Dreams

rawsonova at Seljavallalaug:

Oh, I'll be your daydream, I'll wear your favorite things

Considering the last few postings, I think we can sneak some more pictures of Icelands soaking subjects.

In this selection I tried not to include copies and none are of the hot springs mentioned in Sascha's recent evaluations. 
I am gonna start off in the southwest (sort of) and follow the clock.

Hold on to your hats:

lizaa_f at Landmannalaugar:

Ze spacáku rovnou do pramene 👼🏼 #goodmorning #iceland #alliceland #hotsprings #landamannalaugar

fijalka.cz at Hvalfjarðarlaug(?):

Vecerni koupele za deste v islandskych horkych pramenech.Idealni vec na prohrati tela,kdyz vite,ze v noci bude mrznout a vy nemate zimni spacak...:) PS:moc to nefunguje :)

#iceland #hotspring #fjord #icelandicnature #bathing #westiceland #fijalka #travelblog #cestovatelskyblog

Free

eattrash_befree at Snorralaug:

🇮🇸🇮🇸🇮🇸🇮🇸

(I'm sorry for being basic)

More central west than south, both the above hot spring and below are often visited and posted on instagram.

anebsis at Landbrotlaug

#landbrotalaug #snaefellsnes #iceland #island #trip #roadtrip #view #greatview #europe #hotpot #clouds #hot #tattoos #tattooed #love #kiss #couple

 #landbrotalaug #snaefellsnes #iceland #island #trip #roadtrip #view #greatview #europe #hotpot #clouds #hot #tattoos #tattooed

#landbrotalaug #snaefellsnes #iceland #island #trip #roadtrip #view #greatview #europe #hotpot #clouds #hot #water

hrafnhilduredda at Flókalundur:

Endaði Ljómandi daga á Vestfjörðunum í þessari fínu náttúrulaug með 10 fingur og 20 tær, rúsínan í pylsuendanum var samt að fá að koma sumum á óvænt, með spontaneous heimsókn á Tálknafjörð til Guðbjargar Ríkey. Takk fyrir mig Vestfirðir, þetta var snilld! #Rauðisandur #Látrabjarg #Tálknó #Dettifoss #Selárdalur #CostaDelVestfirir

We are now well and truly in the West Fjords.
 

worldspaths at Reykjafjarðarlaug:

"Icelandic Freedom.

Do you can feel the joy?" Hot pots in the Westfjords.

#livefolk

#liveauthentic #ig_iceland #icelandic #hotpots #hotspring #ocean #westfjords #fujixe2 #fujifilmitalia #folks #travel #travelligram #adventuretime #adventure #freespirit #freedom #landscape #nature

bea_papillion at Pollurinn (?):

A year ago!? Times are a changing! #travel #Iceland #skinnydipping

breetashski at Stjáni:

My new favorite way to take a warm bath

#hotsprings #iceland #secreticeland #bath #nature #travel #explore #europe

Rights

jesse_be11 near Krafla geopower station:

When you come across a free hot shower on the side of the road in Iceland, the only rightful thing to do is get naked and use it.

marie_jope at Fosslaug:

♨️🌀 #hotwater #sotumblr #sopinterest #soinstagram #hotpot #naturalhotspring #waterfall #iceland #love #friends #roadtrip #travel

Goals

What follows are then two hot pot photo's with little indication of where they may be. Suggestions?

lbressi 

hopping into hidden hot springs with my fave @rpprpprpp | #iceland2016 #iceland #hotspring #cheesebox #waterfrontview #bourbon #offroad #explore #travel #traveler #wander #adventure

barbaria.c and radocation somewhere in the Westfjords:

What's more than a romantic private bath in a natural hot spring on our 7th anniversary? Only in Iceland you can enjoy these natural treats literally in the middle of wild nature privately for yourself ❤️. Thank you my love @radocation for the best 6 years of my life!
#travel #traveler #iceland #iceland2016 #icelandadventure #love #nature #adventure #wanderlust #backpacking #romantic #swimming #travelgram #travelblog #photo #photooftheday #picoftheday #selfie #instapic #instalike #instagood #like4like #follow4follow #followme #tbt #relationshipgoals #couple

