Relax at these Mornington Peninsula hot springs and day spas

Soak in mineral waters, indulge in a massage or test out the latest body treatments on your next Mornington Peninsula holiday. Your mind and body will thank you.

How often do you come back from a break – whether a weekend or longer – feeling more tired than before you left? If your answer is “too often", you need to begin including downtime to allow yourself to recover, both physically and emotionally. On the Mornington Peninsula, just an hour from Melbourne, you could spend the whole weekend taking a deep breath in, soaking in mineral-rich waters and enjoying massages and treatments. These are the best Mornington Peninsula hot springs and day spas to make you feel like a new person.

1. Peninsula Hot Springs

Peninsula Hot Springs Couple Walking Into Pool — Sign up for a soothing dip surrounded by bushland. (Image: Visit Victoria)

This has been a hot spot for everyone from local mums to wellness gurus since it opened in 1997. Much has changed since then, but the central essence of Peninsula Hot Springs – pools of naturally heated, mineral-rich waters surrounded by natural bushland – has not.

With over 70 different bathing experiences across its Bath House and Spa Dreaming Centre, rather than of varying temperatures to take a dip in, a spa offering a range of treatments from detox body wraps to a Dreamtime stone massage developed in conjunction with an Indigenous medicine man (the cost includes site-wide bathing), plus a variety of bookable workshops – from body clay to hot springs yoga – there’s something for everyone and every age.

While there’s space for everyone, guests wanting a quieter bathing experience can book access to The Spa Dreaming Centre. This adults-only retreat features mineral spring pools, barrel bathing, falling water massage and more.

If you just can’t get enough, book one of the glamping tents or sleep-focused eco lodges (some even have their own outdoor heated mineral spring pool) to extend your blissful stay.

Address: 140 Springs Lane, Fingal, Mornington Peninsula

2. Alba Thermal Springs & Spa

a woman floating on Alba Thermal Springs & Spa, Mornington Peninsula — Enjoy total bliss in the calming thermal waters. (Image: Visit Victoria)

If beautiful design makes your heart sing, book a soaking session at Alba Thermal Springs & Spa . Architectural firm Hayball used the undulating landscape of the Mornington Peninsula as inspiration for this world-class bathing experience. The 31 pools of varying sizes, including geothermal pools, cold plunge pools and herbal-infused botanical pools, and the spa building are set on 15 hectares of regenerated dunes, surrounded by natural bushland and pretty gardens. The building, which is partly embedded in the hilltop, has 21 treatment rooms, including a dry sauna, steam room, Vichy shower, and single and double massage rooms, as well as a relaxation lounge.

Of the pools, 22 are accessible with a bathing pass, while there is also The Terrace, with private pools and a deck, The Salts, a private rooftop salt pool, and The Clouds, private rooftop geothermal pools.

Add a massage, facial or body ritual to your soak to extend the pleasure, and finish just in time for lunch or high tea at Thyme, the onsite restaurant serving healthy, delicious dishes, pressed juices, herbal tea or, if you prefer, a glass of wine or cocktail.

Address: 282 Browns Road, Fingal, Mornington Peninsula

3. Aurora Spa & Bathhouse

a woman bathing in a magnesium mineral pool at Aurora Spa & Bathhouse — Immerse yourself in magnesium, mineral-rich waters. (Image: Aurora Photography)

Part of the InterContinental Sorrento Mornington Peninsula development, Aurora Spa & Bathhouse is a refined Australian take on traditional European-style bathing. Spend about 90 minutes enjoying the magnesium mineral pools and hot and cold thermal experiences. The Daydream Pool, with its skylight and gentle bubbles, is heated to 38ºC to soothe your mind and muscles. Heat up in the Aroma Steam room before stimulating the immune system and boosting circulation by submerging in the chilled water of the Cold Plunge Pool. There’s also a salt therapy room, glacial mist room and reflexology pool.

