Fuente de los Baños

At the Fuente de los Baños the Mijares stops being a cold mountain river. A spring wells up in the riverbed at about 6,000 litres a minute and at 25 °C in any season, and as the Arenoso and Cirat dams hold back the cold water upstream, a thermal stretch of nearly a kilometre begins here. The bathing area is over a hundred metres long, wedged in a limestone gorge almost 15 m high, and in the cave of the gorge it reaches three metres deep.

A 25-degree swim, in January too

The water doesn't change temperature all year. In winter, with the cold air, the contrast sends steam up off the river and the pool is much quieter than in summer: bring a big towel and something warm for getting out. In summer it fills up, hence the capacity control. The depth changes from one stretch to another and in the cave it goes up to three metres: with children, stay near the bank. The bottom is stone.

What the water carries

The town council describes it as sulphated-magnesium and mixed bicarbonate, of medium mineralisation, with about 700 mg/l. It was declared of public utility by a Royal Order of 13 October 1863, although as early as 1714 a village priest wrote instructions for taking its waters, and Cavanilles described it in 1795 as warm, crystal-clear and odourless. Behind the fountain, with its seven spouts, its tiles and the Montanejos coat of arms made of stones, there is a small cave: it is the main spring. You can drink from the spouts.

Tickets and summer capacity

Outside the capacity-control dates, access is free and open. On the busiest days the town council regulates entry to the site, between the Puente Nuevo and the fountain; in 2026 these were 20 and 21 June, every day from 26 June to 6 September and 12 and 13 September. On those days the ticket is bought on the Visit Montanejos website or at the ticket booths at the entrances, and the foundation recommends doing so three to five days ahead, because places are released day by day. The website doesn't publish the price. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet. For questions: 964 131 153, WhatsApp 638 90 60 46 or [email protected]. If you stay at Hotel El Palacio, the hotel arranges your entry for free.

Facilities by the pools

There are toilets with changing rooms, a bar with a terrace over the river, picnic areas and children's play areas. It has a Blue Flag: it was the first inland beach in the province of Castellón to get one and the only one in Spain on a thermal watercourse.

Parking and getting there

The free car park the foundation points to is the Corral de Prats one; its website shows free spaces in real time. Parking doesn't give the right to enter the site on capacity days: the ticket is separate. A good way to earn your swim is to do the Estrechos trail first, and if you want to carry on with hot water, the Balneario thermal circuit uses the same water.