Terme Stufe di Nerone

What to expect

The Campi Flegrei, the “burning fields” west of Naples, are a volcanic caldera, and the coast between Pozzuoli and Baia has been a bathing place since Roman times. Terme Stufe di Nerone sits on a terraced hillside at the edge of Lake Lucrino, close to the sea, and makes the most of that geology. It is a day spa built around a thermal park, with pools, two natural steam caves, small spring-fed lakes and lawns for lying in the sun. It is a mix of leisure and cure: people come for a day in the water, and the same company runs mud, inhalation and balneotherapy treatments.

The look is a little old-fashioned, which is part of the charm. Vine pergolas shade the terraces, there is a citrus grove with a summer café, and olive, carob and oak trees on the upper slope.

The water and the steam caves

The water is real and hot. The operator says its salt-bromine-iodine springs rise at about 165°F74°C and that the Italian health ministry authorises them for treatments. Inside the park, around 20 to 25 hot and cold springs, at 100 to 136°F38 to 58°C for the hot ones, form two small natural lakes that differ in both look and chemistry.

The stufe that give the place its name are two natural sweating caves cut into the hillside, heated from below by the thermal water and volcanic vapour. The air inside sits at about 127°F53°C and is close to saturated with steam. They are in the part of the park with Roman and medieval remains, and you can feel why the Romans built here. The operator warns that the vapour can irritate people with asthma.

As for Nero: the operator’s own history page says no ancient source links the emperor to this spot. “’E stufe ’e Nerone” was a local name that 18th-century travellers picked up and kept.

The pools

• Outdoor thermal pool: a semi-Olympic pool, 25 m by 10 m, at 95°F35°C, used for swimming through the winter.
• Second outdoor pool: the entry ticket includes two outdoor thermal pools.
• Indoor thermal pool: a large basin at 104°F40°C, with hydromassage and jets.
• Two indoor jacuzzis: a 10-minute limit per session.

The ticket also covers a Finnish sauna, a Turkish bath, a Kneipp path, a winter garden, loungers indoors and out, both natural lakes and a “fango free” clay area by the lake where you can coat yourself in mud. Aqua gym in thermal water is included on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with booking.

Prices and booking

From the official list in October 2026:

• Day ticket: €40 per person, for the whole opening day.
• Passes: 6 entries €150, 10 entries €230, 20 entries €420. They are personal and do not expire when bought direct, online or at the desk. One companion can share a pass, using one entry each.
• Wellness package: day entry plus a massage or treatment, from €70.

Booking is always needed, even if you will pay on arrival. Book online, email info@stufedinerone.com or call 081 868 8006.

Bring a swimsuit, a swim cap, flip-flops and a towel or robe. Caps, swimsuits and flip-flops are on sale at the shop, and robes and towels can be rented until they run out.

Getting there

The terme are at Via Stufe di Nerone 37 in Bacoli, between Baia and Lake Lucrino.

• By train: The Cumana railway runs from Montesanto in central Naples to Torregaveta. Get off at Lucrino and walk about 300 m towards Bacoli.
• By car: Take the Tangenziale di Napoli to exit 14, Pozzuoli-Arco Felice, and the tunnel on the right towards Bacoli. About 700 m after the tunnel, at the roundabout, take the road for Lago d’Averno, then follow signs to the terme car park.
• By bus: Local buses stop nearby; the operator links to current timetables.

When to go

Autumn, winter and spring are the best months. A 95°F35°C pool in the open air feels best when the air is cool, and the late evening openings run from November to March (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday until 11 p.m.). Note the maintenance closure from November 16 to December 2, 2026, and that the park is shut on Wednesdays outside June to August.

Summer is hot in the Campi Flegrei, and the hours shrink to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. But the park opens every day then, and the shaded terraces and citrus grove make it workable.

Rules and etiquette

• Swim caps are compulsory in all pools and tubs.
• Children under 12 may not enter the hot areas.
• No glass or razors in the thermal areas.
• Soap and creams only in the showers.
• Clay only at the edge of the lake.
• No outside food or drink. Food and drinks in glass only at the bistro.
• Loungers are not reserved by leaving a towel on them.

Where to stay nearby

There is no hotel at the terme. Bacoli, Baia and Pozzuoli have small hotels and B&Bs within a few kilometres, and Naples is close enough by the Cumana for a day trip. If you want naturally hot water on several days, Ischia’s thermal parks are a ferry ride from Pozzuoli.

Safety notes

• The steam caves are intense. Go in for short spells, sit low where it is cooler, and leave at once if you feel faint. People with asthma or heart problems should ask a doctor first.
• The 104°F40°C indoor pool is hotter than most spa pools. Keep soaks short and drink water.
• The Campi Flegrei caldera is volcanically active and has frequent small earthquakes linked to ground uplift (bradyseism). Check the Italian civil protection and INGV Osservatorio Vesuviano updates before you travel, and follow staff instructions if a tremor is felt.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Archaeological Park of Baia, with its Roman baths terraces, is a few minutes away, and the underwater park of Baia can be seen by glass-bottom boat. Lake Avernus, the Piscina Mirabile cistern and Cumae are all within a short drive. For more thermal water, take the ferry to Ischia for Cavascura, Fonte delle Ninfe di Nitrodi, Giardini Poseidon or Negombo.