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In 1495
the then King of Portugal, Dom Joao II visited
Caldas de Monchique
and apparently enjoyed the experience so much demanded
improvements be made to the lodgings and spa. Since then
the
Caldas de Monchique
has had those improvements and for over 300 years were,
by royal decree, under the control of the Bishops of the
Algarve.
However late in the 20th
century the
Caldas de Monchique
passed into the hands of the Portuguese state who
undertook the massive job of restoring the collection of
buildings in and around the spa. Today
Caldas de Monchique
is more like a small village, owned almost in it's
entirety to Termas de Monchique, a privately owned
company.
As well
as the spa there are a collection of hotels, a bar, post
office, souvenir shop and a bottling plant, which is a
little of an eyesore in comparison to the rest of the
village. A little walk from the main square of
Caldas de Monchique
you will find the Bouvet, a stone building from which
you can drink the waters, directly from source.
In addition to sampling the
waters of
Caldas de Monchique,
you can now enjoy a range of more modern therapies
including mud baths, facial treatments, slimming baths
and massages.
A visit
to
Caldas de Monchique
is a tonic in itself and despite the plethora of other
tourists crowding around you can soak up the atmosphere
of this history spa resort in picturesque scenery. |
