Hot springs and thermal waters of the Sibillini
The hot springs and thermal waters of the Sibillini are concentrated in two towns on the edges of the massif: Sarnano, in the Macerata area, and Acquasanta Terme, in the Ascoli area. The spa centers within or near the Sibillini area are the Terme di Acquasanta, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, and the Terme di Sarnano, in the province of Macerata. Sarnano has three different waters, used in a facility that also includes a spa and a residence, with opening periods to check before visiting. In Acquasanta Terme the water is sulfurous and is used both in the spa facility and at a free-access spring along the Tronto river called Lu Vurghe.
The two towns have very different histories. In Acquasanta the earliest records date back to Roman times: tradition has it that the consul Lucius Munatius Plancus was healed thanks to the baths. In Sarnano the spa tradition is more recent and tied to a chance discovery made in the 20th century.
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On the map
Points from the site database. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors · Protomaps.
Hot springs in the Sibillini: the map
The geography is simple: two hubs, one on each of the access sides of the Sibillini area.
Sarnano is a small town in the Marche hinterland, at the foot of the Sibillini Mountains, in the province of Macerata. The spa facility stands on a hill overlooking the historic center of Sarnano and the surrounding mountains. Directions and nearby hikes are on the page dedicated to the Terme di Sarnano.
Acquasanta Terme is in the province of Ascoli Piceno, along the Tronto river. The hamlet of Santa Maria, home to the free sulfur pools of Lu Vurghe, is about 20 minutes from Ascoli Piceno. For natural pools, the spa and treatments, see the page on the Terme di Acquasanta hot springs.
Hot springs in the Sibillini: the places not to miss
Terme di Sarnano. Sarnano's spa history begins in the late 1920s, during work on the bridge between Sarnano and Gualdo: the workers drank the water that flowed from two small caves and noticed its beneficial effects. After gaining ministerial recognition, the facility officially opened in 1933. Today it uses three waters: the low-mineral San Giacomo, the low-mineral calcium bicarbonate Tre Santi and the saline-sulfurous Terro. Terro and Tre Santi were certified as thermal waters in the 1980s.
San Giacomo water is used for hydropinotherapy (drinking cures), Terro for inhalation treatments. The treatments include inhalations, hydropinotherapy, balneotherapy, mud therapy and gynecological treatments, covered by Italy's National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale). The wellness circuit offers a Turkish bath, a Roman bath and sensory showers. The Idrolife is a thermal pool with Tre Santi water heated to between 34 and 36 °C.
The 2016 earthquake left its mark: after 83 years of operation the historic site was made unusable by the quake. Within a few months the three waters were brought to a new building. The spa was completely renovated in 2021; the spa and residence are not always open in the same periods as the treatment departments.
Terme di Acquasanta. The waters of Acquasanta Terme are classified as saline-sulfurous. A proper spa facility already existed in 1851, with bathing rooms, pools and rooms for inhaling the vapors. Today the facility is affiliated with the National Health Service and has an indoor pool with thermal water. The thermal departments offer mud therapy, baths, inhalation treatments, nasal showers and endotympanic insufflations.
One of the local springs gushes at the end of a series of caves: the water emerges at a constant temperature of 38.6 °C, 30 meters above the bed of the Tronto.
Lu Vurghe. This is a free-access thermal spring, with warm sulfur water at about 30 °C. Since the recent upgrade, visitors can soak in comfortable pools. The pools are made of stones and wooden panels, of different sizes and depths; small cascades form between the stones and act as a natural whirlpool. The river is right next to them: from the warmth of the pools you can switch to a plunge into the icy Tronto.
Hot springs in the Sibillini: tips for your visit
The two destinations call for different approaches. The facilities in Sarnano and Acquasanta Terme are organized structures: treatments, access and rates should be checked before setting out, directly with the facility. Anyone seeking treatments covered by the National Health Service should inquire directly with the facility.
At Lu Vurghe there are no tickets to pay. The place is very busy in summer: on summer weekends it is best to arrive early in the morning, before it fills up. The water has the typical smell of sulfur, which takes only a few minutes to get used to. The water temperature stays constant all year, so bathing is possible in every season. Still, it is wise to check the weather and the level of the Tronto river before going.
Sarnano lends itself to pairing with hiking. Nearby are the Valle dei Tre Santi, the Rio Terro valley, the Soffiano waterfall and the Via delle Cascate Perdute, a six-kilometer walk leading to the small pools at the foot of the waterfalls. Other destinations of the same kind are on the page on the Sibillini waterfalls. Those interested in water as part of the landscape can also see the page on springs in the Sibillini Mountains.