Heated nymphs

Despite the relative nearness to one of the earth's most active volcanoes, the Etna, the rest of the island of Sicilia (Sicily) has not much geothermal activity. 

So it's slightly surprising to find out that near the ancient grounds of Segesta on the western part of the island, a few hot springs are to be found.

Ancient? Segesta is the name given to a Greek settlement about 20 km inland from the north coast. Not to be outdone by others within the Greek community, Segesta contained a temple complex as well as a mountain top located amphitheater, both having been able to withstand the ever changing world.
In the brief websites I skimmed through, there's little evidence concerning the reason why the site is inland which seems a bit strange. Other than coincidence. 

Initially I also had trouble finding a possible link between ancient Segesta and the nearby hot springs, possibly the link (read existence) is from later than that period?
Wikipedia comes to the rescue and has a page on Segestan thermal baths: 

'The first Greeks living in western Sicily related the phenomenon of the formation of hot waters to a mythological event, according to which the heat of the river waters had been emitted thanks to a fluvial god’s will, Crimiso, to let heat the nymph Egesta, escaped from Troy, get worm as she was unconscious on the river bank, and that later became his wife.^[1] They had a son, Acestes, who founded Segesta and gave her mother’s name to it.^[2] 
The historian Diodorus Siculus tells about Heracles’ trip: while he was going to Erice he met the Egestee nymphs who, in order to help him to recover from fatigue, made Egestan (or Segestan)^[3] hot water springs appear on the surface'.

Not happy
Terme Segestane is the name of the commercial entity, complete with website.
It doesn't look too special: a large 25m pool, a smaller pool and some inside baths. 
Pool temperatures range from 37-39°C, though it notes that the 3 sources emit waters of 44-46°C. 
It didn't look too busy on both occasions we passed the terme.  
A visit is priced at €9 entrance, it seems pretty hefty for what you get.

Reviews from Tripadvisor average a 3.5 stars rating, based on 198 reviews, 90% in Italian, no. 231 of activities in the Tràpani province. 
Many Tripadvisor reviewers are kind enough, though there's this recent one: 

'The place is kind of old and bad maintained, feels like to be in public sauna in North Korea. The staff is not kind at all, they do not smile and have an arrogant expression on their face, maybe they are not happy of working there'.

Not too far away (about 1 km, but with complete different access) is the thermal establishment of Gorga.  
Tripadvisor reviewers rate this even lower: 3 stars (15 reviews). 
From pictures it does look more weary than Terme Segestane. Sourced waters are deemed hotter (51°C).

Wikipedia's entry notes the following:

'Near the Segestan baths there are two thermal plants:

1. Terme Gorga ([town of] Alcamo):^[5] in contrada Gorga, at about one kilometre from Alcamo Diramazione railway station; the thermal waters near this plant, are concentrated in a natural basin among clay material and are alkaline-sulphuric; they have a temperature of about 49°C and with a water flow of 80 litres a second. The plant is located inside an old mill restored about 50 year ago.^[6] 
2. Terme Segestane (Castellammare del Golfo):^[7] this plant is located in contrada Ponte Bagni where the mineral waters gush out at the temperature of about 47°C and with a water flow of about 110 litre a second. The treatments provided here are mud baths, grottoes, massages, hydromassages, aerosol inhalations and irrigationns.^[6]'

Boons
Terme Segesta Libere / Terme naturali di Segesta is the name given to the natural source located on the west side of a small river (Fiume Caldo). It's located directly opposite the high banks on which Terme Segestane is settled. The former also lets natural waters overflow into said river.

Italia by Natalia website has good and complete info on getting here, following them it's impossible to miss. More introduction:

'About 42km east of [city of] Trapani and about 8 km south of [town of] Castellammare del Golfo, almost at the foot of known and described in every guide archaeological sites of Segesta, from the ground takes hot spring baths. As usually happens in such places next to hot spring was created hotel with SPA which use a boon of nature, but for the average traveler with limited resources the most important information is that just behind the hotel, in the bushes surrounding a small ravine with high, travertine rocks in ivory and pink, flows a small river. To that river, flows down water from hot spring, but firstflows through partially artificially formed little puddle, where locals and a few initiate tourists with delight joy dip in the hot water with temp. +47°C'.

