Terme di Sirmione: The SPA & Thermal Garden

The Boiola Spring Under the Lake

The Fonte Boiola is a hyperthermal sulphurous salso-bromo-iodic spring that reaches 69 C at the source. It rises 19 metres below lake level, which is why nobody could use it for centuries. The spring was already known in the 16th century, but only piping at the end of the 19th century brought the water ashore (Italian Wikipedia).

The company behind the Terme di Sirmione has worked with this water for more than 130 years, building its reputation on treatments for breathing problems. You can see the point where the spring surfaces offshore on the 25-minute Sirmione peninsula cruise, which passes the sulphur spring from the water.

From 1889 to the SPA & Thermal Garden

At the end of the 19th century the spring was finally piped up from the lake bed, and a plaque on the house called dei Promessi Sposi records that the use of the Boiola water began there in 1889. Piping made the first proper spa building possible. The company has since treated breathing problems for more than 130 years.

Today the public spa at the Terme Catullo site covers over 10,000 square metres and was called Aquaria until it was renamed SPA & Thermal Garden. It stands at Piazza Don A. Piatti 1, a few minutes' walk from the castle in the historic centre.

The Outdoor Thermal Pool

The outdoor and indoor thermal pools hold water at 34 C in summer and 36 C in winter, so they stay usable through the colder months. The outdoor pool is 140 centimetres deep, deep enough that weak swimmers should stay near the edge. Next to it runs a vascular path with alternating basins at 24 C and 34 C, the cold-and-hot circuit that stimulates circulation.

The spa's map suggests about 20 minutes in each thermal pool. Bring your own slippers, because they are mandatory from the changing area and are not part of the welcome kit.

The Infinity Pool Over the Lake

The infinity pool is filled with fresh water rather than thermal water and sits at 30 C, facing straight over Lake Garda. It is the cooling counterpoint after a sauna session or a spell in the 36 C winter pools,. Between pools you can use the salt room, the Turkish bath or the Roman bath, all part of the Spa&Saunas admissions.

There is no outside food or drink allowed, but a Bistrot inside serves meals Sunday to Thursday 9:00-21:30 and Friday to Saturday 9:00-23:00.

The Saunas and Steam Rooms

The outdoor Finnish sauna looks over the lake, and a circuit of three saunas runs Aufguss sessions, where water and essences are poured on the stones. The Turkish bath, Roman bath and salt room round out the warm areas. The Spa&Saunas admissions include all of this, and the spa's map suggests 15-20 minutes per sauna session plus a cooling phase.

Pregnant travellers should skip the Finnish sauna and the whirlpools, which the operator explicitly does not recommend in pregnancy. Plan water breaks, especially in the five-hour and All Day admissions.

The Solarium Jetty and the Quiet Rooms

A solarium jetty runs out over the lake, made for sunbathing and an aperitif at sunset. Indoors, the quiet rooms are the salt room, a music room and a starry-sky room with loungers, built for doing nothing between pools. The welcome kit includes a bathing cap and towel, and some admissions add a bathrobe.

The 45-minute sunset tour with Prosecco leaves from the harbour by the castle, so an evening spa slot followed by a sunset cruise is a workable combination in the same small corner of Sirmione.

Short (2 hours, $27.93 (€25)) suits a break between the castle and the Grottoes. Last Time ($21.23 (€19)) is the cheapest entry until closing. The 5-hour Spa&Saunas ticket is the standard choice, and All Day ($96.08 (€86), Monday to Friday) adds a wellness salad, a soft drink and a product.

Evening entries run until closing at $37.98 (€34) Sunday to Thursday and $44.69 (€40) on Friday and Saturday.

Weekday or Weekend

The same five hours cost $15.64 (€14) less Monday to Thursday than Friday to Sunday, which is our sum of the two official prices. That is the easiest saving at the spa: shift a long spa day to early in the week and you pay $49.16 (€44) instead of $64.80 (€58). If your dates are fixed to a weekend, book well ahead, because entry without a reservation is not guaranteed.