Lost in Iceland ❤️ #hotspring #independentcouple #travel #traveller #iceland #traveltheworld #naturelovers #escape #travelgram #instacool #instapic #islandlife #wanderlust #wanderer #nomad #love #follow #amazing #island2016 #awesomeearthpix #planetearth #photo #instatravel #adventure #bath #livenaturism #instagram #couplegoals #photoofthenight #couple with @barbaria.c

Deserted

Caldeiras da Ribeira Grande: the renovated bath building

Waiting game

The hamlet of Caldeiras da Ribeira Grande (Caldeiras for short) has seen better times. 

And I mean not earlier in the day or such. 

But sometime in the past when many of the now abandoned buildings formed part of a thriving community.

Much of these structures stem from early nineteenth century (an inscription in the building above refers to 1811), when bathing in the hot waters at Caldeiras seemed to be taking off. 
However nowadays situated around the square are a number of empty buildings, a restaurant (today closed for seasonal repairs), the caldeiras themselves (caldeiras would translate as boiling cauldron) and a bath house, which surprisingly looks open for business.

And though there a couple of vehicles parked here (most probably those of fellow hikers) the square itself seems quite deserted.

That's other than the odd cat stretched out in the sun and a lady seated just outside the bathhouse. 
The bathhouse itself is open. But not open for business. The hostess announces that we can use the toilet facilities, but that since it's restoration (the year before?) the bathhouse itself is yet to welcome it's first soakers. No medical professional stationed here yet is the explanation; no medical advice to be proffered = no soaking! 

It looks like old habits die hard here as they anticipate to re-establish old-fashioned Portuguese style hotspringing here. That's  despite the huge popularity of soaking else where on São Miguel in highly natural circumstances. This must be evidence that focusing on tourists is certainly assisting the bottom line of these businesses.

I'm allowed to wander about the hallway of the quite small bathing house. Onto this hall a few doors open. Behind the doors are stark cubicles with a bath tub, very non-descript. That's all! Well, that does not spell well for the future of the bathhouse, doctor or not. 
I would imagine knocking out the rear walls and placing larger tubs which give a view of the luscious garden along the stream which runs behind the bathhouse.

Between the caldeiras and the bathhouse a channel flows, so one can at least soak ones feet. But let's go for a ramble first.

Salto

Ah the ramble. 
This leads one to the waterfall named Salto do Cabrito (Tripadvisor rates as no. 5 thing to do in Ribeira Grande). 

From Caldeiras the walk starts at what seems like a public possibility to cook your meals with geothermal warmth, see the photo following: 

The hike then continues, up a bit beyond numerous degas signs, to a swift flowing channel, part of the inlet for the nearby hydro power plant. Here you still smell sulfur (sulphur) so there are still sources nearby, probably fumaroles. 

From the here the trail heads down into the forest and crosses the river which it then follows to the waterfall itself, as pictured below.

The Salto, no skinnydipping for a change.

 

Note that one can also get to the Salto do Cabrito by car from the opposite direction as the waterfall ends at a hydro power plant. 

The walk itself continues and after the valley passes the geothermal power plant called Central Geotérmica do Pico Vermelho before returning back to Caldeiras. Certainly the walk between Caldeiras and the waterfall is worth the effort. 

Jessie on a Journey has a more expansive blog entry on the hike itself.

View towards Ribeira Grande.

Scope

Usually I would add a section about how others experienced their visit here, but there's precious little to speak of, certainly nothing noteworthy with the possible exception of the description under the following photo, which describes an original bath (?) as still on display in the bathhouse of Caldeiras.

