Thermal Destination
Good to Know
Dax · France
Cradled in the green Landes of south-west France, Dax is the country’s leading thermal resort — a town the Romans knew as Aquae Tarbellicae, where hot mineral water and a mud unique in the world have drawn bathers since Antiquity.
Getting there
By air, Biarritz (BIQ) lies just 60 km away, with Pau-Pyrénées (PUF) at 80 km, Bordeaux-Mérignac (BOD) at 145 km, San Sebastián in Spain (EAS) at 89 km and Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS) at 276 km. By rail, the TGV Atlantique runs from Paris Gare Montparnasse to Dax in around four hours, dropping you within easy reach of the spa quarter. Transfers from the airports and station can be arranged on request.
Best time to visit
The thermal season runs broadly from April to October, with spring and autumn the sweet spot — gentle crowds, easier accommodation and warm, sunny days. The Atlantic climate keeps things mild year-round: summer highs sit around 27 °C and even winters stay soft. July and August are the warmest and driest months, ideal if you want to pair the cure with beach trips to the nearby coast.
Water at 64 °C and a legendary mud
At the heart of town, the gushing Fontaine Chaude — the Source de la Nèhe — pours some 2.4 million litres of water a day at 64 °C, rising on the site of the old Roman baths. Naturally rich in sulphur, calcium and trace elements, it feeds the famous Dax péloïde: a thermal mud blending hot spring water, silt from the river Adour and a local blue micro-alga, prized since Roman times for soothing rheumatic and circulatory ailments.
What to see
Beyond the bathing halls, Dax wears its history openly: the steaming Fontaine Chaude, the 4th-century Gallo-Roman ramparts, the domed Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Musée de Borda and the chapel of the former Carmelite convent. The weekend market spills out before the cathedral with home-grown Landes produce, while the forests of Western Europe’s largest woodland and the long Atlantic beaches lie minutes away — with Bordeaux and Biarritz perfect for a day trip.
Roman Aquae Tarbellicae
Where Rome took the waters of Aquae Tarbellicae
Dax was already a thermal town when the legions arrived, fortifying Aquae Tarbellicae with ramparts that still ring the old quarter. The Fontaine Chaude rises on the site of the Roman baths — the same scalding source the empire once channelled for its cures.
Plan your stay in Dax
Find a hotel beside the Fontaine Chaude and wake up steps from the thermal waters.Where to stay in Dax