Plunge Into The World’s Most Magical Waters Designed For Thermal Cure

The wellness-first travellers have arrived. They understand that landscapes that go from mist-laced forests and wind-brushed coastlines to high alpine ridges shape the rhythms of our bodies and minds in measurable ways. In Japan, hot springs have long been revered as gifts from nature, healing bodies and calming minds for centuries. Forests rich in phytoncides—the aromatic compounds released by trees—support immune function and reduce stress. Ocean environments, infused with negative ions, can elevate mood and improve respiratory health, while freshwater lagoons soothe the nervous system through gentle visual and auditory cues. Wellness retreats rooted in their natural environments offer more than rituals. We are talking about the future of thermal cures that move beyond communal pools to private, design-led experiences drawn from geothermal waters and volcanic terrain. Carved into them are retreats, shaped by its ancient spring and the land that surrounds it; where architecture, materiality and the healing terrain work together to recalibrate the nervous system. This shift is no passing trend. Travellers are no longer choosing destinations alone; they are seeking bespoke thermal experiences centred on longevity, recovery, movement, sleep, and mental wellbeing.

This DP Guide explores the future of thermal bathing, spotlighting private, design-forward sanctuaries set within extraordinary landscapes that redefine how we experience heat, water, and healing.

Also read: Amangati, The First Ultra-Luxury Yacht Of Aman Is Set to Sail In The Spring of 2027

1. Beniya Mukayu, Japan – Redirects The Healing Hot Springs Of The Sacred Mountains

What is Japan without its onsen experience? Soaking in mineral-rich waters is an everyday ritual in Japan, known as onsen. Among the country’s many hot spring towns, the spa village of Yamashiro is located along the historic route between Kyoto and the UNESCO-listed Shirakawa-go–Gokayama villages, and close to Kanazawa. Beniya Mukayu is located near the Yakushiyama, known as the healing Buddha’s Mountain. The ryokan is built on the same premises that the Yakuoin Onsenji Temple once stood, where monks studied Buddhist scriptures and healed people with hot spring baths and medicinal herbs. The hotel’s architecture is defined by quiet restraint, playing with contrasts of light and shadow in a palette of soft, neutral tones. Each room features a private open-air hot spring bath overlooking a traditional Japanese garden, allowing guests to soak in solitude and stillness. A traditional tea ceremony performed by the owner, refined Kaga-style kaiseki cuisine served on locally crafted tableware. In Japanese Shinto belief, nature is home to eight million gods, and onsen hot springs are considered among their sacred blessings. Immersing oneself in these waters fosters a profound sense of harmony with nature — instilling calm, contentment, and quiet joy.

At Spa Entei, the thermal pool uses the mineral-rich spring waters of the region, where guests can experience the onsen alongside the signature “Yakushiyama Treatment” and other therapies designed to nurture both mental and physical well-being. These rituals draw on the long-standing traditions of the region, incorporating hot spring water and medicinal herbs continue the healing legacy of Yakushiyama’s historic baths and the herbal remedies. The main component of the hot spring is sulfite ion, and it also contains a lot of calcium and sodium as mineral components, boosting a thermal effect. Committed to developing original amenities that reflect the spirit of Yakushiyama, Mukayu collaborated with Dr. Yoon Soung Choi, a distinguished biochemist renowned for her expertise, to create the Yakushiyama amenity line. Infused with minerals from the hot springs and enriched with carefully selected natural ingredients, the collection embodies the region’s healing legacy. The skincare range includes a face wash, body gel, mountain Conditioner, and shampoos — each thoughtfully formulated to extend the restorative onsen experience beyond the bath.

DP loves the private outdoor hot spring bath attached to every room, where clean-lined modernist interiors coexist harmoniously with time-honoured bathing rituals.

2. 7132 Hotel, Vals – A Design Masterpiece Of A Thermal Bath Shaped In Quartzite.

Tucked into a high alpine valley in Graubünden, the quiet village of Vals is home to 7132 — a sanctuary where architecture, thermal waters and pristine nature converge. For more than a century, bathers have been drawn to the mineralised water of the St. Peter Spring, which has a temperature of 30°C at its source. This small yet storied Swiss retreat has earned global recognition for its award-winning spa and its seamless dialogue with the landscape. At its heart lies the legendary Therme Vals, the thermal pools designed by Peter Zumthor — an internationally acclaimed architectural masterpiece crafted from 60,000 slabs of locally quarried Vals quartzite. Now protected as a heritage site, the bathhouse feels less like a spa and more like a meditative monolith carved into the mountain.

