Banos de la Hedionda
Banos de la Hedionda
4
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4.0
213 reviews
Excellent
89
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39
Poor
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6
SueJim126
Sheffield, UK515 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
Banos de la Hedionda is a Roman bath dating back to when Julius Caesar and his troops were camped in the area waiting to fight the troops of Pompeyo.
Many of the troops suffered from scabies and they found that their itching decreased after washing in the river. It is claimed Caesar himself ordered the building of the bath after being cured of a herpetic disease after bathing in the waters.
The Roman Bath is now enclosed in a white dome. The bath is quite small and not that well looked after but it is still great fun to swim in. The sulphurous water it not cold or hot just a nice temperature. There is a bit of a bad eggs smell but you soon get use to that.
There is a small main pool and a tunnel with a very low roof which you can swim down which one of the people there said led to a bigger chamber but I decided to give it a miss as it was a little claustrophobic for me.
Outside the baths there are two sulphurous pools that you can walk and sit in and if you go down a very short path this leads to the sulphurous river which again you can walk and sit in.
On the opposite side of the river is a wall of slimy rocks off of which you can scrape gritty mud and coat this onto yourself, rubbing it in is supposed to get the best results.
If you follow the river down there are some larger and deeper pools, but the bottom of the river is very uneven with lots of stones and rocks to walk over so we did not attempt this.
Tips: Don't take any jewellery, valuables, lots of money, credit cards etc as there is nowhere to safely keep them and the sulphurous water won't do your jewellery, watch, fitness tracker any good.
Take some flips flops as the pool and river floor are uneven, covered in small and large stones and when walking around the area around the bath and river you are walking on gravel paths.
There are no changing facilities, no toilets and nowhere to buy food and drink so you need to take your own.
You are out in the open so don't forget your suntan lotion and caps.
How to get there: Despite what a number of people have said getting there by car is quite easy.
If coming from Estepona on the A7, go past the roundabout where you would turn off for Casares. As you approach the next roundabout see the Lidle Supermarket on your right and a very large blue bridge across the carriageway.
At this roundabout turn right signposted 'Camino' and go up past the side of Lidle on the 'Camino los Banus'. This is a small side road with no central road markings.
If coming in the opposite direction on the A7 wait till you see large blue road sign, exit 145 – where you would turn off to get to Manilva, don't come off at this exit carry straight on under the underpass.
At the next roundabout, see very large blue bridge across the road, turn left signposted 'Camino' (third exit) and go up past the side of the Lidle Supermarket on the 'Camino los Banus'. This is a small side road with no central road markings.
Follow the 'Camino los Banus' for 4km, you will see occasional signs for a restaurant called the ‘Roman Oasis’.
After 4km as you approach the ‘huge legs’ of the motorway overpass, bear right onto a dirt track. Go under the underpass on this dirt track and keep going, until you come to a very basic car park (just a bit of cleared land) on your left, this is just before two No Entry signs. The car park is on a slope and the gravel surface does not give lots of traction so be careful where you park.
Don't be tempted to continue driving past the No Entry signs as the local police patrol the area and you risk getting a parking ticket or even worse having your car towed away.
Walk up the dirt track past the No Entry signs. There are minor paths going off this main path, but stay on the main path.
It’s a 10 minute walk from the car park to the baths on this dirt path. Eventually you go past a small church, San Adolfo on your right and then a larger abandoned building, San De La Hedionda, on your left, just after this see some wooden railings and steps on your right which lead down to the baths.
Many of the troops suffered from scabies and they found that their itching decreased after washing in the river. It is claimed Caesar himself ordered the building of the bath after being cured of a herpetic disease after bathing in the waters.
The Roman Bath is now enclosed in a white dome. The bath is quite small and not that well looked after but it is still great fun to swim in. The sulphurous water it not cold or hot just a nice temperature. There is a bit of a bad eggs smell but you soon get use to that.
There is a small main pool and a tunnel with a very low roof which you can swim down which one of the people there said led to a bigger chamber but I decided to give it a miss as it was a little claustrophobic for me.
Outside the baths there are two sulphurous pools that you can walk and sit in and if you go down a very short path this leads to the sulphurous river which again you can walk and sit in.
On the opposite side of the river is a wall of slimy rocks off of which you can scrape gritty mud and coat this onto yourself, rubbing it in is supposed to get the best results.
If you follow the river down there are some larger and deeper pools, but the bottom of the river is very uneven with lots of stones and rocks to walk over so we did not attempt this.
Tips: Don't take any jewellery, valuables, lots of money, credit cards etc as there is nowhere to safely keep them and the sulphurous water won't do your jewellery, watch, fitness tracker any good.
Take some flips flops as the pool and river floor are uneven, covered in small and large stones and when walking around the area around the bath and river you are walking on gravel paths.
