’s less crowded and you might even be the only person at Umpqua Hot Springs. Plus the scenery in the winter with fresh snowfall just looks magical.
Umpqua Hot Springs is natural and there are multiple pools at this location with varying temperatures and sizes. A man-made wooden hut covers one of the pools which is great for those rainy PNW days.
Since it’s located in the wilderness, Umpqua Hot Springs is “clothing optional” so it may not be the best option if you’re looking for kid-friendly hot springs.
Cost: $5 (in cash) to park at the trailhead
Location: NF-3401, Idleyld Park, OR 97447
Read Next: 10 Reasons To Skip Iceland & Head To Oregon Instead
Hierve El Agua – Mexico
Hierve El Agua is a collection of incredible hot springs and unique rock formations near Oaxaca city in Mexico.
Hierve El Agua is one of the biggest attractions in southern Mexico and is easily accessible from Oaxaca so you can typically expect it to be pretty crowded – unless you arrive early or stay late.
I’ve never seen anything like Hierve El Agua before. The landscape at this location consists of natural rock formations, bare trees, and even a petrified waterfall.
Hierve El Agua just looks otherworldly especially if you stay for sunset and watch the entire area light up in colorful hues of purples and pinks.
Along with the unique scenery, there are a couple of hot springs at the Hierve El Agua location. One of the hot springs pools is round and features a tree that stands out against the mountain landscape.
The second pool overlooks the valley in the distance – both equally beautiful in their own way.
After visiting the Hierve El Agua hot springs you can also take a little side trail to see the petrified waterfall up close – one of the only two petrified waterfalls in the world.
We were lucky enough to experience both sunset AND sunrise at this location and it was definitely a highlight of our Mexico trip.
Cost: 25 Pesos ($1 USD)
Location: Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico
Termales Santa Rosa De Cabal – Colombia
Termales Santa Rosa De Cabal is one of the best places in Colombia to relax in beautiful scenery and just enjoy life.
We visited Santa Rosa De Cabal hot springs after exploring Valle De Cocora and the Salento coffee region and it was such a treat!
We spent an entire afternoon soaking at the Santa Rosa De Cabal hot springs and recharging after months of traveling through Central and South America.
Pssst! Read This Next: 20 Of The Most Beautiful Places In South America
Termales Santa Rosa De Cabal is a natural hot spring but this location offers a lot of amenities like food, drinks, pools, showers, and nearby hotels.
Despite that it’s one of the biggest attractions in the region and draws crowds from all over, the facilities at Termales Santa Rosa De Cabal thermal spa are clean and well taken care of.
The location and setting here is just beautiful. The backdrop of this hot springs resort is a fan-shaped waterfall that turns into a river and flows through the entire property. Along with scenic bridges, there are lots of walking paths for visitors to enjoy.
There are multiple thermal pools at the Santa Rosa Spa so guests have plenty of space to relax and rejuvenate.
This hot springs is also very family friendly and the kiddos even have their own designated pool.
Cost: 25,000 Colombian Pesos ($7 USD)
Location: Cra. 17a #83-23, Pereira, Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda, Colombia
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Landbrotalaug – Iceland
Landbrotalaug is a charming hidden hot spring in Iceland about 2 hours north of Reykjavík. We stopped at Landbrotalaug hot springs to rejuvenate after a week-long campervan trip around the Ring Road drive in Iceland.
This hot springs is located in the middle of nowhere and can be a bit difficult to find (Google location is linked below).
Landbrotalaug consists of two hot springs. My favorite was the smaller pool that fits only 1-2 people. With the mountains and river as its backdrop, it felt pretty surreal to soak in this outdoor hot springs.
But the water in this small pool was a bit murky and other people were waiting for their turn so we didn’t hang out in this pool for too long.
Landbrotalaug also has a second pool that is located just a short walk away and is much bigger. A large pipe constantly supplies hot mineral water into this pool so the water is constantly changing but this pool is a lot more shallow.
If you plan to visit Landbrotalaug hot springs make sure to come wearing your bathing suit, bring a towel, and pair of sandals for walking. This is a wild hot spring so there is no place to change or put your things except the ground.
