Terme di Saturnia Natural Spa & Golf Resort

The resort and the free falls

Saturnia’s thermal water has two faces, and they are easy to mix up. The spring rises inside Terme di Saturnia, a private resort with a 5-star hotel, a large thermal park and an 18-hole golf course. From there the water runs off as a warm stream and, about 1 km (0.6 miles) to the south, pours over an old mill weir into the travertine basins of the Cascate del Mulino. The falls are public, free and open around the clock. The resort is paid, has opening hours and asks you to book.

Which one to pick? The falls are the famous photo and cost nothing but parking. The resort gives you the same water with changing rooms, loungers, a sauna, a bistrot and, on most days, far fewer people. Many visitors do both: the falls at dawn, the thermal park for the rest of the day.

What to expect

The resort calls the spring a natural pool at the centre of the estate. According to the operator, the water starts as rain on the slopes of Monte Amiata, spends about 40 years underground, and comes up at 99.5°F37.5°C. It is sulphurous, with about 14.5 mg of hydrogen sulphide per litre, so the smell of sulphur is part of the visit. The resort’s own history notes a 1188 papal bull mentioning a hospital and a mill at the baths, and the purchase of the springs by the Ciacci family in 1865.

The Parco Termale covers about 20,000 square metres outdoors. It has four thermal pools, including an octagonal pool and a children’s pool, plus hydromassage jets, vascular walking paths, a waterfall, a sauna and an argillarium (a clay room). There is a bistrot for drinks, hot food and sandwiches, and the resort’s 1919 Restaurant and bar are open for lunch and dinner. Outside food and drink are not allowed.

The Club is the upgrade. It adds the spring pool itself (the Sorgente), indoor relaxation areas and a Finnish sauna with sensory showers, and the towel and robe kit, loungers and umbrellas are included.

The water feels like a warm bath. You can stay in for a long time, which is the point.

Getting there

The resort is in the countryside below Saturnia village, in the Comune di Manciano, province of Grosseto. Saturnia village is about 1.3 km (0.8 miles) away as the crow flies, up the hill. Manciano is about 14 km (8.7 miles) by road and Grosseto about 56 km (35 miles); Rome is roughly 115 km (71 miles) to the south-east.

Follow signs for Terme di Saturnia rather than for the Cascate del Mulino, which are a separate, signed site further down. The resort has its own car park with EV charging points. Campers and similar vehicles are not allowed in it; there is a separate camper area near the falls.

When to go

The thermal park is open every day of the year. From April 1 to October 31, 2026 it ran from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and from November 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 it closes earlier, at 5 p.m. The Club opens 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. with morning (to 2 p.m.) and afternoon (from 2:30 p.m.) slots, and a Friday night Club session from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

Weekends, long weekends and Italian holidays fill up, and the resort recommends booking online for those days. Winter is quieter, and 100°F37.5°C water in cold air is a good reason to come in January.

Changes ahead: In July 2026 Milano Finanza reported that the resort, owned by Massimo Caputi’s Terme & Spa Italia group, plans a full renovation of the thermal park in 2027, plus a new Roman bath, a new park sauna and new suites with private thermal pools. The article mentioned a short closure for works in summer 2026 and did not say whether the 2027 renovation will close the park. Check saturniadayspa.com before booking for 2027.

Prices and booking

Day Spa prices are published as “from” figures for 2026:

• Thermal park day entry: from €30. Wellness Kit not included.
• Afternoon entry: from €26.
• All For You (weekdays only): from €45, with the Wellness Kit, a lounger and slippers.
• Thermal park and lunch break: from €69, with slippers, kit and lunch at the bistrot.
• Club entry: from €90, with the spring pool, indoor areas, kit, lounger and umbrella.
• Spa packages with a massage, cryotherapy or a thermal treatment: from €81, up to €288 for couples.

The resort offers lower rates for local residents and for people with disabilities and their companions, subject to availability. Book on saturniadayspa.com, or call the thermal park on +39 0564 600600. Spa treatments are by appointment; the wellness rituals are free for Day Spa guests but you book them at reception.

Rules and etiquette

• White towels and a white robe are required. Bring your own or rent the Wellness Kit at reception.
• No outside food or drink.
• No pets.
• No campers in the car park.
• Swimsuits in all pools.
• Keep children calm. The park has a children’s pool, but the resort is clear that it is a wellness area, not a water park.

Where to stay nearby

• The resort hotel is a 5-star property on the estate, with direct access to the spring pool and the spa. Milano Finanza put its 2025 average room rate at about €450 a night before VAT and breakfast.
• Saturnia village, just up the hill, has small hotels and guesthouses.
• Manciano and Montemerano are nearby hill towns with more choice, and agriturismi are scattered across the countryside.

Safety notes

• Long soaks: water at body temperature does not feel hot, so it is easy to stay in too long. Drink water, especially in summer.
• Sulphur: sulphurous water can tarnish silver. Leave silver jewellery at home.
• Slippery surfaces: wet stone and tiles around the pools are slick.
• Heat: combine the sauna and long soaks with care if you have heart or blood pressure problems.

Nearby stops worth adding

The free Cascate del Mulino are the obvious pairing, about 1 km downstream. Saturnia village has its Porta Romana and a stretch of the old Via Clodia, and the tufa towns of Pitigliano and Sorano are a short drive east. Further north in Tuscany, the free Fosso Bianco at Bagni San Filippo and the Antica Querciolaia at Rapolano Terme make a longer thermal road trip, and across the Lazio border Viterbo has the free Bullicame springs.