There are no changing facilities, no toilets and nowhere to buy food and drink so you need to take your own.
You are out in the open so don't forget your suntan lotion and caps.
How to get there: Despite what a number of people have said getting there by car is quite easy.
If coming from Estepona on the A7, go past the roundabout where you would turn off for Casares. As you approach the next roundabout see the Lidle Supermarket on your right and a very large blue bridge across the carriageway.
At this roundabout turn right signposted 'Camino' and go up past the side of Lidle on the 'Camino los Banus'. This is a small side road with no central road markings.
If coming in the opposite direction on the A7 wait till you see large blue road sign, exit 145 – where you would turn off to get to Manilva, don't come off at this exit carry straight on under the underpass.
At the next roundabout, see very large blue bridge across the road, turn left signposted 'Camino' (third exit) and go up past the side of the Lidle Supermarket on the 'Camino los Banus'. This is a small side road with no central road markings.
Follow the 'Camino los Banus' for 4km, you will see occasional signs for a restaurant called the ‘Roman Oasis’.
After 4km as you approach the ‘huge legs’ of the motorway overpass, bear right onto a dirt track. Go under the underpass on this dirt track and keep going, until you come to a very basic car park (just a bit of cleared land) on your left, this is just before two No Entry signs. The car park is on a slope and the gravel surface does not give lots of traction so be careful where you park.
Don't be tempted to continue driving past the No Entry signs as the local police patrol the area and you risk getting a parking ticket or even worse having your car towed away.
Walk up the dirt track past the No Entry signs. There are minor paths going off this main path, but stay on the main path.
It’s a 10 minute walk from the car park to the baths on this dirt path. Eventually you go past a small church, San Adolfo on your right and then a larger abandoned building, San De La Hedionda, on your left, just after this see some wooden railings and steps on your right which lead down to the baths.
Written 18 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
camdentownie
London53 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
We really enjoyed our trip to these Roman baths - completely unspoilt and undeveloped, the ticketing system for the ancient baths worked really well and the unticketed area of the stream was lovely too. Would recommend water shoes if you have them as the stream bed is stonyand it is definitely worth walking/wading in the stream and having a little explore. Spotted two terrapins sleeping on rocks! Only shame is there seems to be a bit of a litter problem along the stream bank - the young lifeguards could presumably do a quick litter walk along the stream to make sure the idiots who don't clear up after themselves don't ruin it for others.
Written 8 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ASLA Travels
22 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
We were looking for something different to do on a day that was a bit overcast. Read about Banos de la Hedionda and decided to give it a try - we were not disappointed.
Banos de la Hedionda is in the hills of Casares/Manilva, and can be found by driving about 15 minutes from Estepona port (turn right next to the big Lidl and once in the hills, follow the white and blue striped tape in the trees). Parking is a bit random- there are specific car parks, but be careful as a lot of cars seem to get stuck in the sand trying to drive up the hills. You are better off trying to find a spot next to the road.
The ancient Roman baths are full of sulphur which flows from a sulphur flow, from a limestone crop in the valley above. Although this means it smells quite strongly of boiled egg, it's said to be great for the skin (definitely felt a lot softer afterwards!).
The area features a couple of 'pools' of water and what seems to be a small stream - with the wall next to it being where the sulphur 'clay' can be found.
Also here is a tunnel of caves. Although covered by a not very attractive white concrete wall, this is not to be missed. Once inside you can swim around the different tunnels at your leisure.
All in all a good place to visit when the weather is not too great by the coast. Good for both families and couples.
Banos de la Hedionda is in the hills of Casares/Manilva, and can be found by driving about 15 minutes from Estepona port (turn right next to the big Lidl and once in the hills, follow the white and blue striped tape in the trees). Parking is a bit random- there are specific car parks, but be careful as a lot of cars seem to get stuck in the sand trying to drive up the hills. You are better off trying to find a spot next to the road.
The ancient Roman baths are full of sulphur which flows from a sulphur flow, from a limestone crop in the valley above. Although this means it smells quite strongly of boiled egg, it's said to be great for the skin (definitely felt a lot softer afterwards!).
The area features a couple of 'pools' of water and what seems to be a small stream - with the wall next to it being where the sulphur 'clay' can be found.
Also here is a tunnel of caves. Although covered by a not very attractive white concrete wall, this is not to be missed. Once inside you can swim around the different tunnels at your leisure.
All in all a good place to visit when the weather is not too great by the coast. Good for both families and couples.
