10 Best Sights in Italy

Viterbo has been a spa town for centuries, and this excellent complex just a few miles outside the town walls continues the tradition, providing health and beauty treatments with an Etruscan twist: try a facial with local volcanic mud or a steam bath in an ancient cave. The main draw, however, is the 21,000-square-foot outdoor limestone pool, into which Viterbo's famous 59°C (138°F) mineral water pours—and gives a jolt with its sulfurous odor.

You can rent floats and deck chairs, but you'll need your own bathrobe and towel unless you're staying the night at the spa hotel. Day passes tend to sell out but can be booked online up to five days ahead of your visit.

A very popular hot-springs spa town about 12 km (7 miles) southwest of Padua, Abano Terme lies at the foot of the Euganean Hills among hand-tilled vineyards. If a bit of pampering sounds better than traipsing through yet another church or castle, indulge yourself with a soak, a massage, or mud treatments, which are especially recommended for joint aches. A good-value weekday pass (€45) is available at Hotel Antiche Terme Ariston Molino Buja for access to their thermal pools ( aristonmolino.it).

For the ultimate Ischian spa escape, try the stylishly landscaped park of Giardini Negombo. Designed around a beach of the finest sand, by the scenic Bay of San Montano, it was created decades ago by Duke Luigi Camerini, a passionate botanist (who named his resort in honor of its resemblance to a bay in Sri Lanka). There are 12 saltwater or thermal pools here, plus facilities for hydromassage, a beauty center with sauna and Turkish bath, sports facilities for diving and windsurfing, a bar, restaurant, and, according to the brochure, "a boutique for irresponsible purchases." All this is set in gardens with 500 species of Mediterranean plants and several panoramic views. Everything here—modern stone waterfalls, elegant poolside tables with thatched-leaf umbrellas, sensitive landscaping—is in the finest taste. At night, the outdoor arena often hosts big-name concerts. The Hotel della Baia ($$) is also on-site.

The largest spa on the island has the added boon of a natural sauna hollowed out of the rocks. Here you can sit like a Roman senator on stone chairs recessed in the rock and let the hot water cascade over you. With countless thermally regulated pools, promenades, and steam pools, plus lots of kitschy toga-clad statues of the Caesars, Poseidon exerts a special pull on tourists, many of them grandparents shepherding grandchildren. On certain days, the place is overrun with people, so be prepared for crowds and wailing babies.

At this spa town about 13 km (8 miles) southwest of Padua, you can luxuriate in thermal mineral pools. Montegrotto Terme has several hotels whose treatments vary from simple massage and thermal and mud baths to hydrokinetic therapy. Scuba enthusiasts head here for the world's deepest indoor pool, Y-40 Deep Joy. The verdant hills of the nearby Parco dei Colli Euganei provide opportunities for walking, cycling, and other outdoor pursuits. The nearest railway stop, on the Bologna–Padua line, is Terme Euganee–Montegrotto. Taxis are available outside the station.

Bagno Vignoni's main hot-spring pool is inside the luxury Posta Marcucci Spa hotel. Non-hotel guests can swim in the three outdoor pools, which range in temperature from 38°C (100°F) to 28°C (82°F), and can use the sun beds and umbrellas in the garden. Slippers and bathing caps are compulsory and can be purchased at the ticket desk. Entry is more expensive on the weekends.

From the port of Levante, walk five minutes in the direction of Porto di Ponente, past the stone tinged yellow with sulfur that radiates constant heat. Or really just follow your nose as the natural hot springs of Vulcano have a very distinctive odor. Once you arrive at this little stretch of beach, you'll notice the water gurgling in pockets at the edges, creating natural rock-enclosed hot tubs. Even though the official fanghi (mud baths) have been closed for the last few years, you can still experience the warmth of the water coming from the hot springs at the nearby beaches.

This spa has two buildings with a large park in the middle and three types of water: Acqua Santa, Acqua Fucoli, and Acqua Sillene. Mud baths and other health or beauty treatments are available. The all-important mineral water is served at long counters, where the staff is always ready to refill your glass. Be warned: The water can have a cleansing effect on your system that may come on suddenly.

The swimming pools and treatments at Terme di Saturnia spa and resort are open to the public. You might make an appointment for a thermal mud therapy or rent a lounge chair and umbrella to sit by the pools. On weekends, the day price jumps a wee bit.

The waters here are said to help with kidney and urinary-tract ailments and all manner of digestive disorders; there are bocce courts and a pretty park to stroll in while you sip. On summer afternoons you can dance to live orchestra music in the park.