Due to the island’s volcanic history, Ischia is known for its natural hot springs and thermal baths, and Poseidon Giardini Terme is the mother of all thermal spas.  Oh Em Gee was this place amazing.  It was like a water park for adults with hot springs pools instead of waterslides.  Much like a water park, you pay to get in, and then you can spend the whole day hanging out in the water.

A wristband gives you access to the park

The main boardwalk of the park

Located right on the sea, the Giardini Terme (thermal gardens) has its own private beach.  It is suggested that you start your day in the sea and that you exercise a little bit in the water to get your muscles loosened up.  So we did as we were told and jumped in the ocean at 9:30 am.  Then we headed to the pools.

There are around 20 pools on the property with varying water temperatures.  The coolest one is 28 degrees celsius (83 Fahrenheit) and each pool is gradually warmer than the last – 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 degrees.  The idea is that you start in the coolest pool and spend about 20 minutes hanging out or floating around.  (They are all saltwater pools so you can literally float around if you want.)  Then you move on to the next warmer pool.  As we worked our way along the circuit, I became more and more relaxed and I moved slower and slower.  It was so great.

A view of the pools and the sea from up on the mountainside

The massage building

We spent the morning going from pool to pool, and we did one of the hot/cold pools right before lunch.  What is the hot/cold pool, you ask?  It is torture.  First you sit in the hot side which is like a hot jacuzzi, 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).  You sit there for a few minutes until you finally become used to it.  Then you rush into the cold pool, 15 degrees C (59 F) and submerge yourself up to your chin.  Have you ever had a sprained ankle and you had to put your foot into a bucket of ice water?  Imagine doing this with your whole body.  To quote Chad, “Argh!!!  Who invented this!!!”  (Only he didn’t say, “argh.”)  You sit in the cold water for 20 seconds and then you go back to the hot pool.  At this point, the hot water feels even hotter, and it feels like thousands of little pins are being poked into your skin.  Then do this two more times.  Chad and I nicknamed this the Shock and Awe pool.

Many of the pathways had spring water running alongside

Because all of the pools are fed by natural spring water, there is no chlorine.  In order to keep the water clean, there are two rules – 1) you must wear a bathing cap (which made me think we were swimming in the 1900s) and 2) you can’t wear sunscreen or lotions.  Needless to say, after a morning in the pools, I was sunburned and we were both hungry, so we went to the cafeteria for lunch.  Of course, the water park cafeteria food in Italy is really good.

Lunch – lasagna, caprese salad, prosciutto and melon plus sparkling water and some white wine

Then we spent the afternoon reading, chatting, and snoozing in the shade.  At the end of the day, we took a trail up the mountain to the Grotto di Vino (wine cave) to have a small glass of wine and look down on the sea.

We spent out afternoon in beach chairs in the shade

Cool rock formations up by the wine grotto