Free Hot Springs Near Rome

The free hot springs near Rome are mostly in the Tuscia area around Viterbo. Two pools there are free and have no ticket office, Piscine Carletti and Bullicame, and there are also the lukewarm basins at Mola di Oriolo Romano. The water is sulfurous and comes out of the spring at around 58°C (about 136°F). This guide compares seven places: three where you can soak for free, one that charges admission, and three protected natural areas that are not hot springs. For the bigger picture, see our thermal baths page.

Free Hot Springs Near Rome: The Three Places Where You Can Soak for Free

“Free” here means no gate, no ticket and, in two cases out of three, no staff. That comes with a trade-off: minimal facilities, no supervision, and visitors are responsible for behaving well. The three free hot springs near Rome described here are very different from one another. The first two are true thermal pools, while the third is a wooded valley floor with two shallow basins. The listings do not give the distance from Rome, so check the map before you set out.

Free Thermal Baths Piscine Carletti (Viterbo)

Piscine Carletti is along the Strada Tuscanese, in the area locals have called Bagni di Viterbo for centuries. People from Viterbo simply call it Le Pozze (“the pools”). There is no ticket office, gate, opening hours or lifeguard.

The water is sulfurous and reaches around 58°C (about 136°F) at the spring. To get there, leave Viterbo toward Tuscania. Once you pass the entrance to the Air Force base, keep going for about a kilometer (0.6 mile) and the area appears on your left. You can spot it by the steam and by people in bathrobes crossing the meadow.

The parking area is a large grassy lot, free and unattended. Since nobody keeps watch, it is best not to leave anything valuable in the car and to bring everything you need with you.

Bullicame

Bullicame is on Strada Bulicame, with no street number, in the countryside west of Viterbo toward the Tuscanese. It is a thermal park run by the city. Entry is free, no reservation is needed and there is no ticket office. Inside you will find the fenced hot spring, with water at around 58°C (about 136°F), and two open pools where you can bathe.

Facilities are almost nonexistent and opening hours are short, with closing in the afternoon. For that reason it is best to arrive in the morning and check current hours before you leave.

The name also has literary weight: Dante uses it in the Inferno as a point of comparison for a red, boiling stream. For people from Viterbo, Bullicame is part of the city, and they defend it even when the park is poorly maintained.

Park and Baths of Mola di Oriolo Romano

One thing to clear up right away: Mola di Oriolo Romano is not a spa. There are no turnstiles, reception desk or bathrobes. It is a wooded valley floor about five kilometers (3 miles) from the center of Oriolo Romano, in the province of Viterbo.

A stream drops between tuff walls, forms a waterfall, widens into a small pond and continues toward the Mignone river. Next to the waterfall stand the ruins of a sixteenth-century mill, the Mola. A little farther on are two shallow basins fed by a lukewarm sulfur spring.

The water here is lukewarm, not hot like the pools near Viterbo. If you want steam and high temperatures, look elsewhere. If you want a natural setting with a waterfall and simple basins, you will find what the listing describes, and nothing more.

A Paid Alternative: Terme del Bagnaccio

If you remember Bagnaccio from ten years ago, with the association membership card and steaming pools in the middle of a meadow, today you will find a different model. Terme del Bagnaccio is on Strada del Garinei snc, in Viterbo, in the countryside north of the city. Since August 2, 2025, it has been a paid thermal park, run by Rise S.r.l. under a sub-concession from the city.

Admission is 8 euros on weekdays and 12 euros on weekends, holidays and days before holidays from May to October. On winter weekends and holidays it is 10 euros. You pay at the entrance or in the operator’s online shop, and no mandatory reservation is stated.

The five outdoor pools are still there. The water still comes out at over 60°C (140°F) and cools as it flows, and the Via Francigena passes a short distance away. What changed is the gate, the price list and the hours. For current hours and prices, check the operator’s website.

