Thermal Baths

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Nature, other than endowing Greece with rare landscapes and special splendors, also gave the country resources with important therapeutic properties, and the result is that we now have natural mineral or spa therapeutics tourism. Natural mineral waters or spas are part of the country’s national wealth, while their therapeutic properties have been known since ancient times. These natural mineral resources are scattered throughout the country. These waters vary, while they differ both in their temperature as well as in their active elements. These waters are characterized as mineral water due to their temperature or their general chemical composition. Apart from cold mineral springs, there are also hot spring sources which are used in therapeutic treatment called spa hydrotherapy (thermalism).

The geographical distribution of these resources is associated with the tectonic events or volcanic activities in the greater region.

Hydrotherapy is particularly important in the treatment of multiple ailments such as arthritis and rheumatic disorders, and fall into two therapeutical categories: internal therapy, which includes “positherapy” (drinking of natural mineral waters εσωτερική), “eispnotherapy” (inhalation of the fumes or droplets of mineral water) and “lavages” (oral, nasal, gynecological), and external therapy, which includes “baths”, “jet showers” (the body is hit by hot mineral water under high/low pressure for a specific period of time), “hydromassage” (the body is massaged by water under pressure), “hydrokinesotherapy” (combination of balneotherapy and kinesotherapy while the body is in the water) and “fangotherapy” (application of mud that has “ripened” on the afflicted parts of the body).