Written 9 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ricosavvi
6 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
We arrived to the sight of a dead goat with a bleeding wound in it's neck. This was off putting, but we decided not to think about it and pressed on. Beside the sunken spring there was an area for changing and this was covered in goat poo. This still didn't stop us as we'd come from England for this. The swimming was pleasant, but not hot as natural sulphur springs are normally and we were disappointed by this. As we were getting changed, we met a German couple who told us their friends had pulled the dead goat out of the main area where we'd just been swimming. 'How disgusting' we thought. Personally, I think that the goat constantly pooing up the baths had driven a local fan of the baths into a murderous red mist and he'd lost his rag and stabbed the goat and flung it in the baths in a rage.
Written 18 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam W
London, UK184 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
Visited Banos De La Hedionda this morning as the weather was a bit over cast, the destination is only 10 minutes from the small town of Estepona.
It is best to turn off the A7 on the roundabout where Lidl is and follow the road up into towards the mountains. Someone has tied small white and blue ribbons in the bushes and trees that line the road up to Banos de la Hediona follow these and they will lead you right up up to the small Ancient spa. (See my photos)
There is a small stream with a clay wall from which people have dug holes to cover themselves In the mud which is good fun and supposedly good for your skin. The Water has a strong smell of Rotten eggs due to the high concentration of sulphur in the water.
There is an ancient roman spa which you can bath inside very interesting and in the middle of know where definitely worth a trip, when staying in and around Estepona.
One thing to note the first car park is quite steep and some cars struggled on the entrance due to the gradient and loose gravel there is another a little further to the left of the no entry signs. Banos De la Hedionda is completely free to visit, there is a small Information desk and no shops to purchase any food or drinks!!
It is best to turn off the A7 on the roundabout where Lidl is and follow the road up into towards the mountains. Someone has tied small white and blue ribbons in the bushes and trees that line the road up to Banos de la Hediona follow these and they will lead you right up up to the small Ancient spa. (See my photos)
There is a small stream with a clay wall from which people have dug holes to cover themselves In the mud which is good fun and supposedly good for your skin. The Water has a strong smell of Rotten eggs due to the high concentration of sulphur in the water.
There is an ancient roman spa which you can bath inside very interesting and in the middle of know where definitely worth a trip, when staying in and around Estepona.
One thing to note the first car park is quite steep and some cars struggled on the entrance due to the gradient and loose gravel there is another a little further to the left of the no entry signs. Banos De la Hedionda is completely free to visit, there is a small Information desk and no shops to purchase any food or drinks!!
Written 9 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrightonNat
Brighton and Hove, UK52 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
Recommended by a friend and I can honestly say this is one of the best experiences I've enjoyed.
Tucked away, not easy to find but not too tricky to find either with the aid of a smartphone.
Armed with towels and swimwear off we went arrived at 1pm to find only one other family there. Oh joy!
Glad they were too as we could see they were merrily smearing mud over themselves. We followed suit! What fun. A magical place surrounded by tall bamboo and trees and roman ruins. Dip in the pools to wash off the mud then swim in the sulphur pools, which do not smell too bad at all.
And even better, this whole experience was FREE. Goodness.
I LOVED it.
Go, no hesitation in recommending.
Tucked away, not easy to find but not too tricky to find either with the aid of a smartphone.
Armed with towels and swimwear off we went arrived at 1pm to find only one other family there. Oh joy!
Glad they were too as we could see they were merrily smearing mud over themselves. We followed suit! What fun. A magical place surrounded by tall bamboo and trees and roman ruins. Dip in the pools to wash off the mud then swim in the sulphur pools, which do not smell too bad at all.
And even better, this whole experience was FREE. Goodness.
I LOVED it.
Go, no hesitation in recommending.
Written 7 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daghda
Haverfordwest, UK4 contributions
Apr 2016 • Couples
My husband and I set off to find Banos de la Hedionda and without putting the geographical coordinates into google maps it would have been tricky to find.
As you take a right, down the side of Lidal supermarket in Manilva you just keep on going straight. After a few minutes you will pass a huge railed car park on your left...keep going straight...you will see the only sign (Roman Baths) on the right hand side of the narrow lane....just keep going straight until you reach the motorway overpass...here you take a right, go under the overpass and just keep going you are about 3 mins away.
The road takes a sharp right and then on the left you will see a dilapidated house with Banos written on a plaque.
You will be going uphill and on the right you will see a wide path going down to the stream
By this time you will be able to smell the sulphur. Park up. Go down the path, you will see the stream in front of you and on your left you will see a white semi roofless building that the council 'wrapped around' this incredible ancient ground work.
Beware, the dirt road is in poor condition. I have a 4x4...I think I would have done it in a car...if its raining hard just don't bother!
Sulphur baths have always been a godsend for anyone suffering from arthritis or any other form of chronic inflammation. The mud is rich in minerals and I took a small pot to collect some. I live in San Pedro de Alcantara and this is a place where we will visit regularly.
