Hot Springs are not only cool to see in action, but the healing properties of the water are getting lots of attention in the natural healing circles. Taking a dip in the mineral-rich experience is the therapeutic joy of indulging in nature’s spa. There are hot springs on every continent and in almost every country. If you’ve never visited one, here are 6 Hot Springs worth the trip:

 

 

1. Hot Springs, Arkansas

With a name like Hot Springs, this little area in Arkansas has a lot to live up to. I’ve traveled the world and one of my most memorable stops visiting natural hot springs was right here in the United States. The smallest and oldest National Park, Hot Springs, Arkansas has 47 naturally flowing springs that are protected to feed thermal baths and spas in the area. When you visit, be sure to check out Bathhouse Row and plan some time to indulge in the healing springs.

2. Pong Dueat Hot Springs – (Mae Hong Son, Thailand)

This Hot Spring in Mae Hong Son, Thailand (a short drive from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand) is one of the most impressive I have witnessed. Most Hot Springs consist of pools of hot water (many suitable for swimming), but the Pong Dueat is unique because of its geysers that shoot 6 – 13 feet in the air and water temperatures measuring up to 210°F. The spring is hot enough to boil an egg; in fact, you can even opt to do so through the facility that curates the grounds. Don’t be surprised if monks join you as you enjoy this peaceful, meditative spot.

3. Blue Lagoon – (Grindavik, Iceland)

While the famous waters of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon are designed to provide electricity to the country’s residents, the geothermal spa-like properties have given it dual-purpose. The 1.6 million gallon pool, just outside the capital of Reykjavik, reaches temperatures of 99°F – 102°F. Surrounded by volcanic rock, electric green moss and constant steam from the water, the Blue Lagoon experience is almost mystical. A soak in the lagoon, with its high amount of exfoliating silica and properties to reduce inflammation and produce collagen make it a popular tourist spot and spa.

4.Springs in Bath, England

The name might provide some truth to the speculation that the hot springs in Bath, England date back to 8,000 B.C. The Romans kicked off the idea of thermal baths and constructed some of the earliest “bath” sites that remain today in their most primitive form. The Thermae Bath Spa is a complex of historic bath sites said to be sourced by ancient rainwater that has traveled for thousands of years through the region’s limestone. The waters contain 42 natural minerals including sulphate, silica, iron and calcium which have skin-healing properties.

5. Pamukkale Hot Springs (Denizli, Turkey)

The view of cascading white terraces of the Pamukkale hot springs is breathtaking. Literally translated to mean “Cotton Castle,” Pamukkale is known as the Sacred Pool because of the 2,000-year-old Greek and Roman artifacts that decorate the floor below the water. The spring-fed pools are no longer open to visitors for soaking, but the scenery is worth the stop.

6. Chena Hot Springs (Fairbanks, Alaska)

There’s nothing cooler than soaking in 106°F hot springs and looking up at the aurora borealis in the night sky above you. This majestic hot springs soak is part of the 105-year-old Chena Hot Springs Resort in Fairbanks, Alaska. The sulfur springs that fill Rock Lake provide a peaceful and memorable soak, especially if you visit from September to March when the northern lights are most visible.