Montanejos: Fuente de los Banos refreshing pools

In the first part of these articles, I talked about the gorgeous, green and peaceful hiking opportunities that you can find in the mountains of Montanejos, and in this article, I wanted to show you the reward that lies at the end of the several hour hike - the geothermally heated pools known as Fuente de los Banos.

Fuente de los Banos natural pools

There are multiple signs around these natural pools saying that the water stays at 25 degrees all year - unfortunately, this might occasionally be true but it felt a LOT COLDER when we were in - however, it is perfectly warm enough to get in and enjoy for 15-20 minutes. But you might start shivering a little after that!

There are around five or six different pools in this little area, with the main one a little more busy (and with deeper water) and then some of the other smaller pools less busy but also not quite as nice to swim in. There are also pools where you can feel little tiny fish biting the dead skin on your feet!

I have written about mountain pools in Spain before, in a place called Los Pilones, and I think that there are few places that can offer what Spain can. Incredibly green and beautiful forests and mountains, sparkling warm water - and all of this without the hordes of visitors. It is really the last part that does it for me: there are plenty of spots you can find in Europe that have fantastic natural swimming pools, but more often than not, they are packed with people. Fuente de los Banos was not empty completely, but the number of people (on a sunny weekend) was entirely manageable and did not take away from the experience at all.

Extra activities 

And in the area it is not just these pools: the river running through these mountains, the Mijares, is big and fast, with several pockets of rapids too! In the photo above you can see some kayakers enjoying the fast-flowing water, as we walked over a bridge above them.  Montanejos is a place you can hike, swim, kayak, raft, relax, or even do a bungee jump!