Why should I take a trip to the Island of Lü Dao, also known as ‚Green Island‘, just for a bath in the ‚Zahori Hot Springs‘? The answer is simple: because this place is one of only three saltwater hot springs in the world! Learned this, i just had to go, if just for a day trip and short dip there.
The idea of a day trip ended up to a five day vacancy on the beautiful Green Island. But later more about it. On my first visit in the pool area i expected the place full of people, but ended up alone there. At least for almost an half hour or so. It’s a public bath, that’s why i couldn’t run around with my Nikon camera. But i grabbed my cell phone for a few pictures, whilst i’m pretty on my own in the pool.
My blue baseball cap replaced with a blue swimming cap i dived in the warm water. And while i’m floating in the different pools with water temperatures up to around 42°C, one of the staff member was willing to explain me, where the water comes from and how it get pumped up from the sea into the pools. The hottest pool is at the top, and its water flows down terrace like pools, mixed with colder water to reach the specific temperature of each pool.
He was also telling me with a proud tone, that there was only three saltwater hot springs on the world, but that one in Japan isn’t accessible anymore due an earthquake. Now there are only one left in Italy, and this one on Lü Dao.
rene bauer photography 