Guide to Egypt’s Natural Thermal Springs
Located in southwest Asia, as well as northeast Africa, Egypt has both sunny beaches and therapeutic hot springs. Visitors go can go for a scenic soak at locations around the country.
One such hot spring takes both attractions, the history and the hot springs, and combines them. This is Cleopatra’s Pool in Matrouh Governate on Egypt’s western edge. We’ll highlight this spot and many others in our look at Egypt’s best hot springs venues.
Eastern and Central Hot Springs
The easternmost hot spring in Egypt is Sulfur water Ras Sudr, found in the South Sinai Governate. The water here is a light, translucent blue, and many who bathe in these waters also choose to cover themselves in the sulfur-rich silt that can be found at the bottom of the pools. There’s not much around the Ras Sudr, making sunsets over the flat plains particularly remarkable.
Labakhah Spring seems to be owned and operated by a single family who specializes in hot sand burials as a sort of therapeutic wrap. Following these burials, visitors are shown to the rock-lined pool holding the hot spring water. The rustic pool is surrounded by sand, as is much of the rest of the encompassing farmland.
Near El-Harra you’ll find Bath Hospitalization Be’er Sejamm, a hot spring oasis in a densely forested area. Though somewhat hidden behind high walls, women do not bathe here. It’s considered public but only for one gender.
Locals have a long history of belief that this water is curative for several diseases. Be’er Sejamm benefits from being so closely located by the Egyptian White Desert and areas for camping while exploring therein.
The final hot spring point of interest in this area is International Hot Spring Hotel, a building with about two dozen rooms that aims to provide an authentic Egyptian experience. It’s typical for International Hot Spring Hotel’s visitors to hike up the Black Mountain from the resort grounds and then soak in the spring to ease their muscles when they get back.
Due to this, the pool tends to fill up in the evening when trekking guests start returning from their day’s adventures. Food is served onsite within the hotel
Hot Springs near Siwa Lake/Siwa Oasis
In the opening paragraph, we mentioned Cleopatra’s Pool, the hot spring wrapped by several open-air shops. Amenities abound in this area, so after your soak you can grab a drink or a bite to eat, bargain for a good deal, and listen to some of the local lore.
The story is that Pharoah Cleopatra once stopped here to wash. Since then local girls have been coming for a bath in the lead-up to their weddings, hoping to become as alluring as the famous queen.
South of Cleopatra’s Pool sits hayaat siwa hot spring, a camp-like place where a visitor can find rest, food, and a hot spring with views of the soaring sand dunes. What most visitors agree on is that the entire lodge feels relaxing.
The spring stays open after dark, allowing guests to soak in the mineral-rich water while stargazing. The host also throws a nightly bonfire where guests from all over the world can commune with each other and the quiet of the desert.
Other Hot Springs near Siwa Lake/Siwa Oasis:
- Siwa Shali Resort
- Bir Wahed Sulphuric Hot Spring
- Ghaliet Eco Lodge
- Siwa Thermal Baths
Visit Egypt
Water is a huge part of why people visit Egypt, despite it being a desert country. There are those that come to explore the world’s longest river, the Nile. There are also several sites that allow for diving into the bright coral reefs of the Red Sea.
Kite and windsurfing are hugely popular pastimes on the coasts. Don’t forget that the several hot springs the country has to offer should also be part of your Egyptian getaway.
Learn more about visiting Egypt on our sister site, La Vida Nomad.
