Terme di Acquasanta hot springs: natural pools and spa

Where the Terme di Acquasanta hot springs are located

The Terme di Acquasanta are in Acquasanta Terme, in the upper Tronto river valley, between the Sibillini Mountains to the north and the Monti della Laga to the south. After that of Ascoli Piceno, the municipal territory is the largest in the province. It is largely mountainous and has many hamlets.

The spa facility, the historic pool and the sweating cave are in the main town. Here the water, sulfurous, saline and sulfate, gushes at the end of a series of caves, about 30 meters above the bed of the Tronto and 30 meters below road level. The first cave receives the water straight from the spring and was once used as a pool. Farther in is the sweating cave, used for treatments because of its high temperature. Pool and cave are part of an Art Nouveau (Liberty style) building, which is also being restored. A footpath links them to the historic center. The approved project includes securing the walls damaged by the earthquake and relaying the travertine paving.

Lu Vurghe, on the other hand, is in the hamlet of Santa Maria, along the Tronto, near the ancient Via Salaria. The Santa Maria springs and those of the main town are about a kilometer apart. Santa Maria also preserves the remains of the Roman baths, with a cistern and traces of the pools. Those baths were destroyed in the barbarian era and then rebuilt where Acquasanta stands today.

How to get to the Terme di Acquasanta

By car, Acquasanta Terme is reached on the Strada statale 4, the ancient Via Salaria. Today it is a single-carriageway road, but largely a fast route. In one direction it leads to Rome, Rieti and Amatrice, in the other to Ascoli Piceno and the Adriatic coast. Lu Vurghe is about 20 kilometers from Ascoli Piceno, around twenty minutes by car.

For the spa facility and the cave area, drive on to the main town. For Lu Vurghe, stop earlier: coming from Ascoli Piceno, the hamlet of Santa Maria comes before Acquasanta. The pools are signposted and appear on online maps as "Sorgenti sulfuree de Lu Vurghe."

Cars are left in Santa Maria. Next to the headquarters of the ASA Speleoclub, in the former municipal slaughterhouse, a lane leads to the start of the trail, but along its edge there is room for only four or five cars. On busy days it is better to park earlier, in the village, along the main road.

Trails and walks at the Terme di Acquasanta

The trail to Lu Vurghe is short and easy, but suitable footwear is needed. It starts in Santa Maria, near the ASA Speleoclub headquarters, where a wooden sign reads 400 meters. The route heads steadily down toward the river: first on a paved road, then on a path through the vegetation. The last stretch is steeper and has steps, wooden stairs and ropes acting as handrails. On foot it takes 10-15 minutes. The ground can be damp and slippery, so hiking shoes are recommended. The trail is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs. The return follows the same route uphill.

At the bottom is a small gravel beach on the Tronto. The sulfur water emerges among the rocks at about 30 °C and collects in pools made of stones and wooden boards. Small cascades act as a natural whirlpool, while the cold water of the river flows alongside. The area was set up in the summer of 2019 by the Idrea cooperative with the ASA Speleoclub, which restored an old path. The smell of sulfur is strong. A mud settles among the stones, which some people use for packs. The area is open access: trash must be carried out, and the dumpsters are at the start of the trail.

In 2024 a path along the Tronto was opened linking Lu Vurghe to the Pacca della vecchia, the open-air natural pool near the sweating cave. The mayor calls it the "thermal loop." Together with the path, a picnic area with benches and barbecues was opened.

For longer walks there are the mountains around Acquasanta, reachable on foot, and many trails also suitable for mountain biking. Acquasanta is also a stage of the Grande Anello dei Borghi Ascolani (GABA), the fifth.

When to go to the Terme di Acquasanta hot springs

The Terme di Acquasanta can be visited all year, but not everything is always open. The spa facility opens only in season, from May to November, and in summer 2025 it was operating: several towns on the Piceno coast organized transport for residents taking the treatments. Treatments covered by the National Health Service require a doctor's prescription, and a medical check is done on arrival. Under the National Health Service patients are entitled to one treatment cycle per year, lasting 12 days.

Lu Vurghe is a free open-air spring, so it is accessible at any time of year. In summer, especially on weekends, the pools fill up: it is best to arrive early in the morning. In fall and winter there are fewer people and parking is easier. The water is around 30 °C, so on cool or windy days it feels cold when getting out. Before heading down to the river it is wise to check the weather: in the rain the trail becomes more slippery.

For the historic pool and the sweating cave there is still a wait: work is under way and reopening is planned for 2027. Once reopened, the complex will be open from May to November.

What to see near the Terme di Acquasanta

Around the baths, between the main town and the hamlets, there are many places of interest. In Santa Maria, near Lu Vurghe, are the remains of the Roman baths. In 1883, in the locality now called S. Maria di Acquasanta Terme, a terracotta jar holding about 275 Roman denarii was found by chance.

In the main town is the 13th-century church of San Giovanni, with an altarpiece by Cola dell'Amatrice. There is also the 14th-century church of the Maddalena. Along the Salaria, over the Garrafo stream, stands the Roman bridge, to which arches were added in the 19th century. Among the hamlets are Castel di Luco, a medieval fortress with an elliptical base, and the 13th-century church of San Lorenzo in Paggese, with a triptych by Pietro Alemanno. In Valledacqua is the Farfa abbey-monastery of San Benedetto, from the 10th century, with remains of frescoes. For nature there are the Cascate di Forcella waterfalls and the woods of centuries-old chestnut trees at Umito. At Centrale are the travertine quarries, the stone from which the historic centers of the area are built, starting with Ascoli Piceno.

Acquasanta Terme is among the municipalities hardest hit by the 2016 earthquake: before setting out, check whether individual monuments are accessible. The other springs in the area are on the page on hot springs in the Sibillini. On the Macerata side, by contrast, are the Terme di Sarnano.