Three Nature Reserves: Water and Trails, Not Swimming

The other three listings cover protected areas. They are not free hot springs, and the listings do not describe any pools for bathing. They are useful if you want to pair your day with a walk, but before packing a swimsuit and towel, check the area’s official website to see whether getting in the water is allowed.

Caldara di Manziana (RM)

You reach this Natural Monument from via della Caldara, a side road off Provincial Road 2c, which connects Manziana to Furbara station on the Via Aurelia. About five kilometers (3 miles) from the center of Manziana you turn off and continue for 500 meters (about a third of a mile) on a dirt road to a small parking lot. After that you can only go on foot.

Entry is open and free, with no ticket office or posted hours. By train, get off at Manziana-Canale Monterano station and walk about seven kilometers (4.3 miles) through the woods. The site is a Special Area of Conservation, Natura 2000 code IT6030009, and covers 90.42 hectares (about 223 acres).

Tor Caldara Regional Nature Reserve

Tor Caldara is in the municipality of Anzio, on the coast south of Rome, along via Ardeatina at kilometer 34.600, between Anzio and Lavinio. It covers 44 hectares (about 109 acres): small compared with Lazio’s big parks, but one of the few stretches of southern coast that escaped development. It is a dense woodland reached through a gate on the Ardeatina. For access rules and services, see the listing and the reserve’s official channels.

Mola Della Corte – Settecannelle – Capodacqua Natural Monument

This Natural Monument is in the municipality of Fondi, in the province of Latina, at the edge of the plain that separates the Ausoni Mountains from the sea. It was established in 2001 and protects about four hectares (10 acres). It preserves year-round spring water, a basin bounded by ancient walls and a water mill of medieval origin. It is a stop for people interested in the environment and the history of water, not a place to swim.

Quick Comparison

How to Choose Among the Free Hot Springs Near Rome

The main factor is temperature. If you want hot water, the two pools near Viterbo, Piscine Carletti and Bullicame, are the choice the listings point to. If you prefer a woodland setting with a waterfall, Mola di Oriolo Romano has lukewarm basins. If you need a place with a gate and a price list, Bagnaccio is the paid option.

A few practical tips apply to all the free hot springs near Rome:

• bring water, flip-flops, a bathrobe and a bag for your trash, because facilities are minimal or missing;
• at Bullicame, arrive in the morning, because hours are short and it closes in the afternoon;
• at Piscine Carletti, the parking lot is unattended and there is no supervision, so don’t leave valuables behind;
• for hours, prices and rules the listings don’t cover, check the official website of the city or the operator;
• respect the places: where there is no staff, their upkeep depends on the people who visit.

If you want to continue with the history of bathing, see our guide to Ancient Roman Baths in Rome. The full list of thermal sites is on the thermal baths hub page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Free Hot Springs Near Rome

What are the free hot springs near Rome?

In our listings there are three: Piscine Carletti and Bullicame in Viterbo, and the Park and Baths of Mola di Oriolo Romano, in the province of Viterbo. All three are free and have no ticket office.

Are the free hot springs really free?

Yes. At Piscine Carletti there is no ticket office or gate, and parking is free. Bullicame has free entry and no reservation. At Mola di Oriolo Romano there is no ticket office. Bagnaccio, on the other hand, has charged admission since August 2, 2025.

How hot is the water?

At Piscine Carletti and Bullicame the water comes out at around 58°C (about 136°F). At Bagnaccio it comes out at over 60°C (140°F) and cools as it flows. At Mola di Oriolo Romano the sulfur spring is lukewarm.

Is there supervision or are there facilities?

At Piscine Carletti there are no lifeguards or supervisory staff. At Bullicame facilities are almost nonexistent and hours are short, with closing in the afternoon. For current details, see the listings and the official websites.

How much does Bagnaccio cost?

8 euros on weekdays and 12 euros on weekends, holidays and days before holidays from May to October. On winter weekends and holidays it is 10 euros. You pay at the entrance or in the operator’s online shop. Check current prices on the official website before you go.