Aurora offers a full suite of massages, facials and body treatments. Very popular is the Himalayan Sound & Stone Massage which nourishes the skin, balances the system and helps to eliminate congestion. Afterwards, you’ll feel deeply relaxed.

You can even check into the hotel for three days and enjoy a custom-designed retreat so you can turn off and refuel your mind and body. As well as bathing and spa treatments, you’ll head off on guided coastal walks, take private yoga classes and enjoy wellbeing coaching. Sounds like heaven.

Address: 23 Constitution Hill Road, Sorrento, Mornington Peninsula

4. One Spa at RACV Cape Schanck Resort

a couple soaking in the relaxation pool at RACV Cape Schanck Resort, Mornington Peninsula — Serene pools are sure to invigorate the senses. (Image: RACV Cape Schanck Resort)

Leave your normal life behind when you enter the architecturally designed One Spa at RACV Cape Schanck Resort . Spend some time in the hammam, where you can soak in the relaxation pool, spa pool, thermal stone steam room and immersive showers. There are other water-based treatments, including a soak in the hydrotherapy pool with its massaging jets, as well as a series of rituals that combine therapies to induce serenity, invigorate the senses, or reduce stress. There are also facials, body therapies and massages, as well as a number of half-hour additions to treatments, like gua sha facial massage or full body exfoliation. Bring along a book and spend some time in the relaxation lounge afterwards before, once again, facing the world.

Address: Trent Jones Drive, Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula

5. 1028 Mornington Day Spa

If you’re looking for a different type of massage, check out what’s on offer at 1028 Mornington Day Spa , owned by Thai woman, Apple. It offers lommi lommi, a traditional Hawaiian style of massage that involves long, flowing movements along the length of the body, as well as Tok Sen, an ancient Thai massage method that uses a special wooden hammer to relax muscles. Of course, you can always choose to go with a relaxation or remedial massage. Add a session in the infrared sauna or a facial to your time here. The prices are very reasonable, and Apple’s treatments are highly recommended by all who visit.

Address: 1028 Nepean Highway, Mornington, Mornington Peninsula

6. Timeless Day Spa

the treatment room at Timeless Day Spa, Mornington Peninsula — Their massage treatments will rejuvenate both body and mind. (Image: Supplied)

At Timeless Day Spa in Rye expect a high level of service, no matter which treatment you’re here to receive. There’s a range of spa treatments designed to leave skin soft and glowing, as well as relaxation and remedial massages and facials. You can also get your beauty treatments done here. If your pedicure needs attention, your legs need waxing, your tan needs a top-up, or your brows need sculpting, owner Jessica and her team will send you on your way looking and feeling better.

Address: 2275 Point Nepean Road, Rye, Mornington Peninsula

7. endota Day Spa

hands on the back of a woman, endota Day Spa, Mornington Peninsula — Treat yourself to a relaxing back massage. (Image: Supplied)

There are three endota Day Spas on the Mornington Peninsula, at Mornington, Moorooduc and Red Hill. The treatments are all designed to nurture, nourish and improve wellbeing. It offers a range of massages – relaxation, remedial, soothing stones and pregnancy – packages designed to help you detox, rebalance and revitalise, and a range of high-performance facials. You can choose to get a customised facial to target any skin problems you have or undergo microdermabrasion, a clinical peel or light therapy. endota also has its own range of face and body products, and therapists can help you choose the ones that are right for your skin.

Addresses: 30 Main Street, Mornington; The Coolstores, 475 Moorooduc Highway, Moorooduc; 159 Shoreham Road, Red Hill, Mornington Peninsula

8. The Private Sea Wellness Centre

the signage of The Private Sea Wellness Centre, Mornington Peninsula — The Private Sea Wellness Centre features floatation tanks and infrared saunas. (Image: Supplied)

If you’re not one for massages or body treatments, The Private Sea Wellness Centre can still get you started on your relaxation journey. It has floatation tanks, infrared saunas and salt therapy. It also features Pandora Star, a meditation unit that uses white LED lights to offer a relaxing, visual journey of colour and imagery. It is said to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and bring about deep states of meditation and relaxation. You can also book a red light therapy session, which can help reduce pain and inflammation, improve skin conditions like acne, and boost recovery after workouts. Of course, you can choose to combine any of these with a relaxation massage.

