Thermal Spa of S. Pedro do Sul

Relaxing at the Spa of S. Pedro do Sul

In the district of Viseu, in São Pedro do Sul, there is a little corner of paradise that attracts visitors from all over the country every year. The thermal springs of São Pedro do Sul are at the top of the list of the best known in Portugal. They are visited by people who, in search of relaxation or medical treatment, go to this place located in the centre of the country, about twenty kilometres from the district capital.

The treatments offered at the São Pedro do Sul spas

In these spas, the options are varied: from therapeutic thermalism to physiotherapy, from thermal wellness to facials, there are activities for everyone, both for those who go there for pleasure and relaxation, and for those who go there for its health benefits.

The evolution of the spa over time

If you are a history buff, this is the place for you. The first traces of the use of these thermal waters for curative and wellness purposes date back to prehistoric times. More visible, however, are the traces of this activity, in this place, by the Romans, in particular various stone elements of what was the Roman Balneum, whose construction dates back to the beginning of the 1st century of the Christian era. "It is therefore a wisdom made of several millennia, multiple experiences and permanent positive results to support throughout history this same use", as the Baths themselves mention on their website.

And the testimonies go through historical figures such as D. Afonso Henriques and D. Manuel I. For example, the first charter of the Vila do Banho, dated 1152 and signed by the first king of Portugal, who went to Termas in 1169 to recover after breaking his leg in the battle of Badajoz. At that time, King Afonso Henriques even built a chapel dedicated to S. Martinho, still open to the public.

But the great development of Termas de S. Pedro do Sul, known at the time as Caldas Lafonenses, occurred in the 16th century, at the hands of King Manuel I, who ordered the construction of the Royal Hospital of Caldas de Lafões. It was also King Manuel I who, in 1515, granted a new charter to the Vila do Banho, which gave the locality even greater importance.

This development was followed, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, by further changes in its importance, mainly with the decision of the municipal council of S. Pedro do Sul, in 1884, to build the bathing establishment that would replace the royal hospital of Caldas de Lafões, already three hundred years old. Once again, the place was chosen by the country's high personalities: in 1894, Queen D. Amélia visited the baths for the first time, in the modern bathing establishment, in order to treat some physical problems she was suffering from... The results were such that a year later, a royal decree was approved, determining that Caldas de Lafões would be called Caldas da Rainha D. Amélia.

And those who think that the remodelling ended in the 19th century are mistaken. Already at the beginning of the 21st century, the construction of the Balneário D. Afonso Henriques, with new and modern equipment, brought the thousand-year-old thermal baths to our time, dedicating themselves, as they have always done, to the well-being of their visitors.