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Greece Hot Springs

mad bath - ancient hot springs

I have to be honest with you. This thing here, this guide. it was not something I'd planned. I'm not even sure if I can gather enough information to make it an enjoyable read. It's just that when it comes to hot springs, everyone tends to avoid the subject.


What kind of visual do you get when you hear the phrase "hot springs"? A muddy 'lake' full of elderly people, maybe? Yes, that's what everybody thinks. And that visual represents the truth. partially. But that doesn't mean you have to be old to visit them. Heck, I was a kid when I first did.

I was what? Seven, eight years old? Maybe even younger. My grandmother was still alive back then (she died when I was nine) and she wanted to visit Santorini so she could go to the hot springs. So, my parents made sure we'd go there and take her with us that year. How I ended up with her at the springs, I don't even recall. All I can remember is how lovely it was and let me tell you. you may not need to visit the hot springs, but you'll definitely love it if you do.


So, let's start with some tips.


hot springs - hot springs santorini

Your first baths shouldn't last too much. The more you get your hand in it, the more time you can spend there. But make sure you do it with measure.



A typical balneotherapy consists of about 21 baths. One out of three days should be spent resting instead of bathing. A balneotherapy should last more than 15 days.



When bathing, you should have an empty stomach. Two hours after your breakfast or four hours after your meal should pass.



After you finish your bath, you should rest for a while in place that's warm and protected from winds.



In most cases you won't notice any improvement in your condition (if you have any) before the 21 baths. But there are cases when you notice it after your first couple of baths.



A proper bath demands the water flowing constantly. That way it holds out its comprehensiveness in metals and gas.



How much time should you spend in the water?



hot springs - hot springs kos

That depends on three things. First of all, there's temperature. In hot springs that are very hot spending more than twenty minutes is difficult. As we already said, as days go by you'll get used to it, but you shouldn't overdo it the first times.

When the water's temperature is near body temperature (93o-100o F), the feeling you get is quite refreshing and you probably won't want to leave. That's when the second parameter appears: money. The less time each customer spends in the spring, the more people will be able to take a turn.

In most springs, the supers don't let you spend more than 15 minutes bathing. Why is that? Mostly because they're scared. Who knows how much "power" everyone's body can handle? The process tires the body after a while; and that's the third factor in deciding how much time you'll spend in it. In any case, if you feel dysphoria, you should get out of the water right away.




So, how many hot springs are there in Greece?

Several. Which are the ones we're going to refer to? The ones in the Islands.

greece hot springs - checkit




greece hot springs - book of hot springs Santorini
Milos
Kimolos
Kythnos
Kos
Nisyros
Ikaria
Chios
Lesvos
Limnos
Samothraki

So, follow the links. I hope the information you find there is what you're looking for. Don't think that everything I wrote is from my personal experience, of course. There is this books called "Ta Loutra Tis Elladas" (Greece's hot Springs) that helped me gather all this information. It's the result of a group work from Kostas Zaharopoulos, Ilias Barbikas, Giorgos Christodoulopoulos, Pepi Loulakaki and Christos Schinas (if I forget anyone, I'm truly sorry) and I'm truly thankful for this magnificent book of theirs I stumbled upon. Unfortunately, as far as I know it hasn't been translated in English, but if it has or if you, by any chance, speak Greek, do look for it. It's an amazing book with information not only about the hot springs of the Greek Islands but also of springs from other places in Greece that are not. well, islands.


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