The Fonte del Bullicame is free, while the Terme dei Papi cost € 13 on weekdays. Here are the spas that we recommend in Viterbo, a few km from Rome, for a relaxing day outside the capital.
Let's dispel a myth: the spa they are not places suitable only for well-off gentlemen of a certain age, looking for a remedy for aching joints and more or less pronounced aches. A day at the spa it is a day of complete relaxation, to detoxify from everyday stress, to free the mind and body from the heaviest and most inevitable thoughts, which will return to peep out punctually the next day, however, finding us more regenerated and ready to face new challenges. Furthermore, we are not talking about wellness centers or spas, but about swimming pools with thermal waters, excellent for both families and couples and for groups of friends who want to spend a different day combining fun and relaxation with the naturally beneficial properties of thermal waters.
A Viterbo, a few kilometers from Rome, hyperthermal waters, that is, very hot and crystalline, spontaneously gush forth by sulphurous gases from the source of the Bullicame, born from a long fracture of the earth's crust. The waters, among the elements that compose them, are rich in magnesium salts, sulfur and calcium bicarbonate and give benefit to various areas and systems of our body.
Source of the Bullicame
The source of the Bullicame and the park connected to it are accessible Free subscription. The limestone pools formed by the erosion of the water constitute a free thermal park for all those seeking relaxation, without claiming to obtain wellness center services. The park, in fact, apart from the parking - free and unattended - and a natural lawn around the water basins, offers no additional service other than the natural properties of the waters themselves. Given the not excessive size and the completely free and free usability of the site, it is normal to find a bit of crowding especially on holidays and weekends, when families with children, campers and groups of people focus on the limestone edges of the pools.
Terme dei Papi
A few steps from the free thermal park of Bullicame, the same source feeds a huge monumental swimming pool, placed inside the thermal establishment of the Terme dei Papi. Owned by a large hotel where a large number of therapeutic treatments can be carried out with the waters and muds derived from these, it is also possible to enter only the pool area, to relax in the hot water, indulge in the shower spa or try the hot tub.
The entrance to the Baths of the Popes comes 13 euros on weekdays, while for the days before holidays and holidays 18 euros per person. If you want, you can also rent deck chairs or sun loungers, but you can spread your towel for free on a pleasant green lawn around the pool. Even on the busiest days, the environment is quiet and relaxed. In summer you can relax on the lawn or in the shade of the trees between one bath and another, while in winter the steaming pool becomes a suggestive refuge from the cold and pamper yourself under a blanket of crystalline water that gushes out at 58 degrees centigrade is even more relaxing.
Inside the pool area there is a refreshment point offering light sandwiches, cold pasta, fresh fruit salads with yogurt or ice cream, coffee creams and artisanal ice creams. All things that allow you to not strain your digestion too much and return to the water very soon after a nap or a chat lying on the lawn.
After 21:30 pm, on Saturday evening, thenight time which allows entry to the pool until XNUMX am. Already when the sun begins to set and the air begins to cool, the first fumes that come out of the water color the atmosphere of something magical and invite you to bathe and float in that pleasant and warm warmth. The more daring can remain seated in the shallow water near the mouths, from which boiling waterfalls gush out 58%. However, as you move away, the water becomes milder and while remaining warm, it is much more pleasant to stop there. And if you even want to take a short swim, which is not common in a hyperthermal pool, you can get to where the water reaches a height of 3 meters and a slightly cooler temperature.
After a bath of tranquility, the hot waterfall it will make you let go of any tension built up during your working days. Or more simply it will delight your skin and back, while chatting amiably with your partner or friends, sitting on the stone step. I confess that I would not have come anymore, but the space is not much and it is courtesy to leave the other swimmers waiting the opportunity to take advantage of the natural waterfall, perhaps to move to the hot tub.
Unfortunately, this pool is subject to charges, but they can enter it up to 5 or 6 people at the same time, so if you are a group of friends you will split the cost, which is 4 euros for 10 minutes of hydromassage. At first I thought they were few, but as soon as the tub became a bubbling and the force of the massage began to feel its pressure on the various parts of the body, I did nothing but enjoy the sensation that accompanied me for enough time. to make me feel satisfied and to make me want the warm and calm monumental pool again. Of course, if you want you can repeat the experience as many times as you like and given the required payment, the tub is not even very popular. The children, needless to say, have a lot of fun and it is also very romantic to have it only in two with the better half, maybe when the evening falls.
At the Terme dei Papi, changing rooms, showers and hairdryers are included in the entrance and are constantly cleaned by attendants who I found very kind and courteous, as well as the numerous lifeguards and assistants, always present by the pool.
Between free thermal park of the source of Bullicame and the Terme dei Papi, complete with services but for a fee, there is another possibility to enjoy the thermal waters in Viterbo: the Masse di San Sisto. Thermal area managed by the association "Le Masse di San Sisto", provides parking, showers and spaces for changing in a well-cleaned park and to use them you only need to pay the annual fee to the association which is around 30 euros and allows unlimited admissions all year round.
A few steps from Rome, from its history but also from its big city frenzy. Light years away from stress and centuries away from everyday worries. Warm and welcoming, but also fun and relaxing. Free or low-cost, the spas are waiting for you a different day, for everyone.
Alternatively there is always the Bagnaccio in Viterbo.
