The famous springs became important around 1926 when the chemist Michail Pertesis discovered the exceptionally high radon concentration in the water, which was thought of as a great value for people’s health.

Nearly ten years later (1930s), the first hotels started to develop. After World War II, Kamena Vourla was transformed into a famous tourist attraction.

8 kilometres (5 miles) away on the road heading uphill features the monastery known as Iera Moni Metamorfoseos tou Sotiros which was built in around the 11th century. Nearby the city a historic tomb is situated, a monument to the Battle of Thermopylae with a seal of Leonidas, King of Sparta, located not far from the mountain village Karya.