Caldas de Monchique, Thermal spa hamlet in Monchique Mountains, Portugal
Caldas de Monchique is a small mountain place in Portugal where thermal springs flow from the ground. Here you find stone buildings, hotels using the springs, simple restaurants, and a factory that bottles the mineral water.
The Romans recognized the value of these thermal springs and built baths here centuries ago. The place has been known since that ancient time and people have returned throughout history to visit these healing waters.
The chapel with its painted tiles shows the traditional Portuguese building style found in the mountains. The small church feels like a piece of history that people here still use and care for today.
Because the place sits in the mountains, wear sturdy shoes and be ready for uneven ground. Access to the hotels and springs is straightforward, but the paths are not flat or wide everywhere.
The water that flows here from the ground gets bottled in a local factory and goes to restaurants and hotels across the whole Algarve region. This means the water people drink there comes from this mountain spring.
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