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The
Methana health spas from the ancient days to present times, are known
for their beneficial properties on our health and beauty. They were
known in the ancient days and some have been used since then. Proof of
this is a manuscript by Pafsanias who seems to be referring to one of
the spas near the location of Agios Nikolaos (Palea Loutra). This spa
gets the name "Loutra tou Pafsania" from this manuscript. According to
the ancient traveller, they first appeared during the reign of Antigonos
Gonata (277-240 BC) after the eruption of the volcano in Kammeni Hora.
There used to be baths here while ruins of a Roman water tank still
remain. Moreover, manuscripts of the Latin poet Obidios (1st century BC)
and of the geographer Stravon (1st century BC) testify to the existence
of health spas in the area of the Peninsula
At first the visitors sat in ditches, into which the waters poured directly. After a few years twelve small, private pools and two big common ones (called loumbes) were built. The water poured directly from the springs into these pools. For use of the warm, sulphur spas two buildings with then marble baths were constructed in 1906. These buildings stand next to the modern building of "natural spas" and the spa Papamatheou, where the hotel "Pighe" stands today. In the year 1930 the state-owned hydrotherapy spa building with the 40 marble baths was constructed, and finally the hydrotherapy spa building "Pighe" which belongs to Diamantopoulos and has 22 marble baths was constructed in 1936. The waters stopped temporarily during the 1922 earthquake but started flowing again half an hour later. After this incident a rise in the temperature of the waters by 1 or 2 degrees was noted. The systematic exploitation of the saline spas of Agios Nikolaos began in the year 1904. The first hydrotherapy spa with 16 baths was built in Agios Nikolaos in 1912. This hydrotherapy centre has been radically renovated and extensions have been built on according to the reconstruction programme funded by the "Marshal" plan.
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