Thermal Spas in Portugal: The Best Termas to Visit

Portugal’s termas are spa towns built around mineral springs, and most of the 38 listed by the Termas de Portugal association lie inland, in the north and centre. Here are the best, with what each is known for and published prices.

Quick answer: for open-air hot pools, go to Chaves. For a palace spa, try Vidago Palace, or for a cheaper circuit nearby, Pedras Salgadas. For the classic cure, head to São Pedro do Sul near Viseu. Pair Luso with the Buçaco forest, or Gerês with the national park (May to October). Caldas da Rainha’s thermal hospital has been closed to treatments since August 2026.

What are termas?

A terma uses mineral water from its own spring, and each water is different: sulphurous at São Pedro do Sul and Gerês, naturally fizzy at Vidago and Pedras Salgadas, soft at Luso. Traditionally, a doctor examined you and prescribed a cura termal, a course of baths, showers, inhalations and measured glasses of water that often lasts 14 to 21 days. Most termas now also have a wellness side, with heated pools, saunas and massages that anyone can book.

The best termas by region

Chaves (Trás-os-Montes)

The Romans named the town Aquae Flaviae after springs that rise at about 76°C, according to the spa. Since 2025 the Termas de Chaves has had Aquae Salutem, an open-air complex with pools at 30 to 36°C, a sauna and a Turkish bath. When it opened, an hour in the pools cost about €16.50, or €22.50 with the sauna, so check current prices. It usually opens Monday to Saturday 9am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 7pm, plus Sunday mornings, for ages 14 and over (with an adult). See Chaves.

Vidago Palace

This palace hotel, opened in 1910, sits in a park of cold, naturally sparkling springs about 20 minutes south of Chaves. Its spa, designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, has indoor and vitality pools, a sauna, a hammam and medical water treatments. The price list online (the 2025 edition) charges non-guests €35 for two hours or €80 for a full day. The spa is for over-16s, but children may use the indoor pool from 10am to 5pm. Park entry costs non-guests €2.50, free with a spa booking.

Pedras Salgadas

A short drive south of Vidago, this wooded spa park has a historic bathhouse restored by Siza Vieira, plus eco-houses and treehouses. The spa menu lists a two-hour Relax Circuit (heated pool, sauna and Turkish bath) at €22.50 and a one-hour pool session for €10. Under-16s can only use the spa from 10am to 4pm. Check that non-guests can book on your day.

Stay the night: the eco-houses at Pedras Salgadas put you a short walk from the spa, with Vidago a short drive away. Check prices at Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park.

Termas do Gerês (Minho)

Inside the national park, water at about 45°C feeds a thermal bathhouse and a modern spa run by the Águas do Gerês hotel. The season runs from 1 May to 31 October, and in 2026 the village celebrated the start of the season in late April. Book a massage or treatment after a morning at the waterfalls. See Peneda-Gerês.

São Pedro do Sul (Viseu area)

Half an hour from Viseu on the Vouga river, this is one of Portugal’s best-known spa towns, open all year. Its sulphurous water rises at about 68°C and is used mainly for breathing and joint problems. Cures take place in the large D. Afonso Henriques building, while the older Rainha D. Amélia baths house the AQVA wellness area, with a jet pool, a sauna and a thermal vapour room. A special evening circuit in April 2026 cost €20, so ask for daytime prices.

Luso (near Coimbra)

At the foot of the Buçaco hills, about 30 km from Coimbra, Luso is best known for its bottled water. The spa offers medical treatments and the Acqua Sensations circuit, with an interactive pool, sauna, hammam and ice fountain. It opens all year but closes on Sundays outside July to September. Combine it with Buçaco Forest.

Unhais da Serra (Serra da Estrela)

On the southwest side of the Serra da Estrela, about 20 km from Covilhã, the H2otel’s Aquadome has heated indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, steam rooms and views up a glacial valley. The water, at about 36°C, is used all year, and wellness programmes are open to non-patients, but phone ahead about day access. Pair it with the Serra da Estrela.

Check first: Monchique, Caldas da Rainha and Monfortinho

Caldas de Monchique, the Algarve’s only thermal spa, is being renovated in stages until about 2027, including the spa. In Caldas da Rainha, the thermal hospital suspended treatments on 20 August 2026 after bacteria were found in the pipework. Monfortinho, near the Spanish border and known for skin treatments, still showed 2025 dates on its website in October 2026. Call before visiting any of them.

Termas compared

Spa	Region	Best for
Chaves	Trás-os-Montes	Open-air hot pools, Roman history
Vidago Palace	Trás-os-Montes	A luxury spa day
Pedras Salgadas	Trás-os-Montes	Families, a cheaper circuit
Gerês	Minho	Hiking plus a spa, May to October
São Pedro do Sul	Viseu area	The classic medical cure
Luso	Near Coimbra	Pairing with Buçaco Forest
Unhais da Serra	Serra da Estrela	Hot pools on a winter day
Caldas de Monchique	Algarve	A break from the beach (check first)

Roman baths and royal patients

In Chaves, a large Roman bath complex was uncovered during work on a planned car park and opened as a museum in December 2021. At São Pedro do Sul, the walls of 1st- and 2nd-century Roman baths stand beside the river, a National Monument since 1938. Tradition says King Afonso Henriques came here in 1169 to heal a broken leg, and Queen Amélia visited from 1894, which is why one bathhouse bears her name.

Drinking the water

Luso is a light still water, and locals fill bottles at the public spring. Pedras Salgadas and Vidago are naturally sparkling and rise cold, at about 17°C and 15°C. At the spas, drinking the water (hidropinia) is a treatment taken in set doses on a doctor’s advice, so sip rather than gulp. In Chaves you can usually taste the hot water at a public fountain. See is tap water safe in Portugal?

Tips for a spa visit

• Bring a swim cap and flip-flops: caps are compulsory in most thermal pools, and Vidago also requires slippers.
• Book ahead: treatments and timed sessions fill up at weekends and in August.
• A medical cure needs a check-up: classic treatments start with a consultation with the spa’s doctor.
• Check the season: Gerês opens only from May to October, and others cut their hours in winter, but most big spas stay open, a good plan for Portugal in winter.
• Health: hot water can lower blood pressure, so keep soaks short, and ask a doctor first if you are pregnant or have a heart condition. See Portugal for older travellers.

FAQ

Can you visit Portuguese termas without a prescription?

Yes. Pools, saunas and massages are open to anyone who books. Only a medical cure starts with a doctor’s consultation.

Which Portuguese spa has outdoor thermal pools?

Chaves, where the Aquae Salutem complex opened in 2025 with open-air pools at about 30 to 36°C. The H2otel at Unhais da Serra also has heated outdoor pools.

Are the termas open in winter?

Most of the big ones open all year, including Chaves, São Pedro do Sul, Luso, Vidago and Pedras Salgadas. Gerês only opens from May to October.

Where can you bathe in natural hot springs in Portugal?

Mainland termas pipe their water into pools and bathhouses. For natural open-air hot pools, go to São Miguel in the Azores. See the Azores hot springs.

More: Mateus Palace and Vila Real and Portugal’s hidden gems.

See also: the best spa hotels in Portugal, the Azores hot springs and the best road trips.

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