Terme Di Saturnia Natural Destination. Discover A Luxurious World Of Healing Waters

Anthea Gerrie Visits Terme Di Saturnia Natural Destination, An Award-Winning Spa Hotel In The Tuscan Maremma

It may look brand new, but Terme di Saturnia Natural Destination in the lesser-known Maremma region of Tuscany has been receiving guests for more than a century, and the ever-flowing hot spring which is the raison d’être of the eponymous five-star spa hotel is at least 3000 years old.

The star turn of this resort – a huge swimming pool fed with healing waters – is not only gorgeous to look at but perpetually warm and soothing to luxuriate in. Which may explain that while most visitors to Tuscany are more interested in visiting the region’s treasure-houses and vineyards, Saturnia guests are happy to spend hours floating in a mineral-rich cocktail of sulphur, calcium, magnesium and carbon dioxide.

A daily soak or few enhances skin health, lowers blood pressure and improves breathing as well as offering natural exfoliation, and the water is replenished every four hours, so there’s nothing dirty about the plankton lurking at the pool edges carrying its own health benefits, or the tang of sulphur, which never seeps indoors. The potency of the waters should not be under-estimated – leave rings and other jewellery in your room safe to avoid discolouration.

It was the Etruscans who first exploited the spring, which flourished under the Romans and was revived after a period of dormancy in 1454, In 1919 the first modern luxury hotel was built at the site to provide every comfort for visitors from all over the world, and today’s five-star abode was totally refurbished in 2020.

The scene is set by a very grand lobby which brings a touch of urban glamour to the surrounding Tuscan hills, awash in vineyards and charming little perched towns and villages.

A long drive leads to an impressive entrance with more than the odd Ferrari and Lamborghini sitting outside, while inside is all about deep sofas and consoles holding huge vases of red roses – the reception desk is discreetly located to one side.

The 124 rooms and suites overlooking either spring or hills are decorated in lighter colours than remembered on a previous visit and designed, with their accents of yellow and turquoise evoking sun and sea, to quietly promote a sense of relaxation. Everything needed is in place in both the bedroom and spacious en suite bathroom; we particularly liked an interior lobby serving as a separate dressing area.

The spa harnesses natural ingredients for its innovative treatments, not only in the signature massage potions – my Ulivita included basil, but they run the gamut from thermal mud to liquid gold – and also the rollers used to apply it, made of stone, wood or amber. Medical consultations and physiotherapy are available, as well as dedicated programmes to address breathing problems – nasal wash, anyone? – weight loss and an overloaded mind in need of calm. There is also a daily guided morning hike, a beautiful introduction to this lovely corner of the Grosseto province of southern Tuscany.

While there’s a main restaurant – the 1919, named for the year of the hotel’s birth – serving fantastic fruit and vegetable smoothies every morning with fresh-baked breakfast delights and well-prepared Italian favourites at lunch and dinner, there is now a separate dining option in the rustic La Stellata Trattoria, a couple of miles across the estate(complimentary buggy rides recommended for Chianti lovers) in a charming old farmhouse.

Its huge open oven turns out an incredible “Fiorentina”, as the Tuscan signature T-bone steak is called – a kilo-weight treat designed to serve two very generously. We also enjoyed grilled artichokes dressed with soft pecorino and bacon to start, while dessert brought unexpected cabaret as our waiter made tiramisu from scratch tableside. It was a very special dining experience overlooking a beautiful hilltop sunset not to be missed while at Saturnia.

Golfers will be glad to know there is an 18-hole course for when they get out of the water, and history buffs will want to be sure to visit Pitigliano, an enchanting little hilltop town whose claim to fame is the 400-plus years of uninterrupted Jewish history which have seen it dubbed Little Jerusalem. The 1598 synagogue was rebuilt in 1995 and in the next door building it’s possible to visit the mediaeval mikveh or ritual bath and a matzo factory which was turning out the flatbreads eaten at Passover every year until 1939. Visits can be arranged with a local guide.

One sign of a good hotel is that however intriguing the excursions you always look forward to your return, and at Terme di Saturnia there is one special experience you won’t find anywhere else in Tuscany – the chance to bathe in those healing waters not only by day, but also beneath the stars at weekends. Not for nothing was the resort ranked among the world’s top 10 destination spas by Conde Nast Traveler in their 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, the latest in a long list of accolades.