Spring is filled with minerals
By Cindy Rupert/Tampa Tribune

Tips for the trip

WARM MINERAL SPRINGS - Floating outdoors in 87-degree water is more than a winter miracle to Warm Mineral Springs visitors. The soothing spring, they say, is also a miracle cure.

About 80 miles south of downtown Tampa near Venice, the 2 1/2- acre spring produces about 9 million gallons of murky, mineral-laden saltwater a day, supporting small fish and bird populations and attracting Europeans, mostly retirees well-versed in the benefits of spas.

Those who make the pilgrimage claim relief from arthritis, rheumatism and skin disorders. The family owned Resort and Spa at Warm Mineral Springs caters to the health claims by providing massage therapy, whirlpool mineral baths, saunas and, despite the unpleasant taste, bottled spring water.

Owners say the water contains more minerals - including chloride, sodium, sulfate, magnesium, potassium, bicarbonate and calcium - than the internationally renowned spas at Vichy and Aix les Bains in France, Baden-Baden in Germany and Hot Springs in Arkansas.

The 100,000 visitors who soak in the spring annually are greeted at U.S. 41 and Ortiz Boulevard by a once-modern metal sculpture that foreshadows the 1950s-style spa buildings at the end of the road and the resort's old Florida, tourist attraction feel.

A lifeguard blows her whistle at guests who venture beyond the ropes that designate the shallow spring banks. Most swimmers avoid the center of the spring, where a 10-second dive straight down puts winter-white skin into sharp contrast with the blackness of the 230- foot drop.

Bathers follow an unwritten directional law, most of them walking counterclockwise along the muddy spring bottom, forming an artificial current as they travel. They murmur French, Russian, German and accented English in churchlike tones, keenly aware of the lake's echo.

Some ease spouses in wheelchairs into the spring, while on land, sunbathers avoid the shady oaks in favor of blue skies. Water evaporates off swimsuits tacked onto pine trees, leaving behind a mineral residue.

A female voice distorted by a loudspeaker pierces the tranquil scene, announcing lost items and messages. Lifeguards warn visitors not to attract ants by picnicking around the lake, pointing out secluded picnic tables.

In addition to the health facilities, snack bar, bakery and gift shop, the spa features a mural, cyclorama and video presentation depicting the area's considerable historical importance.

The oldest human remains found in Florida, about 12,000 years old, were discovered on a Florida State University archaeological diving expedition in the spring's caverns, along with the prehistoric bones of saber-toothed tigers and giant ground sloths.

The discoveries - well-preserved because of the low oxygen content of the water - have been featured in National Geographic magazine and on public television programs. State funding for the project, which required custom-made diving equipment to withstand the corrosive effect of the water on metal, was discontinued two years ago.

TIPS FOR THE TRIP
HOW TO GET THERE
To get there from the Bay area, take exit 34 on Interstate 75 right to U.S. 41, then travel left (south) about 3 miles.

OTHER INFORMATION