"Hells," or "Jigoku," are volcanic hot springs. This is the main tourist attraction in Beppu. Most of them are steaming or bubbling pools of water or mud, in different colors because of the mineral deposits at the spring. Many of them have a sulphur smell, but not too strong. One hell is a small geyser - a water spout that rises about 5 meters high every 15-30 minutes.
You can buy a package deal to see the eight main hells at the tourist information office at the JR station. If you buy an all-day bus pass, you get a percentage off the price of the 8-hell ticket booklet.
You take a bus to the starting point, and 6 of the 8 hells are within walking distance. Then you take a bus to the last two (which are nearby each other).
Some of the "must-do" activities: soak your feet in the foot baths at two of the hells (bring a towel!), see the greenhouse with exotic flowers at Umi Jigoku, eat a hell-cooked hardboiled egg or pudding, buy some mineral mud for your skin, see the geyser erupt.
Two of the hells have zoos with them: Yama Jigoku, with a diverse collection of animals, and Oniyama Jigoku, which has crocodiles. The zoos are not elaborate. Some travel guides urge you to boycott these hells because of the treatment of the animals.
If you take your time, the hells of Beppu will take you about half a day.

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