Using her near-perfect directions, finding the terme is a breeze. Parking is a bit makeshift, there's a larger lot at the bottom of the road, while you can also park earlier on a higher terrain bordering an olive orchard. To cross the stream you can hop across a couple of boulders or (as was the case on our second visit) two wooden pallets managed to bridge the waters.

We visited on weekdays, once earlier on Tuesday, once at sunset on a Friday. On the first visit there was only one car, though more visitors dribbled in while we were there. On the Friday, many a visitor was just packing up.

After crossing the stream, it's then a 150m walk to a large sun-soaked pool underneath a cliff. 
Waters here are very hot, well over 40°C. 
While there, the increasing gaggle of men were soaking and discussing passionately, I'd presume politics but it could just as well be what's on offer at the local baker. 

The surroundings of this pool and the site itself are cleanish; there does seem to be some effort to keep clean.

As said, this pool sits below a cliff from which the waters emanate. The cliffs are roughly 15-20m high and make this an outer worldly place. It's just the soakers and the gushing stream.

Follow this stream upwards, the small canyon narrows. On the far side are smaller pools coming from the Terme are equally enticing, each with piping hot water and the possibility to cool down in the adjacent stream.

Soaking is excellent in whatever of the pools. 
Au-natural bathing is probably less customary (esp. if you only check out instagram photo's), probably more so in the bigger pool, though I can imagine it's a great place for a night time skinny dip.

As is habitual, there's not much English info beyond already offered above. A better source of info in Italian is the gogoterme website.

Montenari et. al. (2015) note that the sources temperatures are 45-50°C, though this could also apply to both official hot springs, i.e. Gorga and Segestane.

Besides the ancient ruins of Segesta, the town of Castallammare del Golfo is worth a visit as well as the nature reserve of Zingaro. Note that this reserve is (as are the Segesta ruins) well and truly on the tourist trail: you'll not the only one. 

Notes:
Montanari, D., C. Albanese, R. Catalano, A. Contino, M. Fedi, G. Gola, M. Iorio, M. La Manna, S. Monteleone, E. Trumpy, V. Valenti & A. Manzella  (2015). Contour map of the top of the regional geothermal reservoir of Sicily (Italy). Journal of Maps. 10.1080/17445647.2014.935503.

Hemp

At first, I thought to dedicate this posting to all seaside thermals on Pantelleria. But after a lot of research there's so much information to share that I will just have to limit myself to those by the name of Nicà. 
But just expect more to come. 

The hot springs of Nicà (or Nikà) are probably the best of the island's coastal thermal features. 

Five minutes drive southwards on the perimetrale road from the village of Scauri, Cala de Nicá is a nifty little cove which needs some imagination of it's visitors to see the potential. 
On the road itself are a couple of parking spots, from where it's a very steep walk down to the cove itself. 

Once coveside, your soaking solace is then to your left. Which requires a swim.

Left it is then, but there doesn't seem to be consensus on how far to the left. 

My trusty guide (Rough Guide To Sicily, 2017) says you skip a large part of the left handed swim if you throw yourself off the rocks just after the first house met, while wandering down from the main road. 
Well it actually says: 

'Punto Nikà
Signposted from the main road (where there are a couple of parking spaces), a rough lava track descends to Punto Nikà, with exciting swimming below another of Pantelleria's polychrome cliffs - this one green, rust, rose and white - in a little cove with fisherman's huts built into the rock. 
...
In summer, there is usually someone renting out kayaks, which you can paddle to a cluster of hot springs back up the coast.

It is also possible to reach the hot springs on foot, though the path is not marked. As you head down from the main road, instead of continuing to the cove, walk past the first house on your left (with metal gates), and look for a narrow path that begins 3m or 4m beyond it. The path leads to another entrance to the house, then plunges steeply downhill following a rope railing along the edge of the house's garden. As the garden ends, white arrows direct you to the bay. Note that the springs are offshore, so you need a calm day to swim out'.

