The best hot springs to visit in Colombia

Colombia, as a mountainous and volcanic country, has more than its fair share of wonderful hot springs and thermal baths which visitors can enjoy relaxing and soaking in. There are so many to choose from that it’s difficult to put together a list that encompasses all of the hot springs on offer, so here are the very best in Colombia.

Located in the Coffee Region close to the city of Pereira, the Santa Rosa de Cabal hot springs are probably the most famous and iconic in all of Colombia. With an actual waterfall flowing down the mountainside into the warm pools below, Santa Rosa de Cabal is visually stunning as well as having some of the best – as well as tasteless and odourless – thermal pools in the country.

Another luxurious hot spring in the Coffee Region – this time in the Nevados National Park above Manizales – the Ruiz Thermals are a series of delightful pools alongside a gorgeous luxury hotel overlooking mountains and forests. The gardens are home to some of Colombia’s most beautiful hummingbirds, and the pools themselves are a joy: hot and relaxing, and surrounded by comfortable sun-loungers.

These two hot springs – one lukewarm and the other boiling hot – are located just over an hour from the pretty southern city of Popayan, and are a really popular day-trip with both travelers and locals. The pools themselves aren’t the most beautiful visually in Colombia, but the waters are natural and relaxing, and Coconuco makes for a perfect day out for anyone visiting Popayan.

Paipa is Colombia’s most famous and popular spa town, located alongside a lake in the department of Boyaca. There are a large number of thermal baths and pools dotted around the town, as well as fancy hotels with spas and their own thermal pools. With hot springs catering to all budgets and tastes and located just over an hour from the popular tourist town of Villa de Leyva, Paipa is perfect for anyone with their eye on a Colombian spa break.

The little town of Macheta is around 80 km (50 miles) north of Bogota and is home to the Volcanes Thermals, the closest of their kind to the Colombian capital. With waters rich in iron and sulphur, the springs are supposedly fantastic for treating a variety of health complaints. The best part is that they are so easily accessible as part of a day-trip from Bogota, especially if you’re starting to feel the cold of the high Andean altiplano.

The only hot springs on this list that aren’t located in the Andean mountains, the hot springs in Jurubida are located in the depths of the wild jungles of the Colombia Pacific coastal region of the Choco. Jurubida is a small fishing village located on a stunning jungle-fringed beach, and the pools – one milder, one baking hot – are located a one-hour hike into the jungle. Keep your eyes out for colourful poison dart frogs in the rivers surrounding the pools.

Just outside the town of Rivera in Huila department, the Los Angeles Thermals are pretty little hot springs with an adjacent luxury hotel and an onsite restaurant. The pools are surrounded by natural stone, and the temperatures of the pools range from a mild 33°C (91 degrees Fahrenheit) to a sweat-inducing 43°C (109 degrees Fahrenheit). The hotel rooms are beautifully designed and right near the pools, so you can walk straight from your bed to the hot springs without breaking a sweat (yet!).