Hot springs with royal memories
At the edge of the hamlet of Loutra, the famous thermal springs of Kythnos have been welling up for centuries. These springs are the only ones in the Cyclades that operate in an organised manner to this day. Their reputation is lost to time. They were known for their therapeutic properties as far back as ancient times, whilst the first recorded visit dates to the 19th century, when Queen Amalia and King Otto regularly came here for spa therapy.
The springs are located in the north-eastern part of the island, in a small bay with a sandy beach, just 11 km from the Chora. Their waters are rich in sulphurous and iron elements, with temperatures ranging from 35°C to 52°C, and are considered beneficial for ailments of the joints, musculoskeletal and gynaecological systems, as well as the skin.
There are two main springs. One, known as Agioi Anargyroi, wells up inside the Hydrotherapy Centre. The second, known as the Kakavos spring, wells up 50m. away from the first and has iodinated, brominated and sodium chloride properties.
The historic Hydrotherapy Centre, an elegant neoclassical building from the 19th century, still operates today as an organised spa therapy centre under the supervision of the Municipality of Kythnos. Its facilities include individual baths, small pools and wellness services, retaining some of the glamour of the first spas of the modern Greek state.
Indulge in a bath in the natural seaside pool with the Aegean Sea as a backdrop and then wander through the narrow streets of the small settlement of Loutra, where the mansion of King Otto and Queen Amalia stands as an example of the area's old cosmopolitan heyday.
The springs are located in the north-eastern part of the island, in a small bay with a sandy beach, just 11 km from the Chora. Their waters are rich in sulphurous and iron elements, with temperatures ranging from 35°C to 52°C, and are considered beneficial for ailments of the joints, musculoskeletal and gynaecological systems, as well as the skin.
There are two main springs. One, known as Agioi Anargyroi, wells up inside the Hydrotherapy Centre. The second, known as the Kakavos spring, wells up 50m. away from the first and has iodinated, brominated and sodium chloride properties.
The historic Hydrotherapy Centre, an elegant neoclassical building from the 19th century, still operates today as an organised spa therapy centre under the supervision of the Municipality of Kythnos. Its facilities include individual baths, small pools and wellness services, retaining some of the glamour of the first spas of the modern Greek state.
Indulge in a bath in the natural seaside pool with the Aegean Sea as a backdrop and then wander through the narrow streets of the small settlement of Loutra, where the mansion of King Otto and Queen Amalia stands as an example of the area's old cosmopolitan heyday.