Within its hushed, stone chambers, highly mineralised waters from the St. Peter spring emerge at a soothing 30°C, inviting slow immersion and deep physical release. The baths unfold across six distinct pools, with temperatures ranging from a brisk 14°C in the Ice Pool to a deeply soothing 42°C in the Fire Pool — each designed to stimulate circulation and awaken the senses through contrast.

Yet it is the Outdoor Pool that truly captivates. Kept at a blissful 36°C, depending on the season, it invites year-round immersion — whether beneath crisp winter skies or summer light. Floating here, suspended between warm water and open air, is a quietly transcendent experience.

Beyond the baths, 7132 extends wellness into the open air: yoga on terraces overlooking the valley, guided breathwork sessions, and contemplative alpine walks in both snow-covered stillness and summer greens. The mineral-rich pools ease muscles and improve circulation, while the clean mountain air and vast, quiet vistas restore mental clarity. Across seasons, Vals thermal pools offer a rare alignment of architecture, elemental water and alpine purity that redefines restorative luxury.

DP loves the new baths designed by Peter Zumthor that propelled the architect onto the global stage. Conceived as a monolithic composition of raw concrete and 60,000 slabs of locally quarried Vals quartzite, the structure pays homage to the archaic, elemental beauty of the Vals Valley.  

Also read: Statement Floors: The Most Decisive Design Move In Modern Homes

3. Euphoria Retreat In Peloponnese, Greece- Recreates Thermal Energy Through Architecture

  In the southeastern folds of the Peloponnese, the archaeological site of Mystras rises like a stone mirage — a reminder of Byzantium’s layered past. Just above this ancient town, set into the mountainside, Euphoria Retreat has quietly transformed the region from a coastal escape into one of Greece’s most compelling wellness destinations. From the moment you step through its gates, there is a palpable sense of retreat — almost otherworldly. A sympathetically restored 19th-century villa forms the heart of the property, reimagined as a romantic sanctuary overlooking olive groves and the Laconian plains. Its 45 rooms and suites are individually designed, drawing inspiration from Byzantine iconography and art. Patterns, textures and muted hues are subtly layered to create spaces that feel both contemplative and cocooning — no two rooms alike, yet each deeply rooted in place.

While not built around natural hot springs, Euphoria’s extensive thermal facilities are its defining draw. At the centre of the spa lies an avant-garde spherical pool, encased within soaring Byzantine domes inspired by the grandeur of Hagia Sophia. The experience feels ritualistic: warm waters create a gentle thermal effect, while stone alcoves with submerged benches and powerful hydrotherapy jets ease tension — particularly those familiar “computer shoulders” of modern life. 

A sculptural spiral staircase connects all four floors of the spa, leading to the 25-metre Waterwell, quite literally the nucleus of Euphoria’s wellness philosophy. Crowned by a skylight that filters natural light into its depths, the space feels both architectural and elemental. At its base, hot and cold footbaths lined with contrasting black and white pebbles introduce guests to the restorative principles of Kneipp therapy, gently awakening circulation and grounding the body. On days when treatments pause, the landscape invites exploration. A gentle walk leads into the village of Mystras and its nearby Byzantine ruins, while Sparta lies just a short drive away. Closer to retreat, time can stretch languorously by the pool, or within the thermal circuit — alternating between hot and cold pools to stimulate circulation. The steam complex unfolds as a sequence of sensory experiences: a cold plunge, ice fountain, tepidarium, Byzantine hammam, traditional steam room and Finnish sauna, each exquisitely detailed in marble, stone and mosaic.

DP loves the architectural ingenuity of each space — every chamber designed as an ethereal, cleansing journey symbolic of spiritual rebirth. From the avant-garde sphere pool to the sculptural Waterwell crowned with a skylight, and extending to the Finnish sauna.

4. The Retreat, Iceland – Sits Along The Private Geothermal Waters Of Blue Lagoon

Drawn from nearly 2,000 metres below the earth’s surface, where seawater and freshwater converge under immense heat and pressure, Iceland’s geothermal waters rise naturally enriched with silica, algae and restorative minerals. It is this alchemy that shapes the story of the thermal pools at The Retreat, nestled along the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Imagine a resort cradled within its own geothermal waters of the blue lagoon, which cuts into a private lagoon. The Retreat is exactly that — an award-winning sanctuary comprising a 60-suite hotel, a subterranean spa carved into volcanic rock, Michelin-starred dining, and exclusive access to healing waters sourced from the same geothermal system as the iconic Blue Lagoon.

