Thermal relaxation in Campania's spa resorts

"Terme", or thermal baths and spas, are especially abundant in the region of Campania because of the incredible influence of its volcanoes. Between the Phlegrean fields, a 13 kilometre wide caldera made up of 24 craters and volcanic edifices, as well as Mount Vesuvius, the entire region is a source of nutrient rich water, steam vents and mud.

The islands in particular are home to ancient thermal fonts, used since antiquity for their remedial and relaxation properties. The Font of Nitrodi on the island of Ischia once housed a temple to Apollo and is still open today, tempting the public with its natural hot springs and mud packs.

Thermal treatments are recognised as a strand of naturopathy and the Italian Ministry of Health produces updates on which waters and mud are best suited for treating certain illness and disease.

As health has come to incorporate overall wellbeing, thermal centres too have developed and now represent an ideal way to relax and unwind while holidaying in Campania's Mediterranean clime. Many centres offer a complete range of beauty and wellness packages, like the well-known Terme di Stabia, near Pompeii, or the Poseidon Gardens on Ischia island.

In combination with the inherent beauty of the environment, the drama of its geology and the variety of its culture, Campania's thermal heritage earns it a slick reputation for spa centre relaxation and remedy.  When they say mud sticks it's usually as a pejorative, but in both mud and reputation Campania meets its mark.