12 Best Hot Springs in Colombia
The best hot springs in Colombia, locally called “aguas termales”, are set amidst a background of…
Guide to Colombia’s Natural Thermal Springs
Colombia, especially since peace was achieved in 2016, has turned its reputation of being an unsafe travel destination entirely around. Its more rural towns and bustling cities are safe for visitors and have plenty of restaurants, shops, and museums to satisfy any culture-seeker.
There are also beautiful and beloved hot springs in the country, and we’ll break those ‘aguas termales’ down for you below.
Aguas Termales in the Andes
The Andes Mountains cut the country of Colombia in half, and it is while high up in this region that visitors experience a much cooler climate. This makes the hot springs particularly convenient since it’s almost never too hot for a dip.
Here you’ll find Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal, a fairly basic resort with access to three thermal pools and a children’s area, all at varying degrees of warmth. What really attracts guests is the hot springs waterfall, which splits while falling down the mountain and breaks up the greenery. Around the pools you’ll find cold water showers just in case you feel overheated.
In the town of Risaralda, in the western range of the Andes, sits San Vicente Reserva Termal. There are several pools available for outdoor bathing, and the rustic resort has massage services. If you’d like to enjoy the hot springs for more than a single day you can either rent a room, reserve a cabin, or bring your tent and rough it on the sprawling grounds.
The truly unique features of San Vicente are the naturally occurring bubble pool and the thermal river, a much more active body of water than your typical basin.
In Caldas, Colombia you’ll find the Tierra Viva Termales, where the mineral waters are a sparkling bright green. The hot springs are nestled in the mountain greenery, and the place is popular with the locals. It’s often best to visit in the late afternoon, since both mornings and after dark tend to be peak times for visitors to the termal.
The spa at Hotel Termales El Otoño offers therapeutic soaks in tubs filled with geothermal water. Nearby is also the aqua park, where there are waterslides and children’s areas all powered by the hot spring.
There’s an on-site restaurant if all that soaking makes guests hungry. While the facilities are pretty typical for what you’d expect at a water park, the fact that it’s in the mountains surrounded by tropical vistas makes it extraordinary.
Other Hot Springs in Colombia:
- Termales Los Volcanes
- Termales Nápoles
- Piscinas Termales El Paraíso
- Malu del Rio-Termales
- Hacienda El Salitre
- Hotel Termales El Batan
- Termales Agua Hirviendo
- TERMALES AGUATIBIA
- Termales de San Juan
- Los Angeles Termal
- Termales San Francisco – Casa Hotel
- Termales La Portada de la Villa
- Hotel Termales Del Ruiz
- Instituto Termal de Paipa
- Hacienda Termales la Quinta
- Las Termales de Rivera
Visit Colombia
Bogota is the country’s largest city, and there are days when the main streets of the metropolis are bike-access only. A lot of the tourism in Colombia is ecotourism, so if earth consciousness is your jam, this country has what you’re looking for.
The coffee region is beautiful and unlike anything, you’ll see outside of Colombia. This country is the gold star standard if you’re interested in the ‘two Hs,’ hot springs, and hiking.
Learn more about visiting Colombia on our sister site, La Vida Nomad.
