Balnéa

Balnéa bills itself as the first thermal leisure centre in the French Pyrenees, and it is the easiest place in the range to sit in warm water with snowy peaks in view. Sulfurous water is pumped from two boreholes, 170 and 600 metres deep, above the old Saoussas springs, and delivered at 30 to 36°C. The outdoor Inca and Maya baths are the ones to aim for, at the warm end of that range, with the lake and mountains in front of you.

Indoors there is a Roman-style pool, and a family area runs at 36°C. A standard session costs roughly 19 to 21 euros for adults. Bring your own towel or rent a robe at reception.

The honest downside: this is a busy leisure complex, not a quiet retreat, and school holidays fill it. A fire closed the Japanese baths for a period, so check which areas are open before you go. It pairs well with a day on the Peyragudes ski slopes just up the valley.