The bath-house, which has been built by the town's people at Ribeira Grande for the good of the public, and is open at all hours of the day for their accomodation, is a long building, like a double coachhouse, and is divided into four compartments, in each of which a bath, six feet by three, has been sunk in the floor. Each apartment is paved, and each bath lined with a rough, honeycombed, scoriacenous stone, which time and water, and the backs of bathers, have worn sufficiently smooth to suit all but the most fastidious skins.

From J. Bullar & Bullar, H (1841) A winter in the Azores, and a summer at the baths of the Furnas, by J. and H. Bullar

 
So I'll proceed with a little more info on the surroundings.

Caldeiras de Riberia Grande sits among the third concentration of geothermal activity on the island, north central roughly alll near the town of Ribeiria Grande. Besides the hamlet of Caldeiras, there's the Caldeira Velha hot spring (forthcoming and a hot spring which is often confused with Caldeiras), the eerie Lago di Fogo (fire lake) atop the water divide with the southern part of the island and the geothermal station of ...

There's more geothermality in the neighbourhood. Has anyone ever heard of the nearby balneario Ladeira da Velha, a seaside bath not so far away but seriously in ruins? There's a full description on  geocache. 
Pity, if I had knew on forehand I might have made an effort.

As noted above the surroundings of Caldeiras stand witness to a plethora of signs warning for desgaseificaçao (photo below). Apparently extracting geothermal power has lead to higher levels of CO₂ discharge from/through the soil.

I've looked some info up on internet, here is a Portuguese news report. Fear not if coming for a visit, it is only prelonged exposure which may be hazourdous.

A bit off topic, continuing up the valley from Caldeiras you come to further ruins in this case from the Lombadas mineral water (Agua das Lombadas) bottling plant. Famous earlier last century, the waters that were used for bottling are still there to take a fill yourself. How to get there:

'To reach this place in the middle of nowhere with only wild volcanic nature around you have two options: Either you leave the car in the village of Caldeiras near the hot springs and the restaurant and follow the road you have just passed at the entrance to the village up to Lombadas – it is nearly 5 km of a fairly nice hike oneway ...'.

Landslides late last century resulted in the abandonment, though it could have been a conscious decision by owners to re-invest elders.

Just a couple more photo's to finish:

The cauldron

The cat (in shade)

The modern bath room (yuck?)

The source itself

Thermal?

In the Trás-os-Montes region (Portugal), the termais of Carvalhelhos fails to meet the grandeur / popularity of it's cousins. One should note though, that the the hot springs of Chaves, Vidago and Pedro Salgadas are all conveniently located in the Rio Támega valley floor which with their natural accessibility has afforded them to expand to cater to outside visitors.

Carvalhelhos, located in the hills west of the Rio Támega, has had more opportunity to slowly evolve. Located just outside the village,  the spa complex lies around a small stream within extensive forests. Just beyond the spa building the road crosses the stream there is a buvette. Despite the obvious lack of visitors, the buvette is manned and we are afforded a free glass of water. No need to sign a legal waiver here.

Apparently, development has only taken place from just before the last war and in part is stunted as the company running the thermal complex is more focused on bottling the water (bottler).

The Termasdeportugal website has this:

'Situated at an altitude of 800m de altitude, at the foot of a pre-Roman fort and surrounded by the leafy park of Serras do Barroso, Carvalhelhos spa (said to be holy due to their healing powers) provide a revitalising rest. The moderately mineralised water are indicated for restoring the body's natural balance and are particularly recommended for skin diseases and dermatological pathologies, digestive system and circulatory conditions'. 

Unfortunately that is the extent of the info. 

From this site, I learn that the water temperature is a lukewarm 22C, possibly not a hot spring? Wikipedia adds a couple of degrees and adds a Roman connection. It begs the question as to what Portugal accepts as thermal spring, anything above 20C?

source

Above shows the buvette. When we visited, a tired looking young chap reluctantly serves us a cup of water. Not hot.

Fonte Vidago

Interior design of one of Vidago's buvettes.

Probably does not depict an actual daily occurrence (unless in the fantasy of artist).