Need something more specific? There are several allied health professionals, including naturopaths, a reiki therapist and physiotherapist, operating from the wellness centre.

Address: 3 Satu Way, Mornington, Mornington Peninsula

9. Sunset Spa

If you’re looking for an oasis where you can rest and relax, try Mount Eliza’s Sunset Spa . The treatment room is surrounded by trees and clients sit and discuss their needs with therapist Delyse before the treatment begins to ensure they get exactly what they need. She offers a range of massages, organic facials, body treatments and customised pampering packages. Afterwards, pour yourself a cup of herbal tea and either sit on the deck or by the fireplace in the lounge.

Address: 27 Sunset Crescent, Mount Eliza, Mornington Peninsula

A weekend of glamping at Peninsula Hot Springs turned out to be the perfect way to bond with loved ones.

We sit out the front of our Peninsula Hot Springs glamping tent, each with a glass of wine in hand and a cheese platter before us. Only the frogs chatter as much as we do as the sun goes down. Soon, we’ll head back into the famous geothermal pools of Peninsula Hot Springs, but for now, we’re just enjoying each other’s company. It’s so rare to maintain close friendships from high school well into your 30s. It’s even rarer to find opportunities to make new memories together, rather than rehashing old ones over dinners that inevitably are missing one or more of you. And it turns out a long weekend at the Peninsula Hot Springs forms the perfect background to this special celebration.

Over three days, we wander all over the hills of Peninsula Hot Springs – continuing on like Goldilocks until we find the geothermal pool temperature that is just right. When we want quiet relaxation, we head into the Spa Dreaming Centre for a more private bathing experience. When we want to be loud and laughing, we head back out into the main (and largest) area. When we’re hungry, we head back to the glamping tents to snack on cheese and wine purchased from the surrounding Mornington Peninsula area (Main Ridge Dairy and Foxeys Hangout are along the drive from Melbourne airport, and worth the stop), or order room service from the onsite restaurants and cafes. When we really feel indulgent, we split up for a massage at the spa.

It’s honestly the ultimate getaway for bonding and rejuvenating. But let me break it down.

Peninsula Hot Springs glamping

We split four friends into two glamping tents (there are 10 in total on site). We’re in the garden view tents, though lake view and a secluded pavilion options are available for those wanting to feel a little more private. We’re requested twin beds in each, but they are still surprisingly spacious.

We have a walk-in wardrobe and separate bathrooms, one housing a shower and the other a toilet (why have I never seen this in a hotel before? I hope more catch on). The main area comfortably fit a large cane armchair, the beds, a mini bar and other amenities like a kettle and tea. There was even space for a large rug and two round cushions to meditate on, if the mood took us. Everything feels very earthy, like we’re part of the elements around us. And while you may think canvas walls aren’t great for containing sound, the soothing yet voluminous chorus of frogs in the lake outside provided a private ambience.

From the glamping tents to the furthest part of the hot springs, it’s still only a 10-minute walk. Although reception staff are on call in case you’d prefer to be ferried from stop to stop on a buggy.

It’s absolutely perfect, but those wanting to up the luxury also have the option of Eco Lodges.

The Spa Dreaming Centre

Peninsula Hot Springs Spa Dreaming Centre Pools — Day guests can also purchase a separate pass to enter the magical Spa Dreaming Centre.

The Spa Dreaming Centre is aptly named, and hands down my favourite place in the hot springs. Included in the price of a stay and only offered to guests 16 and over, this calming retreat offers a place to escape the daytime crowds (particularly if your stay falls over a weekend) without giving up your bathing journey.

