SANTA AGUA HOT SPRING – ECUADOR

JULY FEATURED HOT SPRING BALNEARIO PUBLICO SANTA AGUA – ECUADOR

Santa Agua, also known as Complejo de Turismo Ecológico Chachimbiro, is a province-operated hot spring in a joint effort with the Fundacion Cordillera. The hot spring complex lies about an hour drive westward from Ibarra (0.458905, -78.2388), or a three-hour drive from Quito in northern Ecuador. The hot springs are at the end of a long curvy paved road to the northwest of Urcuqui. There are two parts to the facility, an upper spa which charges $8.00 USD and a lower recreation area for $4.00 USD. The hot springs are very popular with Ecuadorians and packed on the weekends.

The spa facility includes six outdoor pools, several small outdoor tubs in which you can control the water temperatures, and two sheltered semi-hydrotherapy pools with weak jets. The two saunas were not operating, but small Turkish bath was plenty steamy. Massage services expect to be intermittent and if available they are rather basic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The water temperatures are plenty hot enough for a good soak, in fact, one pool is maintained at 55°C, which is effectively too hot to be of any service. The two upper tiled pools have the better water temperatures. One of these has a statue of a campesina woman pouring hot water out of a clay pot. The overly decorated and highly painted cement and stone designs gives the effect of a cheesy and distracting environment to the facility. Nonetheless, the variety of pools and water temperatures should be enough to satisfy most preferences.

 

The lower recreation area has several large rectangular pools with murky hot spring water that is better suited towards swimming. It is the only hot spring that features a dragon water slide. The dining facility has a reasonably menu, and the upstairs bar is more slanted towards dancing and karaoke than offering a relaxed service of beverages. Accommodation can be found at the basic hot spring hostel, or in the towns Urcuqui or Ibarra.

As published on: Hot Springs of the Andes 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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