Arizona

Essence of Tranquility - Hot Springs in Arizona

03/21/2017

Just a two-hour drive from Tucson, Arizona, was a spa facility with the philosophical name, Essence of Tranquility.

It was an unusual spot, full of handcrafted touches.

Quiet campground

The campground, which draws thermal water, had such an unassuming appearance that you might accidentally pass by it.

Entrance

Rates are $15 per person for up to one hour and $35 for up to three hours (as of this writing).

Pulling the bell string attached to the wall, the owner appeared.

Reception Dog

And before that, I was greeted by a cute guard dog.

Campground

The first thing I saw on the grounds was a communal outdoor pool where clothing was required.

Open-air Bath1

The water temp was the warmest of all the pools, around 99 degrees F.

Open-air Bath

The water quality was excellent, with a sufficient amount of water input.

Although the water was clear and colorless, it had a salty taste in the mouth, and I found that it warmed the body well.

Ingenious private pools

Japanese

There were a total of five private baths, and the water temp was a moderate 102-106 degrees F.

They were all indoor pool in simple huts, but I was able to freely come and go during my stay, which was set at one hour, to find the space of my choice.

Hawaiian

The rooms were diverse, ranging from Asian-inspired to beach resort-inspired.

This was an indoor pool that seems to have been modeled after an ancient Roman bathhouse.

Roman Bath

The three walls were covered with fabric reminiscent of Roman baths, perhaps to make the room feel larger.

Alpaca
Alpaca
What is this cheesiness?
That's a good thing.
Capybara
Capybara

Soaking in the Roman bath with its flimsy atmosphere, I thought about the weight of the phrase, "Rome was not built in a day."

Cave Bath1

Here, the thermal water was poured from a high outlet into a deep pool

Soaking 01

The sound of water was just echoing in the dimly lit hut.

Cave Bath

I looked up and saw sunlight shining through a gap in the crude tin roof.

I thought that the essence of tranquility might be found in such an unpretentious atmosphere.

Summary

Essence of Tranquility, Safford, Arizona, U.S.

My rating

Type: Walk-in, Lodging (campground)

Rule: Private pool, Clothing required

Chemical use: Not detected

Water temp: Up to 106 degrees F

Official website

Related Hot Springs

It is a state park that is only a five-minute drive from Essence of Tranquility.

Roper Lake State Park
Roper Lake State Park [Hot Springs CLOSED]

A hot spring of similar quality was also springing up in this park and seemed to be very popular among the campers.

  • Writer

Hot Springer Ken

A hot spring enthusiast based in Japan. Toured over 300 North American hot springs while working in Texas from 2016 to 2022. For updates, visit X or Instagram!

-Arizona
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