Terme di Sardara (Sardegna Termale Hotel & Spa)

What to expect

Sardara sits on the edge of the Campidano plain in south-west Sardinia, and its hot springs rise in a small valley about 2 km (1.2 miles) west of town, at the foot of the hill topped by the Castello di Monreale. The place is called Santa Maria de is Acquas, “Saint Mary of the Waters”, after the country church that stands among the thermal buildings. People have bathed here for a long time: the Romans knew the site as Aquae Neapolitanae, and remains of their baths are still visible next to the modern hotel. The first modern thermal buildings went up at the end of the 1800s and took in parts of the Roman structures.

Today the thermal pools belong to Sardegna Termale Hotel & Spa, which also appears on maps as Antiche Terme di Sardara. It is a hotel in a large park, and day visitors can use the pools, spa and gym as long as they book.

The water is genuinely hot. Italian Wikipedia puts the springs at roughly 122 to 154°F50 to 68°C and classes them as hyperthermal bicarbonate-alkaline water. The hotel describes it as rich in calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate and keeps its pools at an average of about 95°F35°C. That is a long, comfortable soak rather than a quick hot dip.

The pools

The hotel lists four pools:

• An indoor round pool, useful on windy winter days.
• A large outdoor horseshoe pool with hydromassage stations and water features.
• A second outdoor pool with hydromassage and water features only.
• An outdoor pool with a pool bar.

For the night sessions the hotel refers to “the two thermal pools”, so not every pool may be open after dark. Ask when you book.

Beyond the pools there is a spa (Aquam Spa) with a Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, salt room, rain showers and a relaxation area with herbal teas, plus a beauty centre, a gym and a restaurant. The spa is adults only.

Getting there

The SS 131 Carlo Felice highway, Sardinia’s main north-south road, passes right by Sardara. Cagliari’s Elmas airport is about 47 km (29 miles) away as the crow flies and Oristano about the same distance in the other direction. The fast SS 131 makes it an easy trip from either.

From Cagliari or the airport, follow the SS 131 towards Sassari. The hotel says to pass the Sardara exit and leave at km 54.8, then follow signs for Pabillonis and “Terme di Sardara Santa Maria Aquas”. The thermal area lies on the provincial road from Sardara towards Pabillonis, which is about 6 km (3.7 miles) further west.

The hotel address is Località Santa Maria Aquas, 09030 Sardara (SU).

When to go

The pools are open all year, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the hotel adds night bathing from 10 p.m. to midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and special occasions (“Bagno sotto le stelle”). Lifeguard cover is only guaranteed in those hours, so you cannot swim outside them.

Sardinian summers on the Campidano are hot, and 95°F35°C water feels best from autumn to spring. In summer, morning sessions are more comfortable. Italian holidays and long weekends (the November 1 bridge, Christmas, Easter) are busy and are priced as special offers rather than ordinary day tickets.

Prices and booking

Day prices change by season. For September 14 to December 20, 2026 the hotel lists:

• Full day in the pools and gym (9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.): €40 Monday to Friday, €50 Saturday and Sunday.
• Half day, morning (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.): €25 Monday to Saturday, €30 Sunday.
• Half day, afternoon (2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.): €25 Monday to Friday, €30 Saturday and Sunday.
• Children: free under 2; ages 2 to 11 get €5 off.
• Private changing room for the day: €60, request in advance.

Packages add lunch, dinner, spa access or a massage (Relax Day, Mezza Giornata, Bagno sotto le stelle and others), but the hotel does not publish their prices online, so ask for a quote. None of the day offers apply on holidays, long weekends or special dates.

Booking is compulsory, by phone (+39 070 9385044) or email. Drinks and treatments are extra.

Rules and etiquette

• Compulsory kit: swimsuit, swim cap, bathrobe, towel and slippers. Reception sells caps (€4) and slippers (€15) and rents robes (€10, €20 cash deposit) and towels (€6, €10 deposit).
• Children: under-16s must be with an adult who watches them. No children in the spa.
• Restaurant: no bathrobes at lunch or dinner.
• Dogs: small dogs up to 10 kg can stay in the hotel for €25 a day but never go in the pool area.

The cures

Italian thermal spas usually offer medical cures under the national health service with a doctor’s prescription. Sardegna Termale’s site focuses on pools, spa and wellness, and we did not find a current list of SSN cures there. If you want a cure cycle rather than a soak, call the hotel first. Italian Wikipedia notes that the water was traditionally used for joint, respiratory, digestive and some skin complaints; we make no claims for it.

Where to stay nearby

• Sardegna Termale Hotel & Spa itself is the obvious base; prices are on its listino page.
• Sardara town, 2 km away, has small guesthouses and restaurants, plus the nuragic sacred well of Sant’Anastasia in the centre.
• Oristano, about 47 km (29 miles) north-west as the crow flies, has a much wider choice of hotels.

Safety notes

• Warm water, long soaks: at 95°F35°C you can stay in for a long time without noticing. Drink water and take breaks, especially in summer.
• Slippery decks: wet tiles around outdoor pools are slick. The compulsory slippers help.
• Summer heat: inland Sardinia can be very hot in July and August. Shade and water between soaks matter more than the pools.

Nearby stops worth adding

Walk round the Roman bath ruins and the church of Santa Maria de is Acquas before or after a soak; both are in the same small valley. In Sardara, the nuragic well temple of Sant’Anastasia is worth a short visit, and the Castello di Monreale stands on the hill above the springs. There are no other Sardinian hot springs on this site yet. The nearest Italian listings are on the mainland, such as the free Cascate del Mulino at Saturnia in southern Tuscany.