The small village of Caldas de Monchique comprises just a couple of roads in the Serra de Monchique mountains. It lies just a short distance south from the larger settlement of Monchique town.
An attractive village that feels as if the twenty-first century is still yet to arrive with any real strength, it has been renowned across the region as a spa town since Roman times, if not before. Slightly more recently, it also received a visit by King João II in 1495, which helped reinvigorate its fame.
The natural hot springs and rise up out of the ground in Caldas de Monchique typically have a temperature of 30°C, and have well-researched medical properties for the skin and other bodily organs too. It's not hard to find somewhere to soak in these waters for yourself, with several resorts offering bathing, massages, and steam treatments in pleasant forest surrounds.
