The magical-looking landscape of the thermal baths in the Tuscan woods make visiting the Bagni di San Filippo a real treat. We loved visiting this place and think it should be on your bucket list when visiting Tuscany! We got you covered on everything there is to know to plan your visit and experience it for yourself.
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What are the Bagni di San Filippo
The Bagni di San Filippo are a series of hot springs located in southern Tuscany, near the town of Bagni San Filippo, in the province of Siena. Just like the more popular hot springs of Saturnia, it is a sulphur-rich natural spring creating several ponds where visitors can swim and relax.
The area has been known since ancient times for its thermal waters which over time have created spectacular limestone formations, waterfalls and numerous hot tubs where you can immerse yourself. Since these hot springs are not on most tourists’ radar yet, they have maintained their original appearance.
The hot ponds are surrounded by a dense pine forest and limestone hills. They are nestled at the bottom of a small valley – referred to as Fosso Bianco – a really beautiful sight to see!
The water of Bagni San Filippo flows at 48°C/118.4°F! It is so high that these free baths are very pleasant even during the coldest winter months. When you enter the natural pools filled with boiling water, don’t forget to collect the precious thermal mud from the bottom of the ponds. You can spread this mud on yourself, as it helps to smooth the skin.
After walking for just 400 meters on a dirt trail, you’ll be approaching Bagni di San Filippo’s most recognizable landmark. It’s the Balena Bianca (White Whale in English)!
La Balena Bianca (The White Whale)
The Balena Bianca is an impressive limestone formation created by the continuous flow of sulphur water. This immense block of bright white limestone that has formed over time thanks to the numerous sediments of the boiling thermal waters.
The huge limestone boulder is made of rounded shapes and has the typical white color of the calcic rocks. This mix closely resembles how, in the popular imagination, the famous Moby Dick of Melville is represented. That is the White Whale which today these free spas are named after.
The immense block of bright white limestone that has formed over time thanks to the numerous sediments of the boiling thermal waters. And it is precisely from this huge whale-shaped monolith that the thermal waters flow relentlessly. The conformation of the White Whale means that the waters flow like a powerful cascade of very hot water, ideal for a swim in the coldest months of the year.
⚠️ TRAVEL RESPECTFULLY: While climbing the rock formations of the Balena Bianca sounds appealing to most, it is actually prohibited to step on it. Sadly, most people do it anyway, risking their life for the sake of a photo.
Beyond the Balena Bianca, there are several other ponds and small hot lakes where you can swim. You can walk in either direction from the Balena Bianca, up or down the stream, and you’ll find several beautiful spots. It’s worth walking around to find less crowded, but just as beautiful, sections.
How to get to the Bagni San Filippo
Bagni San Filippo is a charming town located in the municipality of Castiglione d’Orcia, between the Val d’Orcia and Monte Amiata, in southern Tuscany.
Getting to Bagni di San Filippo by car
Bagni di San Filippo can easily be reached by car from other popular places in the Val d’Orcia like Pienza, Montepulciano and Montalcino. From Pienza, for instance, Bagni di San Filippo are just 25km away, or a half an hour drive.
It is also a very doable day trip from many other regions and cities around Italy. I.e., Bagni San Filippo is just 180km (2h) from Rome, 150km (1h50m) from Florence and 85km (1h35m) from Perugia.
🅿️ Parking at Bagni di San Filippo
The nearest parking spots are located along the entire Via Fosso Bianco, which is also where the trail to Balena Bianca starts. These are paid parking, and are designated by blue lines on the pavement. Parking costs 1.5€/h, and it applies every day of the week from 8AM to 8PM from 15/03 to 31/10.
In the rest of the year (from 01/11 to 14/03), paid parking applies from 8AM to 5PM.
Free parking (designated by white lines) are located further down the road, after the town of Bagni San Filippo. Check out the map below to see its exact location!
Getting to Bagni di San Filippo by public transport
If you’re travelling by train, take the intercity or regional service from Florence or Rome to Chiusi-Chianciano Terme station. From here, you can reach Bagni San Filippo by bus (direction to Santa Fiora) or by taxi.
