There is a place in Spain – in northern Spain to be more exact. The Roman hot springs. This place is old and to this day, it’s pretty much a hidden secret that the locals in the area are proud of. During a visit to the Parque Cerdeira in northern Portugal, our host José took us to this place and I fell in love as soon as I laid my eyes on it. This place is too good to keep to ourselves! We hope you get to enjoy it as much as we did!

Roman hot spring in nature with healing powers

Porto Quintella lies within the municipality of Bande. In Orense. Driving on the street, it’s easy to miss the sign that takes you to this magical place. There is really no other way to explain this place. The history of this place is super old. It goes all the way back to Roman times. This is a place where the Romans built their road. You can read more about the Roman road in our article about the national park.

When they were working on their road for more than 2 000 years ago (I know it’s crazy). In 1985 the first two baths were discovered. The Romans had found that there were thermal springs here and they ended up creating pools for healing and recreation here. And then the baths were left and forgotten for decades until they were finally discovered again.

The water is Hot and has healing powers

It’s said that the water in the pools keeps a temperature between 36 and 48 degrees Celsius. We can confirm that it’s not true today. Maybe the water was that hot several years ago but today the warmest pool keeps about 40 degrees Celsius. In total there are five different pools here and the temperature is different in each of the pools. One of them has cold water and doesn’t feel heated at all.

It is said that the water has beneficial properties against rheumatism and skin diseases. The water is exchanged due to the natural flow of the water. If you come here in the morning – the water is clean and clear. During the day when there are more visitors bathing, the water sometimes gets a bit muddy but it’s still nice and relaxing. Some pools have a sandy bottom and others have rocks laid by the Romans.

A place of relaxation and tranquility

Open plains and nature and hot pools, all in one – what more could you ask for? This place is one of the few in the world where you can take a free thermal bath in mineral water with medicinal properties. Day and night, in wells, pools, and open baths under the sky. The Roman hot springs are free to visit and are open to the public all year round. Sometimes this place gets crowded and sometimes you might have it all to yourself.

I believe that each visitor soon finds their own favorite pool. Some like it a bit cooler and prefer the pools with colder water. My personal favorite was the pool with the warmest water. It was about 40 degrees Celsius. However, the pool with the Roman hot tubs was the one that looked like it was from Roman times. We are pretty sure that you all will enjoy this place if you come here.

Also check out a relaxing place in poland that offers thermal baths!

Defenitly a bucket list experience

Like I mentioned before, we were introduced to this place by José. He took us here and we ended up spending about half an hour in the hot springs. For me, this was such a special moment. The weather forecast for the coming days was rain, rain, and even more rain. So, while we were waiting out the rain in Braga, we decided to come back here and enjoy the hot springs for another day or two.

This time, we drove all the way down with our motorhome and spent two more days here – shifting between work and bathing in the hot water. We also met a super nice family from Belgium that were traveling with their Jeeps. It’s moments like these that make our life and way of living so special. For us this place is a given on a bucket list – magical is the first word that comes to mind!

Best time to visit the Roman Hot Springs

You can come here all year round. However, the best time to visit is during the winter since the water is warm and the temperature in the air is colder. The more cold the temperature, the better we would say. After spending some time in the water, you’ll get warm either way. If the temperature in the air is hot it will be too warm to go down in the hot springs.

Even the water that is colder in some of the pools, is still too warm to bathe in during summer. Since it is open 24 hours a day – a lot of people come here in the evening and go skinny dipping. To each their own. We kept our swimming clothes on while we were in the Roman hot springs.

How to get to the Roman Hot springs with a motorhome

You can drive down to the parking lot of the hot springs with a motorhome. Be prepared to meet several other motorhomes while being here. If you want a less muddy place to park at, there’s a motorhome parking/service area just a couple of hundred meters from the Roman hot springs. Here, you can empty and fill up with water (non-portable) and empty your tanks.

We tried both places and our favorite was by the hot springs. A third option is to have a trip here arranged if you are staying at Parque Cerdeira. All of them are great options! Be aware that the biggest motorhomes might not fit at the parking space right by the hot springs. When it is time to leave this place you can go North and visit the Cathedral beach or South to the Parque Cerdeira and Portugal.