Pendulum
The area surrounding the town of Chaves in northern district of Vila Real (Portugal; also known as Trás-os-Monte, beyond the mountains) is reknown for it's thermal baths. 

Romans were already aware of this and had their thermal establishment in Chaves itself. But since the departure of the Romans there was little to entice the avid Portuguese soaker until the pendulum swung the other way.

'Although the therapeutic qualities of thermal water have been known in Portugal for a long time it was only in the 18th century that King Dom Jao officially recognised the therapeutic effects of thermal water (Portugal, n.d.) [1]'.

It took until the latter part of the 19th century / beginning of the 20th century before both Vidago and Pedras Salgadas, small towns to the south of Chaves, became focal points of grand baths. Establishments were constructed which sought to curry flavour with the Portuguese high society combining thermal baths with extensive gardens / parks and high class wining and dining. 

Palatial
Focussing mostly on the establishment of the Vidago thermal baths, the Portuguese website of Águais Termais has an extensive entry which also lists the many advantages attributed to the thermal waters of Vidago. Other info garned comes from this source: 

'The hot springs of Vidago were discovered in 1863, when the first analysis was carried out, and two years later they became the property of the local council of Chaves. In 1873 the Water Company of Vidago took over the operation of the springs, building facilities and starting work on the Grande Hotel, which was not completed until 1910'.

If a republican uprising had not occurred earlier in the month, the King himself would have inaugurated the Vidago Palace hotel and baths in October 1910. However though the royal family commissioned the 'palace' hotel, they were never in the opportunity to take up residency, thanks to the revolutionaries. Thus it were the lesser aristocrats which formed it's mainstay. 

Stars
Things apparently went swimmingly until the sixties. 

Renovated during the early nineties, it still caters to the very high end of clientèle.  
Tripadvisor notes it's 5-star grade and it's travellers rating feedback also garners the maximum status excellent (this based on 90+ reviews). 
With prices for current bookings for June 2013 ranging from 130€+ (on booking.com; booking.com rates Vidago Palace at 9.4 based on nearly 300 reviews!), this may well be a bargain. But do note that with 5-stars ambiance comes bland atmosphere, see what standard wear one requires partake on the golf course (see photo below).

Artsy
Heavily influenced by the Belle Époque (and Art Nouveau) construction style, the park and buildings evoke an air of former times. If not able to afford a stay (do note that this part of Portugal entertains cheaper prices than for instance the Algarve) a visit is well worth to take in the atmosphere and the peculiarities of the buildings. 

There is the main building itself as well as various smaller buildings including the obligatory buvette which is exquisite from both the outside as from the inside.

 

Excuse
Listed as having a number of in and outdoor baths, it's soaking qualities are less obvious. 
The palace itself offers a huge range of therapies of which thermal water bathing is just one of the many. 
It's also unclear whether outside guests may enjoy some of the soaking possibilities and how. Strange how all photo's are devoid of persons. Begs the question whether the intentions are to use the facilities. 
Anyway it charges a 50€ consultation fee and 20€ application fee before the real fees kick in .... (10 minute 'bath': 20€).

The water qualities according to the hotel website: 

'Water from Vidago has been bottled since 1886 and can still be tasted direct from the source, in its highly concentrated and naturally carbonated form, from one of four spring fountains that reach the surface in the parkland surrounding Vidago Palace. The water’s chemical composition is slightly different at each spring (each housed in an ornate, Belle Epoque pavilion) but all share an exceptionally high mineral content - particularly of iron - which is said to have therapeutic properties. Generations ago, physicians would prescribe specific fountains from which to drink and encourage patients to ‘walk the water’ - by taking their daily constitutional along the forest paths that lead from one fountain pavilion to the next'.

Genuine natural soakers (includes myself) are excused from visiting Vidago alas ...

Notes:
[1] Erfurt-Cooper, P., Cooper, M. (2009) Health and Wellness Tourism: Spas and Hot Springs. Aspects of Tourism 40. Channel View Publications, Bristol, United Kingdom.