Manilva Roman Baths

ROMAN BATHS

One of Manilva’s oldest attractions is the Hedionda Roman baths. Dating from the 1st Century BC it is rumoured that the mighty Julius Ceasar himself regularly took to the waters, and cured himself of a skin complaint, during his time as acting governor in Southern Spain.

The Roman baths are located in La Hedonia valley, just behind Manilva and can be a lovely spot for a visit. We recommend you park the car somewhere nearby and take the walk along the river Rio Manilva, towards this ancient Roman site. The baths are well known to the area and so can be busy at the weekends, however if you go during the week you are more than likely to have them for yourselves.

The water in the Roman baths is quite high in sulphur, particularly in the Summer months, turning the waters a milky white colour. The source of this mineral is the limestone ridge of the Sierra Utera situated behind the town of Manilva.

Pure sulphur is normally odourless but when combined with hydrogen it produces hydrogen sulphide which has the smell of rotten eggs. Sulphur however, can be great for skin complaints and if you are brave enough to stand the smell it is worth plunging into the murky health-giving waters of the baths.

The bathing structure itself consists of a small chamber with steps under an archway and tunnel which leads into a much larger inner chamber, other adjacent water channels can also be seen which suggest the complex was once much larger. Plans to modernise the baths have resulted in a big concrete roof being erected on top of the original Roman structure which some might consider as a bit of an eyesore, in fact the area itself could do with a bit of smartening up. This is an important historical site and some think that more time and money should be spent by the council on making it more accessible to tourists and regular visitors to the area. There are a number of picnic areas nearby but these tend to be closed for much of the year. One of the problems seems to be that the site is located within the municipality of Casares but is only accessible from Manilva. This might be why the council of Casares is not willing to take on the maintenance of this area.

Roman Baths

"The bathing structure itself consists of a small chamber with steps under an archway and tunnel which leads into a much larger inner chamber"

Roman Baths

“You can walk all the way to the hilltop village of Casares, you will find some lovely scenery along the way”

Although the baths can only be accessed from Manilva by car, you can walk all the way to the hilltop village of Casares from the site if you are feeling full of energy. The route is well signposted and mainly follows the river upstream, be prepared for a fair bit of scrambling though as the terrain isn’t for the unadventurous walker. It is well worth the effort however as you will find some lovely scenery along the way as well as some interesting examples of Roman masonry and an old, but recently restored single arch aqueduct which has examples of both Roman design and Moorish restoration. If you do decide to take this four hour walk you will be pleased to know that there are regular buses from Casares back to Sabinillas.

If you are not keen on walking you can go to one of the restaurants that are dotted about near the baths. The Roman Oasis has been in the area for a long time and is well known. This restaurant, open from the 1st of June to the 30th of September, offers a bbq buffet for a set price and is located near the river. Restaurante Los Alamos is also by the river and offers Mediterranean style cuisine.

After lunch you can settle down for a swim by the stream nearby, which providing you do not visit in the height of the summer, contains some deep areas and small lakes perfect for dipping into, there are also large flat rocks by the river bed where you can sit for a picnic and a sunbathe.

To get to the Roman baths you need to take the Rio Manilva Road (turn off by the Lidl roundabout) and follow the track past the recinto ferial until you come to the Toll Road bridge. Once here you need to follow the track on your right which takes you underneath the bridge, follow the track as it bears to the left and then turn to the right (you will find a sign for restaurant Los Alamos just here) follow this road past the restaurant on your right and keep going. Eventually you will come to the small church (San Adolfo) on an S-bend and from here you will see on the right hand side down in the valley the white dome of the Roman baths.