A natural landscape of rock formations, grottos, and a series of mineral pools is tucked into a quiet stretch of Central Texas just a short drive from Downtown Houston. Loungers await, hammocks sway, and birds call from the nearby oak trees as visitors slip into 106-degree waters bubbling up from 1,550 feet below ground.

It’s Ottine Mineral Springs, Texas's only mineral springs spa, and a new destination that feels worlds away without requiring a long-haul flight.

A Hidden History

The story begins, as many in Texas do, with oil. In 1909, wildcatters from Producers Oil Company out of Houston, drilling in search of black gold, struck something entirely different: thermal mineral water flowing at 100 gallons per minute. At that time, hot springs in Arkansas were drawing in gangsters and outlaws like Al Capone and Bonnie and Clyde, but the newly discovered thermal waters in Central Texas were capped and left abandoned. Although oil was the main source of interest, driller H. H. Jones saw potential and asked permission from the oil company president W. B. Sharp to “develop the waters for the good of the community.” Sharp agreed, though development wouldn’t begin for another three decades.

Ottine's springs sat unused, but the tradition of "taking the water" had already persisted throughout Texas. Long before Europeans arrived, archaeological findings show that Native Americans used warm waters for bathing, in what is now Big Bend National Park, and Hudspeth County. Later, German settlers introduced European bathing traditions, which centered around hydrotherapy for health and relaxation, contributing to the development of the state's bathing culture. Texas’s hot springs became a meeting place for people on both sides of the Rio Grande seeking healing and fellowship in the vast, arid landscape.

In the late 1930s, the Gonzales Warm Springs Foundation for Crippled Children began using Ottine’s warm water for therapy during the height of the polio epidemic. Nearly 400 children were treated each year until the polio vaccine was introduced in the 1950s. Still using the spring-fed waters for therapy, the hospital then began treating patients with neuromuscular disabilities. It was sold and relocated to Luling in 2002, where it became PAM Health Specialty and Rehabilitation Hospital of Luling, focusing on long-term acute care and rehabilitation.

The land was purchased in 2017, and two soaking tubs were built for members of the Go Soak Club as a pilot project to gauge interest in the springs. After seeing success, construction began on the expansion of the newly named Ottine Mineral Springs. 

Wellness, the Texas Way

Spring-fed waters aren’t rare in the Texas Hill Country. College students flock to the nearby San Marcos River and Barton Springs Pool, which hover between 68 and 82 degrees. Meanwhile, Ottine's waters emerge from the earth at a balmy 106 degrees.

The 60-acre property, which borders Palmetto State Park, also offers five soaking pools, a spa, and a restaurant, all designed for relaxation. The pools range from a 55-degree cold plunge basin to grottos with 90- to 100-degree water naturally rich in magnesium, sodium bicarbonate, and salt—ideal for contrast therapy. Visitors can take advantage of nature's cocktail to ease muscles, boost circulation, reduce joint pain, and support skin health.

“Our mineral waters can’t be found anywhere else. They come straight from the source, and because they come from so deep underground, they pass through different types of rock and minerals. You can really feel it when you soak in the pools,” says Dede DeStefano, Ottine Mineral Springs general manager. “Our guests leave here and say that they are sleeping well and that their skin feels soft. There is truly nothing like it.”

The timing of Ottine's opening is fortuitous. As more Americans embrace natural health remedies and holistic wellness practices, hydrotherapy’s restorative offerings have made headlines as one of the most sought-after wellness therapies in 2025. Compared to a "full body workout" for the vascular system, thermal waters are said to deliver a natural high and have been part of bathing culture around the world for centuries. The Greeks, including the father of modern medicine Hippocrates, built sophisticated bath houses around springs, while the Romans used them for hygiene, healing, and as gathering spots. But being at Ottine feels less like biohacking and more like an afternoon of intentional self-care—especially with the property’s readily available hammocks and comfortable lounge chairs.

DeStefano says people drive in from all over to visit Ottine for the springs' calming effects. “The number one reason people visit is to celebrate a special occasion, but many of our guests use the pools, as they were originally intended, for wellness,” she says. “There is so much room to breathe out here. Visitors are relaxed and unplugged from their devices.… They can get away from their day-to-day responsibilities and the business of city life.”

More Than Just a Soak

The relaxation doesn’t end in the pools. Ottine boasts an on-site spa with a menu of massages, including deep tissue, Swedish, prenatal, and a detoxifying dry-brush experience. In late November, the property debuted cabana reservations featuring privacy curtains, robes and towel service, heaters, misters, and personal waitstaff.

Eventually, Ottine’s goal is to become a full-fledged wellness village, with cabin rentals, private soaking pools, grottos, saunas, steam and salt rooms, mud baths, and scenic hiking and biking trails. Future expansion, which will take place in phases, includes a curated retail space, additional spa offerings, workshops, and activities, including a yurt for yoga, and eventually, its own yoga program.

“The number one priority is the full-service restaurant and hotel, which will be built simultaneously,” and completed in mid-2026 and 2027, respectively, DeStefano says. Then, even more pools, saunas, and hot and cold plunges will be added.

No matter how many wellness activities are on the menu, a day of unwinding isn't complete without delicious food. While the full-service restaurant and bar are in the works, the on-site restaurant offers yogurt parfaits in the morning and charcuterie and fresh salads later in the day. According to DeStefano, guests rave about the wood-fired pizzas. The restaurant recently launched a seasonal menu with healthy options including bowls, salads, sandwiches, and seasonal cocktails. Drinks, both spirited and spirit-free, pair well with a long soak or a hammock nap.

Know Before You Go 

Passes start at $65 for a half-day, open to ages 13 and up, making it both a doable day trip and a singularly Texas experience.