You can check train times and buy your tickets online (or at the train itself) with TrenItalia. They also have an App you can download. If you buy your tickets online or using the app, you don’t need to vlidate them before you board, which is convenient.
If however you buy them on site, you need to validate them at the train station. You can do so by punching them in the small machines you’ll find on the columns and walls along the train platforms. If you can’t find them, there’s an info point at every station where you can ask for help.
Here is some helpful info for planning and budgeting your ride by train:
From Florence Santa Maria Novella station to Chiusi-Chianciano, the cost of a direct regional train starts at €14.40 EUR ($14.70 USD)/one way and takes 1.50 hrs to get there.
From Rome Termini station to Chiusi-Chianciano, a ticket for a direct regional train costs €10.50 EUR ($10.70 USD). It is referred to a one way trip and it takes 2.35 hrs to get there.
The good thing about regional trains is that there are many and they tend to come frequently. Since there are no assigned seats, you don’t need to worry about which car you get into. Just note that unless you paid more for your ticket (which tends to be reserved for class 1 of the cars), you can sit in any car from 2 onwards.
Trek to the Bagni San Filippo
Once you get to Bagni San Filippo, the hot springs are accessible after a short trek referred to as “Sentiero Fosso Bianco“.
The trail begins in front of the Bar La Cascata, in the town of Bagni San Filippo. It’s a relatively easy and short pathway to the Balena Bianca, with more trails to explore to reach further spots. You will see a brown sign indicating “Fosso Bianco”, take it and follow it for a few minutes.
After a couple of hundred meters you will find a first white rock formation. This isn’t the famous Balena Bianca, and it’s much smaller in size. As you can see in the image below, cars and buildings are still visible on top of the slope, which gives an idea of how close the hot springs are to the starting point. The first thing to do is crossing the thermal water stream, and there is a wooden table to help you get to the other way.
From here, you have two options: walk down the stream to reach the Balena Bianca. Walk up the stream to reach the smaller hidden pools of Bagni San Filippo.
Trek to the Balena Bianca
From this point onwards, the path becomes very slippery in each direction. It isn’t particularly muddy or difficult, but some parts are steep and it’s easy to fall. Avoid flip flops for the trek. Wear trekking shoes, sandals or aquatic shoes instead.
The Balena Bianca, as well as many hot turquoise pools will appear in a matter of minutes. If you’re aiming for the hottest water, look for the pipe that brings water on top of the white rock formations, or just look for the steam. The closer you are to the pipe, the hotter the water is. Further down the stream the temperature decreases and the water becomes more lukewarm.
In the first image you can see the hottest ponds of Bagni di San Filippo. In the second picture, the Balena Bianca and more hot spring pools. These are the main two spots to bath at the Bagni di San Filippo, but you can find many more pools before and after the Balena Bianca.
Trek to the hidden pools of Bagni San Filippo
Most people who visit Bagni di San Filippo are only interested in seeing the Balena Bianca. A huge part of them is not even aware of the existence of the secluded and incredibly hot secret pools at Bagni di San Filippo.
To reach them, you need to walk upstream after crossing the stream. Once again, you will see several smaller ponds before the stream takes an unexpected turn up the cliff. Follow it and you will start seeing more and more pools.
These ponds are different in colour compared to the ones of the Balena Bianca. In fact, they are not turquoise, due to the absence of the white minerals. Instead, the rocks and the thermal muds who make the pools are of a black colour, and the water is surprisinlgy hot.
Below you can find a map summing-up everything we discussed above.
🗺️ HOW TO USE THIS MAP: Click the top left icon to get more info about this map. Use the star icon next to the title to save it in your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, then go to “your places“, tap on “maps” and you will see this map on your list.
Where to stay near Bagni San Filippo
The best place to stay next to the Bagni di San Filippo is B&B Il Fosso Bianco. This nice bed and breakfast is the most affordable accommodation around and it’s also great value for money. A double room costs around 70€/night and sleeps two people. The structure is located in the heart of the town of Bagni San Filippo, just 2 minutes away from the starting point of the trek.
Casa Gelsomino is also located in the town of Bagni San Filippo, and this one-bedroom apartment sleeps 2 to 4 people. The apartment costs 100€/night for 2 people and 140€/night for 4 people.
