Kamena Vourla Thermal Springs

What to expect

Kamena Vourla is a seaside spa town on the Malian Gulf, at the foot of the Knimida hills in Fthiotida. Its springs are known for radon: the water carries natural salts, metals and a measurable dose of radioactivity, which made the town one of Greece’s best-known spa resorts. In the 1960s and 1970s it was packed with visitors on state-subsidised spa holidays, and the Radion hotel, named after the radioactive water, starred in a popular 1961 Greek film.

Most of that era is now history. What remains in the old spa quarter is a single complex of public property known as the Kamena Vourla spa resort, about 475 stremmata (47 hectares) along the shore. Inside it:

• Mitsis Galini Wellness Spa and Resort, a five-star hotel with 224 rooms and suites, still operating. Its spa covers 3,000 m² and has thermal-water pools and a long treatment menu.
• The Ippokratis hydrotherapy centre, also operating, fed by the town’s spring water. A 2018 newspaper report described it as a place of individual bathing tubs.
• The Asklepios hydrotherapy centre, a listed building, abandoned.
• The Radion and Thronion hotels, both listed and both abandoned.

In practice, if you want to soak in Kamena Vourla’s water in a proper spa setting, the Galini is where you go. If you just want to get into warm spring water outdoors for free, drive a few minutes west to the open-air pools at Koniaviti and Kallyntika.

The water

The regional spa guide lists several spring types in Kamena Vourla: radon-bearing springs, a sulphurous sodium chloride spring, an iron spring and a cosmetic spring with colloidal sulphur. Water reaches the surface at about 86-97°F30-36°C. A further spring inside the spa complex, “Georgala”, was recognised as a thermal resource in April 2020 and is due to be developed under the lease.

The spas here have traditionally marketed the water for arthritis, rheumatic conditions, some forms of asthma and some skin complaints. We make no claims about that; ask your own doctor, especially about radon exposure if you are pregnant.

Getting there

Kamena Vourla is about 177 km (110 miles) north of Athens, roughly two hours by car on the A1 Athens-Thessaloniki motorway (PATHE), and 33 km (21 miles) from Lamia.

• From Athens: Take the A1 north and leave at the Kamena Vourla exit. The motorway runs along the coast right beside the town.
• From Thessaloniki or Lamia: Take the A1 south and use the same exit.

The Galini is at 5 Ger. Vasiliadi Street, on the seafront in the middle of town. Mitsis lists the beach as about 50 m away.

When to go

Kamena Vourla has two seasons. In summer it is a beach town, with families, beach bars and full hotels. Outside summer it goes quiet, and the spa side of the town matters more.

• Spring and autumn are the easiest times for a spa stay: lower room rates, mild weather and a sea that is usually still warm enough for a swim in September.
• Winter suits a thermal stay best, but check that the hotel and spa are open on your dates. Mitsis was advertising stays into late October in 2026.
• Summer weekends are crowded. Book ahead.

Prices and booking

Mitsis runs the Galini as a five-star resort with all-inclusive and half-board options. Prices change by season and are only shown in the booking engine, so we do not quote them here.

What we could not confirm:

• Day access for non-guests. Mitsis does not publish a day-pass or spa-entry price. Call before you travel: Mitsis contact centre +30 211 198 1600.
• The Ippokratis hydrotherapy centre’s prices and hours. These are not published online. A 2018 report gave the municipal information line as 22350 22300, staffed 08:00 to 15:00; it may have changed.
• Age limits in the spa. Not published. Ask when you book if you are travelling with children.

Bring a swimsuit, flip-flops and a swim cap in case one is required, and ask what is included (robe, towel, locker) when you book.

The lease and the restoration plan

The spa complex is public property. After a failed tender in 2013, the state asset fund TAIPED awarded a long lease in 2023 to a consortium of the Mitsis group, for a one-off payment of €1,050,000 plus €380,000 a year. The lessee must keep the Galini at five-star standard, renovate and run Ippokratis, and restore the Asklepios bathhouse and the Radion and Thronion hotels, with four years to complete the mandatory works after the site-allocation decision, extendable by one year. A February 2025 parliamentary question asked how far that work had progressed. We found no reopening date for the abandoned buildings.

Where to stay nearby

• Mitsis Galini Wellness Spa and Resort, in the spa complex itself, is the only place in town with thermal pools on site.
• Other hotels and rooms to let line the seafront in Kamena Vourla.
• Agios Konstantinos, a short drive east, has more rooms and boats to the Lichadonisia islets, about 10 minutes offshore.
• Lamia, 33 km (21 miles) west, has city hotels.

Safety notes

• Hot pools and long treatments: Drink water, keep sessions short and get out if you feel faint.
• Radon: Ask a doctor first if you are pregnant or have a serious medical condition.
• Abandoned buildings: The Asklepios bathhouse and the Radion and Thronion hotels are derelict. Look from the street; do not go inside.
• Earthquakes: The North Evia Gulf area is one of the more seismically active parts of the Mediterranean. Know your hotel’s exit routes.

Nearby stops worth adding

The free open-air pools at Koniaviti and Kallyntika, on the western edge of town, are the obvious add-on. Farther west, the hot springs at Thermopylae sit beside the ancient battlefield on the road to Lamia, and the spa village of Loutra Ypatis lies beyond Lamia. The Lichadonisia islets, reached by boat from Agios Konstantinos, are a popular summer swim stop.