La Hermida Spa

What it is

The La Hermida Spa is in the municipality of Peñarrubia, in the middle of the gorge that leads to Liébana and the Picos de Europa. Its mineral-medicinal water gushes from three springs at about 60 ºC, at eight litres per second, and the house describes it as hyperthermal, sodium chloride and highly mineralised. It is a four-star spa hotel with 52 rooms, a restaurant and a cafeteria, but its baths can be used without staying overnight.

A long history

According to the spa itself, the name comes from "Hervida" (boiled), because of the hot water, and by the mid-18th century its springs were already used for healing; until 1841 people bathed in a cave next to the spring, in a tub made from a tree trunk. In 1842 the first bathhouse with an inn was built, and in 1881 a large new building. A bathing gallery that was due to open in July 1936 never opened because of the war, and the spa stayed closed for almost seventy years, except for a few months in 1941 when it took in children left homeless by the fire in Santander. A group of investors linked to Liébana bought the owning companies in 2002 and 2003 and restored the complex, which is now celebrating twenty years open.

What you can do without sleeping here

The outdoor thermal cave, an open-air space with pools at 38 ºC, lasts 90 minutes and costs from €30 (children aged 3 to 7, from €20); there is also a night session. The 80-minute indoor thermal-leisure circuit starts at €39 and admits ages 6 and over. The Hermida Experience Pass day ticket combines the two for €65. The menu of massages and treatments includes a 60-minute manual massage, chocolate therapy, craniofacial massage and rituals such as Indian Ritual or Citrus Garden. For longer stays, the spa notes that its waters are indicated mainly for problems of the locomotor system, skin and respiratory tract, and that a full thermal treatment usually lasts 14 to 21 days; cures have contraindications, so it is best to check first.

What to bring and how to book

Swimsuit, cap, flip-flops and a towel or bathrobe. The bathrobe can be hired for €6 with a €20 deposit; caps and flip-flops are on sale. Book on 942 733 625 or 670 624 359, by email at [email protected] or on its website, which also sells packages with accommodation and gift vouchers. The website does not publish cancellation terms for single baths; ask when you book. The spa is right beside the N-621, about 90 km from Santander airport, and from here it suggests excursions to Fuente Dé, El Soplao or the Camino Lebaniego.