People who are looking for a longer stay might consider staying at Casa Vacanze San Francesco. This two-bedroom apartment sleeps 4 people and only costs 70€/night (just 17.5€ per person!). However, the minimum duration of your stay is 7 days! There is also a three-bedroom apartment option which sleeps 7 people.
Bagni San Filippo can also easily be visited by other towns in Southern Tuscany as a day trip, so you may consider staying in other beautiful places such as Pienza, San Quirico d’Orcia or Montepulciano.
Entrance fee at Bagni San Filippo
Bagni di San Filippo is free! Yes, there is no entrance fee to visit this stunning place. All you have to pay for is the parking, but only if you decide to park in one of the spots marked with blue lines.
Plan Your Trip
Best time to visit
The sulphur water at Bagni di San Filippo is very hot year round. Summer months (June to August) are usually the busiest ones, since it’s the time most Italians get their holidays. However, being a hot spring, Bagni di San Filippo is way more enjoyable when the air temperature is lower. Spring and autumn are great, but the spring can also be visited during winter time.
At the same time, keep in mind that the pools of Bagni di San Filippo are located at the bottom of a valley. Here, rainwater flows during rainstorms, and most ponds become muddy and unpleasant. This is the main downside of travelling to Bagni di San Filippo during low season, so make sure to check weather forecast before visiting.
Talking about days of the week, weekdays are preferrable over weekends as the pools are way less crowded. The ideal time to visit would be on a weekday during low-season, after some days without rain.
Best time of the day
Since Bagni di San Filippo are somewhat hidden in the forest, at the bottom of a small gorge, you won’t be seeing any sunrise or sunset from here. The tall trees also cover the view entirely, which is why these baths feel very wild and intimate at the same time. The sun begins to appear a couple of hours after sunrise time.
At the same time, the earliest hours of the day might possibly be the best time to visit Bagni di San Filippo. By visiting early in the morning, there is a good chance you might have the place to yourself. Expect plenty of people from 9AM onwards on weekends.
Late afternoon is also a great time, especially during low season, as most people tend to leave the hot springs after the central hours of the day.
Facilities
There are no facilities nor services at the Bagni di San Filippo. The hot springs are out in the woods and this means there are no toilets, showers or changing rooms.
The only available toilets are located at the beginning of the trail leading to the Balena Bianca. Other restrooms can be found in the bars of the town of Bagni San Filippo.
Bars and restaurants
If you’re craving some food after the hot springs, check out one of the restaurants or bars in town. The traditional Osteria Lo Spugnone is the best option for a proper meal, while Bar la Cascata is perfect for a quick bite.
Other restaurants in the tiny town of Bagni San Filippo are Mimmo e Barbara, La Taverna di Emma and TIR.NA.NOG. On the same road of the parkings you will find Il Solco and a Gelateria. La Taverna di Emma is probably the best of the bunch after Osteria Lo Spugnone.
What to pack to the Bagni di San Filippo
The most important things to bring at Bagni di San Filippo are a bathing suit, a towel and water. You also need to make sure to have some dry, warm and comfy clothes for when you exit the pools, especially if you visit the hot springs during the colder winter months. It’s very cold out of the pools when the sun is not out, so bring some extra clothes.
Trekking shoes are recommended for hiking the Fosso Bianco and explore further pools. One common problem is the terrain near the pools. Backpack, towels and clothes tend to become incredibly dirty. Bring something to lay them on top, like an extra towel, and you’ll be fine.
Important things to know about Bagni di San Filippo
In this chapter we will list and summarise our best tips and important information to visit Bagni di San Filippo.
- Avoid weekends if you can
- Park your car in the free parking spots. Not only will you save money, but you will have more freedom on your visit. Also, the free parking spots seems further than they actually are.
- Stay until late. Not many people hang around until sunset.
- The trail is really slippery. While on a sunny day it is not muddy, the humidity makes it very very slimy.
- If you must visit on a weekend and want to have some of the pools to yourself, go either very very early or late in the afternoon.
- Make sure to visit both the Balena Bianca and the secret pools.
- Don’t visit it after a storm. The pools become muddy and loose their turquoise colour, and it takes a while to clean.
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