ABSTRACT
Leisure and health practices associated with hot springs have a unique place in Portuguese history and society. The occupation of the Portuguese territory by Greeks and Romans left a significant thermal legacy. The use of thermal springs by Portuguese monarchs, as well as the legends and myths associated with them, have made them popular in Portuguese culture throughout the centuries. However, it was in the first decades of the twentieth century that thermal centres became truly established and reached their height in Portugal. They were legally institutionalised through a decree in 1892 and thus had new financing and investment from the government, as well as becoming fashionable places for leisure and vacations. The Portuguese thermal facilities were transformed and given a new dimension through the construction of hotels, casinos and recreational facilities. The new railroad was also a determining factor in the developing process of the spa, bearing in mind the fact that they were usually located in rural areas, outside city centres such as Lisbon, Coimbra and Oporto.
