Kaiafas Thermal Springs and Hydrotherapy Centre

What to expect

Kaiafas is a lake, a pair of caves, a strip of pine forest and a long beach on the Kyparissia Gulf, in the municipality of Zacharo in Ilia, western Peloponnese. The thermal springs rise inside caves at the foot of Mount Lapithas, where the hillside meets the lake. One is the spring of the Anigrides Nymphs, named in ancient myth for nymphs whose cave water was said to cure leprosy and other ailments. The second, at the Gerani (Geraniou or Atlantides) cave, was traditionally used for drinking cures. Both were formally recognised as healing springs in 2016 and 2019.

The water comes out at about 90-93°F32-34°C. That is closer to a warm bath than a hot spring, which suits long, easy soaks. It is rich in sulphur compounds, magnesium sulphate and calcium sulphate, and you smell it as soon as you open the car door. The lake itself, probably formed after an earthquake in the 6th century, carries the same sulphur smell. A small islet in the lake, Agia Aikaterini, holds three hotels built by 1907; only the Olympia still operates.

What you can actually do as a visitor depends on the year. The site belongs to ETAD, the state property company, which runs a hydrotherapy centre beside the lake during the summer season. It has a reception hall, changing rooms, a medical room, a snack kiosk, individual bath tubs and a hydrotherapy pool, all fed by a borehole that pumps the thermal water up. In 2024 ETAD reopened a renovated outdoor thermal pool and brought the bath units back for the first time since 2020, with a doctor on duty during opening hours.

Closures and the current situation

Kaiafas has spent a lot of the last two decades closed or half-working. The summer 2007 fires did huge damage to the baths and the forest around them. A 2008 renovation did not get the baths running again, and for a long time the natural pool outside the Anigrides cave could not be used; bathers were sent to a covered pool fed with spring water instead. In 2022 ETAD invited investors to propose a long-term plan for the whole 5.2 million m² estate.

More recent news is better but still unsettled:

• 2023: the hydrotherapy centre and Olympia hotel ran to September 30, 09:00-17:00 daily.
• 2024: ETAD opened from June 15 to October 20, 09:00-17:00 daily, with the renovated outdoor pool and the bath units back.
• May 2026: the Western Greece environment committee unanimously approved the centre’s environmental licence. It allows the existing facilities to keep operating, with up to 100 bathers a day, a cap of 150 visitors a day, no more than 50 in the water at once, and monthly water-quality testing.
• September 2026: ETAD said Kaiafas is part of a review of its thermal springs for wellness tourism, with any new development placed after 2028.

We found no announced dates for the 2025 or 2026 seasons. Before a long drive, check with ETAD or locally in Zacharo that the centre is open.

Getting there

Kaiafas lies on the old coast road between Pyrgos and Kyparissia, about 20 km (12 miles) south of ancient Olympia and about 347 km (216 miles) southwest of Athens. From Athens, drive west toward Patras and continue south through Pyrgos toward Zacharo. The hydrotherapy centre is at the edge of the lake beside the main road, and the Olympia hotel sits on the islet a short way off. The old Pyrgos-Kyparissia railway, which brought the first spa visitors after 1907, runs between the lake and the coast; the former station is now a café.

When to go

• June and September are the best months if the centre is open: warm but not crowded, and the beach is at its best.
• July and August are busy and hot. With a cap of 150 visitors a day, you may have to wait at peak times.
• Outside the season (roughly late October to mid-June in recent years) the centre is closed. The lake, pine forest and beach still make a good stop, but you cannot bathe in the thermal water.

Prices and booking

ETAD has not published a 2026 price list that we could find. In 2024 it offered reduced tickets for local residents, groups of more than 15, people with disabilities and a companion, the unemployed, students, soldiers and large families, plus a reduced hydrotherapy ticket with a 7-night hotel stay. In 2024 the Olympia hotel let children up to 5 stay free, gave discounts for stays of 3 or 4 nights or more, and ran a free daily shuttle to the hydrotherapy sessions. Bring a swimsuit, towel and sandals.

Where to stay nearby

• Olympia hotel, on Agia Aikaterini islet, is the on-site option when it opens with the baths. In 2022 it was a two-star hotel with 18 rooms.
• Zacharo, the nearby municipal seat, has rooms, tavernas and shops.
• Ancient Olympia, about 20 km (12 miles) north, has many hotels and makes a good base for combining the site with the springs.

Safety notes

• Sulphur smell: Hydrogen sulphide is unpleasant but normal here. Leave the caves if you feel unwell.
• Medical advice: The centre has a doctor on duty. If you have heart, blood pressure or skin conditions, ask before a long soak.
• Protected area: The lake and forest are Natura 2000 land. Stay on paths, do not light fires (the 2007 fires show how quickly this coast burns), and follow staff instructions about which pools and caves are open.
• Sea: The Kyparissia Gulf beach is long and open to the west. Stay out when the surf is big.

Nearby stops worth adding

Ancient Olympia is the big one, 20 km (12 miles) north. The 3.5 km (2.2 mile) sandy beach and dunes across the pine forest are a short walk from the lake, and the lake is used for water sports, including an international water-ski event.