The Blue Lagoon Suites unfold across two levels with floor-to-ceiling windows framing a cinematic sweep of milky-blue waters and moss-covered lava fields. Expansive terraces create quiet vantage points to absorb the stark beauty of the landscape, while each suite’s private lagoon — rich in silica and minerals allows guests to immerse in warmth and stillness at their own rhythm. In winter, as you settle into the hush of your suite, the Northern Lights often unfurl overhead, an elemental spectacle that feels almost choreographed.

Below ground, the Retreat Spa is a bucket-list pilgrimage. Here, ritual and architecture merge in a sequence of steam caves, mineral-rich pools and contemplative chambers embedded directly into the lagoon’s healing waters. The experience comes like this — A full-body, in-water massage paired with a signature silica salt scrub unfolds within the revitalising embrace of geothermal seawater. As mineral-rich warmth surrounds you and volcanic horizons stretch into the distance, treatment becomes immersion. The float therapy experience is equally transformative. Suspended on the lagoon’s mineral-dense surface — often described as one of the world’s natural wonders, you enter a deeply meditative state, harmonising with water, earth and sky. Guided by a trained float therapist, the body is gently supported with specialised float gear, allowing complete surrender. The experience is offered in two forms: a solo float for introspective stillness, or a couples float designed as a shared ritual of calm. In this secluded sanctuary, the lagoon’s milky-blue waters infused with silica, algae and essential minerals do more than soothe. They recalibrate. The result is not just relaxation, but a profound sense of elemental alignment.

DP loves how the mineral-rich waterscape that unfolds in sweeping views from every suite, blurring the line between private sanctuary and Iceland’s otherworldly horizon.

Also read: DP Curates: 5 Spectacular Stationery Objects To Reset Your Desk For 2026

5. Terme di Saturnia, Tuscany – Immersed in 120 hectares of Natural Springs and Parklands

For over 3,000 years, travellers have been drawn to the legendary spring at Saturnia in Tuscany, where thermal waters rise uninterrupted from the heart of the earth. A geological haven in the heart of the Tuscan Maremma. This is the hidden gem of Tuscany on the southern coastal edge and goes from the hilly and ferrous inland to the varyingly wild-horse-roaming, swampy and rocky coast. Emerging within a natural crater at a constant 37.5°C, the sulphurous, carbonic, sulphate and bicarbonate-alkaline-ferrous waters are enriched with Saturnia Bioplancton — a potent antioxidant plankton formed through centuries of geological alchemy. Carved into the rolling hills of Tuscany, the  Terme Di Saturnia is built around this ancient source, placing natural well-being at the centre of every experience. The hot spring pools remain blissfully warm through winter, steam rising gently against cypress silhouettes and open skies. The water’s high sulphur content is known to ease muscular and joint discomfort, improve circulation, and support detoxification — an immediate, almost visceral sense of release.

The Hot Spring Pool area spans an impressive 20,000 square metres, a verdant oasis where adults and children alike can immerse themselves in the regenerative waters. Guests recline on manicured lawns or rent sunbeds and parasols, wrapped in the resort’s signature white bathrobes. For a more exclusive immersion, The Club offers access to the Natural Hot Spring itself, the thermal lake at the resort’s core, where the source water gushes forth to nourish the entire spa complex. Here, surrounded by nature and the quiet rhythms of rural Tuscany, wellness feels elemental rather than curated. From above, Terme di Saturnia reveals the harmony of a destination shaped by its ancient Spring and the land that surrounds it. 

A day at Terme di Saturnia Natural SPA & Golf Resort begins at The Club, the resort’s most exclusive enclave, where the thermal ritual unfolds at its source. The experience opens with a traditional mud therapy — warm thermal mud applied at 45°C, rich in minerals and antioxidant Saturnia Bioplancton. As the heat penetrates deeply, the muscles soften, and circulation is stimulated, preparing the body for what follows: a focused back massage and a hydromassage performed in the thermal pool itself, where mineral-rich waters enhance every movement. Post-therapy, after a leisurely lunch one can indulge in sport. A round on the championship golf course unfolds against the rolling Tuscan countryside, while just steps away, steam continues to rise from the springs. 

DP loves the exclusive access to the Thermal Water Park or Club, where each day begins with a restorative thermal cure, followed by a round of golf, seamlessly integrating lifestyle sports and thermal immersion into a holistic wellness regime.