Cost: Free
Location: Landbrotalaug Hot Springs, Iceland
Chochołowska Baths – Poland
Chochołowska Baths is one of the best hot spring resorts in the world but most people have never heard of it before because it’s located in a remote part of Poland called Malopolska. If you plan to visit Poland, this incredible thermal spa is a must!
Located less than two hours south of Krakow, Chochołowska Baths is one of the biggest attractions in Poland. This hot springs resort offers lots of different options from saunas to steam rooms, hot tubs, slides, healing rooms, and an “adults only” area.
Here visitors can lounge and relax at the outdoor pool or head inside to enjoy a more family friendly atmosphere.
We mostly hung out at the outdoors pool that overlooks the Tatra mountains in the distance which felt very picturesque and relaxing.
The only downside of this spa is that it gets very crowded especially on the weekends. If you plan to visit Chochołowska Baths, try to arrive early and set aside a few hours to explore the various areas and pools that this thermal spa has to offer.
Cost: Book your Chochołowska Baths ticket here
Location: Chocholów 400, 34-513 Chochołów, Poland
Termas de la Virgen – Baños, Ecuador
Termas de la Virgen is a local bathing spot that we came across while exploring Baños city in Ecuador. Baños is known for mineral-rich hot springs that are the result of the nearby active volcanoes. Baños literal translation in Spanish means “bath” so we couldn’t leave Baños before visiting a local hot spring.
We visited a couple of hot springs in the area but one that stood out the most was Termas de la Virgen. There are actually two hot springs in Baños city called “Termas De La Virgen” and we went to the one that’s located next to a waterfall.
The setting of Termas de la Virgen was really beautiful and we had a great time relaxing at these hot springs, but these thermal baths do look a bit outdated and the water had a yellow-ish color from the natural minerals. Despite the color tone, Termas de la Virgen hot springs are clean and visitors are even required to wear a swimming cap and shower before entering.
The hot volcanic water felt very therapeutic and we enjoyed spending a few hours here hanging out with the locals.
Cost: $2-$3 USD
Location: Montalvo, Baños de Agua Santa, Ecuador
Remington Hot Springs – USA
Remington Hot Springs is one of our local USA favorites. Remington Hot Spring is a hidden treasure in the Sequoia National Forest and features multiple pools – some natural and some man-made.
Located in Central California just 15 minutes west of Lake Isabella, this hot spring is little known but is a favorite for those who have visited it.
We love coming to relax at Remington hot springs and it feels like a hidden wilderness gem yet it’s located so close to major cities like Bakersfield and Los Angeles.
Remington hot spring is best visited in summer and early fall when water levels in the Kern river are lower and don’t overflow into the pools.
Although Remington hot spring is secluded, we recommend coming here early. It’s quite the popular hang out spot for locals and is clothing optional.
Cost: Free
Location: Kern Canyon Rd, Caliente, CA 93518
We hope you enjoyed this post and found a few new hot springs to add to your bucket list! Before you go, here are a few of our other popular posts that you may like:
- 20 Of The Most Beautiful Places In South America
- 10 Unbelievable Places To Visit In Central America
- 15 Incredible Things To See & Do In Colombia
- 10 Unique Places To Visit In Mexico You Didn’t Know Existed
- 10 Reasons To Skip Iceland And Head To Oregon Instead
Interested in how I capture photos on my trips? Here is my suggested camera gear that I use to create my images:
- Main camera: Sony a7II Camera With 28-70 mm Standard Lens
- Polarizer Filter for the standard lens (helps eliminate reflection and enhance color especially on super bright days): Amazon Basics 55 mm
- Wide Lens (great for nature shots): Sony 16-35 mm F4
- Polarizer Filter for the wide lens: Amazon Basics 72 mm
- Small Tripod (to stabilize photos and eliminate blur): JOBY Gorrilapod
- Memory Cards: SanDisk 32 GB
- Batteries: Sony Camera Charger Set
- Camera Bag: Lowepro weather-resistant bag
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Hierve El Agua is a magical place…but the water is not hot. It is CO2 gas that makes the water look like it is boiling.