Saturnia - A secret spot in Tuscany

In Italy, I wanted to go somewhere that was a bit unusual. I did a bit of research and discovered Saturnia. This place probably isn’t so secret if you are a local, but we were unusual visitors. There is a lot less English spoken here, we did manage to get by ok…

Why visit Saturnia?

1. Free hot springs. They are so different and remind me of pictures of Lake Tarawera’s (Rotorua, New Zealand) pink and white terraces. When I found these, I had to go! Plus, I hadn’t seen photos there from anyone I knew… I was the first, and I like that!

2. It’s Tuscany, Italy. Is this place on your list?

3. Driving through the winding Tuscany countryside is beautiful. Thousands of happy sunflowers (are they classed as a paddock or a farm, or something else?) to see. Tree lined roads, or were they driveways? It’s perfect road trip material.

4. The food at Il Cantuccio di Anastasia was awesome. I tried my first rabbit!

5. Saturnia is unique, it was a moment of peace between the hustle of Rome, and the tourists of Pisa! Time stopped for a minute there. It was a welcome step back into slow mode!

Extra Little Tips

Being a small place, I assume your possessions are quite safe. But I couldn’t ask anyone. We were careful, and only took in our towels and the car key.

The temperature of the Terme isn’t the hot I’m used to. In Rotorua, where I’m from, the hot springs usually offer a variety of temperatures, and I like them really hot. This place was warm. Which was probably a good thing because it was in the middle of summer. I can’t imagine it would’ve been pleasant if it were as hot as those I’m used to! It might not be hot and toasty in the middle of winter though!

We stayed in a lovely place just up the hill from the hot springs (called B&B La Cantoniera, but this place is no longer listed with Booking.com). If you are thinking of going, I’m sure there are plenty of places to choose from with reasonable rates.

If you are travelling to Italy, and would like a lesser known place to add to your already long list of destinations, give Saturnia a go. It’s small, no crowds, peaceful and a really great place to stop and take in Tuscany.