Anyway, on my first visit the sea was very choppy; too choppy to even contemplate hitting the waters. Well, actually that would have been possible but it would have been very difficult getting out. And I suspected that the seas would disperse any heat from the soaks, so that might possibly result in a wild goose chase. 
Did scout the area though, found the path mentioned down (it's more like 10m beyond the mentioned first house, but you'll recognize you're right if you meet the railing pictured in lead photo below the house) and followed the arrows on the rocks.

Anyway fastforward a few days, the weather has settled and so has the sea. We walk down, straight for the soaking site. I had gathered some more info and knew that even there, the heated sea was still to the left, in the cove thing, if you like. Well, I say cove, but it's more a 10m wide inlet with steep sides. So you walk down to rocks north of this inlet and swim from there into the inlet proper.

Early morning, there were already 3 others on the little rock shelf site and our trip down brought others following, so quite busy.

Giddy on the bright day ahead, I strip for my admirers (?) and jump in and within seconds am out of sight of all others. 
I suspected that the far side of the inlet would be the hot side, it looked as such from above. But though the waters were distinctly warmer there, it were the waters on the other side which were nearly boiling. With the sea coming in and out, very hot flashes were exchanged for cooler waters, a great feeling and a great start to what would be another exhilarating Pantescan day nonetheless.

Surprise
As has become usual when seeking info on Pantelleria, there's not too much info out there in English on the island's prime sites.

Tripadvisor on Nicá: #9 of 43 things to do in Pantelleria (42 reviews: 4.5 stars). Virtually all comments from Italians, translating doesn't add much info (thank you google translate). Just one Russian contributor, who immediately gave only a single star: no place to stick the sun umbrella apparently! 
I would think differently in this case (on studding stars).

Then there's the Viverepantelleria.it website on Nicà:

'Nicà (or Nikà, the Arab word for the pools where hemp for cloth used to be soaked) is found south-west along the perimetral road. In the hunting season, hunters often surprise game that stop to drink at the pools. The "Fiumara della Serraglia" crosses the area before flowing into the "Kharace di Nicà".
It is today an ideal bathing place between a small fishing boat harbour and a hot water spring cave, protected from the north wind. The water reaches of 40°C, the good temperature for soothing phlebitis'.

Just so you know, wikipedia:

'Phlebitis or venitis is the inflammation of a vein, usually in the legs'.

Magoguide:

'Nika is a wonderful spot for a swim on a hot, summer Pantelleria day. There are even some warm springs under the water for those slightly less warm days'.

A translation from Pantelleriaguide:

'Cala Nicà: Nicà's thermal waters spill through the rocks of the coast, mixing with the sea water. The water temperature is between 85° C and 100 ° C. Like those of Gadir, Sateria and Scauri, there are no doubt therapeutic virtues. In the vicinity there are small deposits of sulfur, deposits of hydrated silica and alum'.

The inlet from above, the actual thermal sources are directly below where photo was taken.

Drought

I don't know if I'll get round to it, but just to say the island of Pantelleria (the Black Pearl), south of Sicily, is rather volcanic in nature (source). A nature nonetheless that determines just that: were there no volcano, then there were no island.

For some unknown reason, my stay on Pantelleria coincides with a break in the 6 months summer drought, a break with storms and rain. Much to the delight of locals no doubt, as there's precious little water to be had.

With the backdrop of fierce winds and clouds hugging everything above 300m (the islands peaks extend to 800m), we leave the village of Scauri behind us and slowly trug up the hill. 
Five minutes in, my partner and I are seemingly leading an expedition with two friendly dogs tagging along. We cross the Monastero plain and leave  the remnants of agriculture behind us as we switchback up the side of the mountain (photo below).

Today's menu consists of a visit to the Bagno Asciutto (sometimes known as  Grotta di Benikulà or more simply Sauna Naturale or a variation of those) followed by a search for distant steam vents.

This side of the Pantelleria's highest mountain (Monte Grande) is characterised as having a fault line along which steam evaporates.

The Bagno Asciutto (which translates as dry bath) is one of Pantelleria's prime inland attractions. From the village of Sibà, it's a 20 minute well-defined and gentle walk. 
From Scauri it's less obvious, but all can see you'll need to scramble up the side of the mountain. 

