Categories
hotspring

Polichnitos, Lesbos, Greece

Maybe not the often touted “hottest spring in Europe” but Polichintos has plenty of water and hot it is indeed!

The marker in Google Maps says “permanently closed” but I hear that the spa might be reopened. The facilities look a bit rough already after some years of obvious disuse in early 2023.

UPDATE 8.2.2024: According to their website the hammam has been re-opened in August 2023. The images of the outdoor facilities seem like architects mockups and the lack of pricing suggest that those are not a reality yet.

In terms of location, water temperature and flow rate this place has enormous potential. Several beautiful bubbling ponds some with and some without encircling wall set in an enchanted valley near a roman bridge. This should be a magnet for thermal spring lovers! But as it stands none of this is bathable: All 4 ottoman era baths (hammam) are either in ruin or in disuse. In theory there is a big enough quantity of water that you could just bathe in the river where all the springs combine. In reality the water confluent is simply to hot, and once the temperature goes below 45°C the unspeakable happens:

Raw sewage is being diverted into the same waterway. Whoever is responsible for this atrocity should we forced to drink this concoction. I am dumbfounded by the sheer stupidity and recklessness of the officials of Polichnitos.

Polichnitos, Lesbos, Greece: Astonishingly beautiful place is worth to explore. But in the current state no way to bathe. bert

4
von 10
2023-02-21T11:47:22+0000

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.