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Hotel Gran Balneario Blancafort in La Garriga.
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Hotel Gran Balneario Blancafort in La Garriga.
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Hotel Gran Balneario Blancafort in La Garriga.
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Hotel Gran Balneario Blancafort in La Garriga.
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Hotel Gran Balneario Blancafort in La Garriga.
1. La Garriga
Just 45 minutes from Barcelona by car or train, La Garriga has been famous for centuries for the properties of its thermal waters, traditionally used to treat medical conditions. The water is said to be high in silica and organic matter, giving it a distinctive, smooth sensation. La Garriga itself boasts some impressive architecture, and if you walk along the street that hugs the railway line, you can admire the modernista mansions built by Barcelona’s wealthy elite over 100 years ago, who came in droves to take the waters. You can imagine yourself part of this elite by taking a trip to the beautiful Hotel Gran Balneario Blancafort, which opened in 1840. Its lovely manicured gardens and peaceful setting make it ideal for a relaxing, battery-recharging weekend. A one-night stay, including breakfast and access to the thermal center, costs from €110 per couple.
Getting there: At just 40 kilometers north of Barcelona, you can hop in your can and be in La Garriga in 45 minutes. You can also get to La Garriga by train directly from Barcelona Plaça de Catalunya station on the R3, and the journey takes under an hour.
Balneario Broquetas in Caldes de Montbui.
2. Caldes de Montbui
Built around its thermal waters, Caldes de Montbui lies 30 kilometers from Barcelona in the Vallés region. It was Catalunya’s first thermal town and is home to the best preserved Roman baths in the peninsula. The spring waters emerge at over 74ºC, placing them among the hottest in Europe. Visitors can stroll around the old town and see the hot spring sources.
The Balneario Broquetas dates from 1770, although it is now housed in an elegant modernista building. They offer a number of different day packages, priced from €53. If you want to pamper yourself and make a weekend of it, stay in one of their recently refurbished rooms.
Getting there: Though Caldes de Montbui is only 34 kilometers north of Barcelona, it's not on a train line, so your best option is to go by car, which takes about half an hour. If driving isn't an option, you can catch the e9 bus from Sagrera Metro Station and it will drop you at the Caldes de Montbui bus station in the center of town in just under an hour.
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Caldes d'Estrac, photo by Deosringas (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons.
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Balneari Caldes d'Estrac.
3. Caldes d’Estrac
This pretty beach town lies 50 minutes from Barcelona on the Maresme coast and was a fashionable spa town for the Barcelona bourgeoisie between the late 19th century and early 20th century. Evidence of its wealthy visitors and residents can be seen today in the elegant modernista villas in the center of the town and on the Passeig dels Anglesos promenade. Also known as Caldetes, Caldes d’Estrac is now a popular summer resort for its immaculate beaches within easy reach of Barcelona by train. The town’s thermal waters, which emerge from the source at 39ºC, were first enjoyed by the Romans, who named the town Aquae Calidae and established the first baths in what is now the old part of town. The thermal baths that can be enjoyed today, the Balneari Caldetes, were built in the 19th century on the same site as the Roman baths and are the only publicly-owned thermal baths in Spain. Prices are reasonable—a 40-minute session in the mineral-medicinal thermal pool and hydrotherapy in the thermal Jacuzzi is €27.00 per person or €50.00 for couples.
Getting there: Only 40 kilometers up the coast, Caldes d’Estrac is really easy to access by both car and mass transport. It's a 40-minutes drive, or an hour on the R1 train from Plaça de Catalunya.
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Hotel Balneari Termes Orion in Santa Coloma de Farners.
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Hotel Balneari Termes Orion in Santa Coloma de Farners.
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Magme Spa in Santa Coloma de Farners.
4. Santa Coloma de Farners
Located in La Selva in Girona Province, the town of Santa Coloma de Farners is built over an abundance of natural springs, which were discovered in around 1700 by farmers harvesting cànem (hemp) in the area. The Termes Orion spa was constructed 160 years later, using the 42-degree hot spring water for its ailing guests, most of whom came from Barcelona. The spa fell into disrepair during the Civil War, but was revamped and reopened in 1978. Elegant and classical, it stands peacefully in plentiful gardens with immaculate lawns. Although Termes Orion’s focus has historically been on thermal spring water treatments, the new demand for stress release has prompted many new relaxation treatments.
Less than a kilometer from Termes Orion is Magma Spa. This new spa has a family focus, so you can take the kids along without worrying about disturbing anyone. There are multiple indoor and outdoor pools, fountains, jets and a designated pool for small children. Both spas use the same thermal spring source, but Magma’s pools are treated, while Orion’s pool is not.
Getting there: You best option is to go by car so you can explore the area. The 80-kilometer ride takes about an hour via the AP-7 motorway. You can also take a Renfe Media Diatancia train from Barcelona Sants to Sils, which is about eight kilometers from Santa Coloma. From there it's about 10 minutes by taxi, or it's just two stops on the Teisa bus service on the Amer-Santa Coloma de Farners-Sils line.
Balneari Vichy Catalán, photo by Cherubino (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons.
5. Caldes de Malavella
Not far form Santa Coloma de Farners is the small town of Caldes de Malavella, the proud home to Vichy Catalan—the mineral water you either love or hate. The town has been known for its healing waters since Roman times and the spring here emerges at 60ºC, enabling the water to absorb the chemical elements found in the subsoil. The Vichy Catalan group created a hotel-spa in a lovely 19th-century modernista building, where you can soak up the elegant surroundings whilst immersing your body in pools that are a delicious 36-38ºC. There’s an impressive range of services on offer—specific treatment programs can last from two to seven days. The stars of the show are, of course, those using the Vichy Catalan water, such as the pressure and massage showers.
Also built at the end of the 19th century is the Hotel Balneari Prats, a thermal center set in an impressive neoclassical-style building. The spa has a wide range of treatments from mud therapy to bamboo massages and thermal baths with seaweed. The spa is also a hotel with comfortable, modern rooms, and they offer various weekend pampering packages to nurture body and soul.
Getting there: Located 90 kilometers to the northeast of Barcelona, Caldes de Malavella is an hour and 20 minutes by car. If you prefer to go by train, you can catch a Renfe Media Diatancia train from Barcelona Sants that takes you directly to Caldes de Malavella. Balneari Vichy Catalan is about 500 meters from the station and Hotel Balneari Prats is another 500 meters.
Published March 3, 2015, updated November 7, 2023.