I gave it an excellent review because it is free, the waters are healing, it is an adventure to find it....there are no facilities at all there...so its unspoilt...the building over and around the actual cavern that Julius Ceaser had constructed could do with an upgrade but who cares...being so unspoilt is a serious bonus.
Its not somewhere where I would take the dog or small children...
If you want to spend time there take supplies - water etc.
Have a great time!!!
As you take a right, down the side of Lidal supermarket in Manilva you just keep on going straight. After a few minutes you will pass a huge railed car park on your left...keep going straight...you will see the only sign (Roman Baths) on the right hand side of the narrow lane....just keep going straight until you reach the motorway overpass...here you take a right, go under the overpass and just keep going you are about 3 mins away.
The road takes a sharp right and then on the left you will see a dilapidated house with Banos written on a plaque.
You will be going uphill and on the right you will see a wide path going down to the stream
By this time you will be able to smell the sulphur. Park up. Go down the path, you will see the stream in front of you and on your left you will see a white semi roofless building that the council 'wrapped around' this incredible ancient ground work.
Beware, the dirt road is in poor condition. I have a 4x4...I think I would have done it in a car...if its raining hard just don't bother!
Sulphur baths have always been a godsend for anyone suffering from arthritis or any other form of chronic inflammation. The mud is rich in minerals and I took a small pot to collect some. I live in San Pedro de Alcantara and this is a place where we will visit regularly.
I gave it an excellent review because it is free, the waters are healing, it is an adventure to find it....there are no facilities at all there...so its unspoilt...the building over and around the actual cavern that Julius Ceaser had constructed could do with an upgrade but who cares...being so unspoilt is a serious bonus.
Its not somewhere where I would take the dog or small children...
If you want to spend time there take supplies - water etc.
Have a great time!!!
Written 24 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ulven666
Stockholm, Sweden143 contributions
Jul 2015
This is a great thing to do. It's a bit tricky to get there but if if you come from the north (on A-7) and you get to Sabanillas turn off at Lidl and drive on for 4-5 km. on Sundays there's a pretty good market there, also worth visiting. If you pass the market for about 3 km you'll find it.
We started to walk from the market (bad bad idea) and had to hitchhike back to pick up the car.
But it's definitely worth it. Do it!
We started to walk from the market (bad bad idea) and had to hitchhike back to pick up the car.
But it's definitely worth it. Do it!
Written 12 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
adamermash
Stockholm, Sweden11 contributions
Mar 2017 • Family
It is not easy to find, but it's worth the bother. Water is always about 20 degrees Celsius, the Roman baths, allegedly made by Caesar or by his command, are still strong. The place is remote and private. The bath is similar to springs of the Holy Land; if you have a torch as I had, you can wade or swim in deep water to the very source and discover three caves that produce the spring. One of the very best and unique experiences to be had in Spain. Blissfully non-commercialised.
Written 29 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hippos3
Hitchin, UK41 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
A great place to visit. Car park approximately 10 minutes to site.Really enjoyed visit.
A few things to note -
For the cave experience in summer need to book tickets on eventbrite.com - they are free but no reservation no entry.You should also have some means of light as there is none in the caves but what an experience.Really great.Followed this by a walk and meander in the river nearby where you can get your own mud and apply then rinse off. Things to note on this visit there is a sulphur smell but forget about it ! Need some sort of shoes for water to walk the river - otherwise it's really hard on feet.The final thing is when silver worn is combined with the sulphur water it creates silver sulphade.So silver looks black - I got mine back when I got back to uk with silver polish .
A few things to note -
For the cave experience in summer need to book tickets on eventbrite.com - they are free but no reservation no entry.You should also have some means of light as there is none in the caves but what an experience.Really great.Followed this by a walk and meander in the river nearby where you can get your own mud and apply then rinse off. Things to note on this visit there is a sulphur smell but forget about it ! Need some sort of shoes for water to walk the river - otherwise it's really hard on feet.The final thing is when silver worn is combined with the sulphur water it creates silver sulphade.So silver looks black - I got mine back when I got back to uk with silver polish .
Written 16 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A que temperatura esta el agua? Y si se puede ir todo el año
Written 27 November 2024
Hola, estamos en manilva. Mañana vamos al baño de la hedionda. Se puede llevar bocatas?
Written 26 July 2021
Hi,
We will be coming back out to Estepona next week and a friend recommended a visit here. Where is the best place to get a taxi/bus to, to reach it?
Thanks in advance.
Written 17 July 2017
Hello. We rented a van for 11 days. I didn't see any taxis there either. I'd say no on a bus, too. Depending on where you are staying in Estepona, it's easily 30 minutes by car. Sorry, I'm not much help. My 13 and 22 year old boys loved it.
Written 17 July 2017
Si. Horario libre. No hay entrada ni candado
Written 4 June 2017
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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