The Baths of Font Santa
When we talk about the south of Mallorca, specifically the Campos area, we often think of idyllic beaches like Es Trenc, the natural salt factory of La Salinera, or the dairies that continue to produce their goods using traditional methods.
However, there is something else that, unless you know about it, you would hardly guess: the spa of the Font Santa Baths.
This area features thermal waters emerging from a natural spring, with a high level of mineralization, recommended for treatments of traumatological, dermatological, nervous system, and respiratory diseases.
The Baths Through the Centuries
Historical research documents that the thermal waters of Font Santa were known and highly valued by the Romans, though it is possible that they were used by earlier civilizations. In fact, the Romans referred to waters with medicinal properties as Font Santa, so the name coincidence is not surprising.
There are also writings from the mid-19th century that describe the benefits of immersing in these waters to alleviate bone ailments, among other diseases. Additionally, two of the bathtubs have inscriptions, one from the 13th century and another from 1507.
In 1869, the mineral-medicinal waters of Sant Joan de la Font Santa were declared of Public Utility.
The tradition of this spring remained alive through the 19th and 20th centuries, and today you can enjoy its properties through a modernised spa offering hydrotherapy, underwater jets, pools, and a vaporarium.
The Tradition of Healing Waters
Popular legend says that the healing properties of the waters of Font Santa were discovered by chance. It is said that there was a time when a great epidemic ravaged Mallorca, killing all the pig herds across the island.
However, the pigs that wallowed in the ponds near the Palmer estate never got sick, neither from the epidemic nor from any other cause. Consequently, people of that time, suffering from diseases such as leprosy or scabies, began to bathe in the same ponds, hoping for recovery.
In many cases, if not complete healing, there was at least an improvement in symptoms. This was due to the high mineral content of the waters, rich in elements such as chlorine, sodium, magnesium, calcium, sulphur, fluoride, and potassium, among others.
The water emerges from the ground at a constant temperature of 38 degrees Celsius. While, like all water, it has no colour or smell, in large quantities it appears bluish green. In enclosed spaces, it also has a sulphurous smell due to the high sulphur content, and if tasted, it has a strongly salty flavour.
The benefits are numerous: they help to decongest the respiratory tract and improve throat and nose dryness, reducing sensitivity to allergies; they accelerate the renewal of the epidermis, decrease fluid retention, improve blood circulation, and increase joint mobility, reducing inflammation and shortening the recovery time for functional mobility.