Here you’ll find the spa, geothermal bathing, an infrared sauna (the only type of sauna I’ll enter thanks to my asthma), a Moroccan hammam and even zen chi massage machines. It. Is. Heaven. Guests can take advantage of private bathing options (for an extra cost) and a Moonlit Bathing experience. Head into the reception area to purchase a wide range of natural beauty and bathing products, from sun creams to bath salts to serums.

As my friends and I were all celebrating a semi-milestone birthday, it was the perfect excuse to indulge in one of the spa treatments. I booked in for a relaxation massage, and boy, did it work. Entering the waiting room before my massage, I poured myself a herbal tea and chose to sit in a swinging egg chair (though there are regular couches for those without a sense of fun). When my masseuse came to get me, the first thing I noticed about the room was that the massage table was actually long enough to fit my six-foot length, and then some. It also featured armrests under the headrest, so you didn’t have to have them by your side. It was supremely comfortable.

With magic hands, my masseuse managed to remove any knots and tension the hot springs hadn’t already calmed, and I left after 75 minutes feeling like a whole new person. One who had never experienced stress.

Peninsula Hot Springs dining

Spa Dreaming Centre Restaurant at peninsula hot springs — Dining in a bathrobe is almost the best part.

The Spa Dreaming Centre is also home to a dining room, where a healthy buffet breakfast is provided each morning. Think freshly made smoothies and juices, a variety of breads, bagels and pastries, a mixture of fruits, yoghurts and muesli and a selection of hot food. Even the scrambled eggs taste good here, a huge coup for hotel buffet breakfasts everywhere.

The dining room stays open all day, offering lunch and dinner menus that also focus on seasonal produce harvested from Peninsula Hot Springs’ own food bowl, designed to boost immunity and overall well-being. As much as there is a focus on health, no need to panic; it’s still a licensed venue. And my favourite part? No matter what time of day you sit down, it’s completely normal and expected to be wearing your white bathing robe.

Elsewhere on the property, try the Bath House cafe and bar or Amphitheatre Cafe, both of which offer more relaxed, open-air dining experiences. As a glamping guest, I can 100 per cent recommend ordering the tasty wood-fired pizzas to your room for dinner.

Peninsula Hot Springs workshops

Peninsula Hot Springs Body Clay workshop — Play around with body clays, and your skin will be outrageously soft when you’re done.

I think the most surprising aspect of our stay here was the workshops provided . Some are free, some incur a $20 fee, but every single one we tried was delightful and worth the money.

We painted ourselves with four different body clays of different colours, following our leader’s directions to apply the different colours on different parts of our body, depending on whether it needed moisture, cleansing or detoxing. It might sound intimidating, or even romantic, but in reality, it’s a fun excuse to get a bit goofy. And oh my goodness, my skin has never felt softer than after we washed the clays off.

On another day, we tried the Cacao Circle. A dry activity, we entered a tented dome and sat at a low wooden table, laid with cups. Similar to a tea ceremony, our guide talked us through mindfulness questions while we sipped raw cacao with honey. Meditation isn’t for me, but this was a perfect way to relax the brain and body. It is only offered during the winter season, though.

Finally, we woke up for the daily 9 am hot spring yoga classes. There’s regular yoga too, but truly, the aim of a stay here is to spend as much time as possible in a hot spring. The classes are held in the amphitheatre, with a teacher on stage while participants fill the many pools surrounding it.

Out-of-hours geothermal pool access

Peninsula Hot Springs hilltop pool at sunrise — Catch sunrise in the Hilltop Pool.

If you think your bathing journey is done after the sun goes down, think again. An adults-only moonlit bathing experience means guests can soak under the starry sky every Friday and Saturday from 10 pm until 2 am in the Spa Dreaming Centre.

Though perhaps my favourite thing was being able to get into all the pools from the moment they open at 5 am. We followed the staff suggestion to head up to the iconic Hilltop Pool with sweeping views over the entire hot springs and beyond. While the line can get long at sunset, and time in the pool is limited to accommodate the large numbers, for sunrise, there is plenty of room. A hidden gem all glampers should try to wake up for.