The wellness resort in Tolox has been a witness to all kinds of miracles. It has welcomed all kinds of visitors. Its walls keep all kinds of secrets. The same is true of the Villa Padierna hot spring complex in Carratraca, the recipient of a the World Travel Award for Best Spa Resort in Spain (something like the Academy Awards in the tourism industry). These two facilities have something in common: they both rely on the healing properties of water. The wellness resort in Tolox and the hot springs in Carratraca are leading references in the Costa del Sol health and wellness tourism segment. Learn more about them here.
In Tolox they must be familiar with all the secrets of water, after having handled and cherished it for almost 150 years. The water in this resort emerges at 21ºC. Every day, 14,000L go into its facilities, specialising in the treatment of respiratory conditions – asthma, chronic bronchitis, rhinitis, sinusitis – or eye problems like conjunctivitis. With recovery rates of up to 96%, they are a sort of pilgrimage site.
Most of the stories with a happy ending in Tolox have to do with pharmacist José García Rey. In 1987, when he was Deputy Secretary for Health in Málaga, he studied the hot springs in the area of his hometown, Tolox. He could not believe his eyes when he realised they had healing properties! After four years of study, the hot springs were designated as an asset of public interest. Since then, the place has welcomed aristocrats and stars from all over the world.
Carratraca hot springs
The Villa Padierna hot spring complex in Carratraca has been awarded some of the most prestigious accolades in the tourism industry. No wonder: it is the only five-star resort with mineral and medical waters in Europe. What’s more, the water keeps its natural properties all the way from the spring to the resort’s facilities.
Carratraca’s hot springs are effective against skin, gynaecological, respiratory, nervous, and bone and joint conditions, including rheumatism, trauma and injury. The complex offers fertility and preventive medicine treatments too, like liver detox, cholesterol control, etc.
Although the complex opened in 1855, it has a history before that. Both the Romans and the Arabs knew about the healing properties of the hot springs in the region. It was King Ferdinand VII who chose to make the most of them, having a spa developed for the benefit of his family and court. In almost 200 years, Carratraca has welcomed the most illustrious visitors, including Rainer Maria Rilke, Julio Romero de Torres, Antonio Banderas, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, Vicente Aleixandre and Antonio Gala.
Tolox wellness resort
