We’ve all seen this place on instagram. Yep, I’m talking about the Saturnia hot springs in Italy. I remember it popping up on my feed about a year or so ago and I was immediately sucked in. I thought to myself, I HAVE to go see this place in person! Turns out getting there wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be, so I figured I’d make a quick guide on how to get to these magical hot springs!
How to get there
The Saturnia Hot Springs are located in a small town called Saturnia, Italy. Renting a car is probably the best way to get to the hot springs, as there is no train station located in Saturnia. Our first part of the trip was in Rome, so we drove and took the E-80 highway out of Rome and drove for about an hour before switching onto the SP105 highway for another 50 min. If you do prefer to train, the closest train station is in Albinia, where you’ll then have to make multiple transfers between buses to get into the town, no matter where you’re starting your journey.
I won’t lie, we really did not want to drive in Italy, and almost decided to skip over this destination, but I’m so so glad we didn’t! We were only going to spend about 2 hours there and then drive further north into Tuscany for some wine tasting, but decided to skip out on the wine tasting just so we could spend some more time at the hot springs.
I also want to be real and mention that this place isn’t as glamorous as Instagram makes it out to be. Because of it’s popularity, you’ll more often than not find the hot springs super crowded, even at 6 in the morning when we went! Not only is it a hotspot for locals, you’ll find tons of other tourists coming to check out the hot springs for themselves. You may also find reviews on travel sites stating that there are small red worms in the water, which is true, but they’re completely harmless and no more than 1 cm long, IF that. I mean you’re going to a natural hot spring, of course you’re going to encounter a little nature!
Please don’t let any of that deter you from coming out here! This place is so magical and I often think back on it as one of my favorite memories of my Italy trip.
Where to Stay
We did a farm stay via Airbnb at a place called Agriturismo la Meria, which was about a 16 min drive from the hot springs. While this place was definitely rustic, you really can’t beat the price of 35 dollars (during off season) a night if your’e on a budget! During peak season in the summer it’s about 64 dollars, which is still a steal! There is a complementary shuttle offered to and from the hot springs, but since we wanted to beat the crowd and headed out early in the morning, we drove ourselves since the shuttle didn’t start until later in the day. And I mean look at this view!
A breakfast buffet is included in the price of the stay, and it’s an extra 20 euro for 3 course dinner (antipasto, pasta, protein, and dessert) wine included! This was one of the best meals I had on my trip to Italy, The owner Luca is also super friendly and helpful.
There are of course hotels and spas that are closer to the hot springs, such as Terme di Saturnia Spa & Gold Resort, which is literally right next to the hot springs, but this was way too expensive for us as we wanted to splurge on other parts of our Italy trip.
What to Bring
Definitely bring a towel and a change of clothes for the ride back! There are no changing stalls or showers at the hot springs, so I would definitely recommend heading back to your hotel for a shower if you have other destinations for that day. This is a natural hot spring and you will smell like sulfur after soaking in it for a bit
We went in the winter so the warm water was a wonderful relief and welcome from the chilly air, but if you’re visiting in the summer make sure you bring enough water and sunscreen to stay hydrated and protected!
Where to Park
There is a parking lot right next to the hot springs that is free, simply follow the signs. Wireless connection and even the GPS that comes with the rental can be spotty, so I would recommend screen shotting directions to and from the hot springs just in case. However, most roads in Saturnia and Tuscany in general are well marked, and we simply followed the sign for Terme di Saturnia all the way down and it led us to the parking lot.
When to Visit
The Saturnia hot springs are open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, so you can come any time! If you’re looking to get a good photo, I would say sunrise would be the best time to come, as the springs can get very busy later in the day. There is currently no admission fee so this is free for everyone to visit!