There's been a considerable investment in trails and tracks by the local (?) government, so easy to find, no worries.

The sauna or cave itself is basically a 5m deep cleft into the mountain, a meter and a half high. One walks to the end and sits as high as possible to feel the heat slowly invade the body.

Wimps
On arrival, in and around the cave there's a fair crowd of curious participants coming and going. There's not much space outside the cave, though off to the far side park officials have created a platform with benches which is used for changing though would be better as a cool down area (the benches are used for dumping clothes on).

The dogs (having tagged along for the hour long hike) seem to like the place and are invading everyone's personal space. As we're knacked of the climb we loiter around to cool off before entering Mother Earth. 

Everyone seems prepared, swim costumes already on: no need to disclose their bodies to total strangers. All visitors during our stay (more than 30) were Italian, so that might go some way to explaining body issues. It also seems that many are there only out of curiosity, their stay (including disrobing and changing) all done with 5-15 minutes. 

After half an hour catching our breath, we proceed to enter. Our dogs seek to follow but whimper out and must have decided that us being swallowed by earth meant that this was time for them to return (?).

gianlucanuzzo View from the inside:

Pantelleria | Sicily
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Inside there are some makeshift benches from stone. Vapours arise from below and stick to the roof where they condense in drops and trickles.
In all honesty, it's of course no sauna, but a steam bath nonetheless. It's hot but not overtly, I see suggestions on the internet of an air temperature of 38°C, which may well be correct. 

After the heating process it's time to wind down on the benches outside. Note on a busier day there's little space outside the cave for such. Views are excellent.

Scouring the view to Scauri, what happened to the horizon?

Anti
After dressing up we continue along the ridge southwards. 

The path climbs further and after 45 minutes one comes to an open pass from which one can see steam ahead in a small valley and steam from the right, up the hill. 

We decide to explore the right first. Named Fossa del Russo (Russian pits), it's a rather eerie place especially in the wind driven cloudy circumstances of our visit. On top there are some ruins built over some of the vents, nearby are more natural ones. Nature lovers heed that last year a major bush fire swept through here, might be a few years before it greens over.

Apparently, the place was used during WW II to station anti-aircraft guns. Part of the complex was built over the steam vents thus ensuring that the military didn't get cold. According to my source.

We then proceed to valley located springs, the Favare Grande. Along the ridge are a number of vents, letting off steam. Locals have built smaller structures around to let the steam condense before it evaporates in the dry sky: the condensation feeds small troughs of water for cattle purposes. Water is precious on Pantelleria.

Towel
There are very few English language references, despite the occurrence of a natural sauna cave being pretty unique on this planet. All my braincells can come up with are a sauna cave below the Hoover dam in the U.S.A., though it's probably more of a hot spring in a cave. 
Freeing my mind, google reminds of the opportunity missed last year on Milos (ah; note this link claiming it's the only one on this planet). There's another on Antartica (link) and in Guatemala (link).

Anyway Tripadvisor ranks a visit to Bagno Asciutto as

#5 of 43 things to do in Pantelleria.

It gives it 4.5 stars based on 260+ reviews, though only 3 (?) of these are in English.

Likewise Tripadavisor rates La Favare as 4.5 stars (18 reviews).

On the former, I did find this particularly interesting study on degassing on Pantelleria (Fabbro, 2010).

From the Rough Guide To Sicily (2017):

'From Sibà, another (signposted) path - on the left as you follow the road through the village - brings you in around twenty minutes to a natural sauna, the Grotta del Bagno Asciutto, where you can sweat it out for as long as you can stand. It's little more than a slit in the rock face, where you can crouch in absolute darkness, breaking out into a heavy sweat as soon as you enter. It's coolest at floor level; raising yourself up is like putting yourself into a pizza oven, while the ceiling is so hot it's impossible to keep the palm of your hand pressed flat against it. Ten minutes is the most you should attempt the first time - emerging into the midday sun is like being wafted by a cool breeze. Bring a towel'.

It all seems rather spectacular, then again Rough Guides are very Brits in their comparisons ... 

References

Fabbro, G. (2010) Degassing and Deformation on Pantelleria Magma Chamber, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, United Kingdom.