Booking Is Compulsory

You must always book through the online portal. Entry is not guaranteed without a reservation, so turning up on spec is a gamble, especially on summer weekends. Reservations can be cancelled up to 48 hours before your slot and rescheduled within 6 months, which gives you a margin if the weather turns.

Pick your slot when you plan the rest of the day, and pair it with other Sirmione activities around it. Do not plan a boat trip so tight that a delayed arrival burns paid hours.

What to Bring and What to Leave

Swimsuit and slippers are mandatory from the changing area. The welcome kit covers a bathing cap and towel, and bathrobes come with some admissions. There are no safes for valuables, and metal oxidises in the thermal water, so rings, watches and jewelry should stay at your lodging.

No outside food or drink is allowed, and the indoor Bistrot covers meals until 21:30 on weekdays and 23:00 on Friday and Saturday. Lockers in the changing rooms hold your clothes and bag.

Children and Pregnancy

Children from 30 months to 16 years are admitted only with an adult, and the Junior 5-hour admission for ages 30 months to 11 years costs $31.28 (€28). There is no admission for children under 30 months, so leave babies with another adult. Pregnant travellers should avoid the Finnish sauna and the whirlpools, which the operator does not recommend during pregnancy.

The thermal pools themselves are warm rather than hot, but if you are expecting, ask your doctor before booking any long admission.

Treatments on Prescription

The Therapy District, formerly called Terme Virgilio, sits in Colombare, a separate part of Sirmione from the historic centre. It is the medical side of the Terme di Sirmione and treats breathing problems under the Italian National Health Service. Under the Italian health service a patient can have one 12-day cycle a year on a doctor's prescription, paying a co-pay of $61.45 (€55).

Private examinations and treatments are also sold, and only massages need no medical examination first. The district is worth knowing about because it explains the company's medical reputation, built over more than 130 years on the Boiola water. Do not confuse it with the SPA & Thermal Garden at Piazza Don A. Piatti 1, which is the leisure spa with the admissions above.

• The thermal water reaches 69 C at the Fonte Boiola source under the lake (Terme di Sirmione)
• The spring rises 19 metres below lake level, so it could not be used until it was piped at the end of the 19th century (Italian Wikipedia)
• A plaque on the house called dei Promessi Sposi records that the use of the Boiola water began there in 1889 (the plaque, photographed on Wikimedia Commons).
• The spa at the Terme Catullo site covers over 10,000 square metres (VisitSirmione)
• The spa was called Aquaria until its renaming, and vouchers and bookings made under the old name are still valid (Terme di Sirmione).

By Car

Take the A4 motorway to the Sirmione exit, then park at the Monte Baldo car park, 700 metres from the village, and walk about 15 minutes to the spa, per the operator's own FAQ. Do not drive toward the castle: the summer ZTL runs 23 March to 13 October, requires prior authorisation and registers plates electronically, and fines run from $92.73 (€83) to $372.03 (€333). Rental advice is on car hire at Lake Garda.

In the boat season you can also leave the car in Desenzano and arrive by ferry.

By Train, Bus or Ferry

The nearest stations are Desenzano and Peschiera, both about 10 kilometres from Sirmione. From either, take a taxi or bus, then walk 10 to 15 minutes to the spa. From April to October a shuttle bus links Colombare to the historic centre.

Passenger boats stop running across the lake from 2 November to 12 March, when only the Maderno-Torri car ferry crosses, so in winter plan around buses and taxis. Our getting around page compares all the options, and rainy day ideas put the warm pools in context.

The Scaliger castle and the Grottoes of Catullus both close on Mondays, which strands many Monday day-trippers. The SPA & Thermal Garden opens every single day, 9:00-22:00 Sunday to Thursday and 9:00-24:00 Friday and Saturday. A Monday therefore works well as the spa day: book a slot, then fill the gaps with the 25-minute peninsula cruise, which runs from the harbour by the castle regardless of museum openings.

Move the castle and the Roman ruins to Tuesday and start there at 8:30.