Colombia’s hot springs areas offer a little slice of heaven.
One of our favorite stops on our road trip through Colombia’s Eje Cafetera (coffee zone) earlier this year was Santa Rosa de Cabal, or SRC to the locals. It’s a bit off the international tourist track, but the area is well known among Colombians for its numerous hot springs in a gorgeous natural setting. After several days on the go, we were ready for some rest and relaxation – and the hot springs were the perfect solution.
Colombia is a highly active area for volcanic and geothermal activity, and you’ll find numerous hot springs (known as termales) and thermal spas (known as balnearios) throughout the central Andes region. In addition to the SRC area, there are balnearios near Ibague and Manizales, the largest city in the coffee triangle.
Getting There
The hot springs of Santa Rosa de Cabal are located in a lush and jungle-y mountain valley southeast of SRC town. The two main balnearios are Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal and Termales San Vicente.
Pereira’s Matecaña International Airport offers numerous daily flights to and from Medellín, Bogotà, and other major cities in Colombia. It’s about a 40-minute taxi ride from the airport to the termales, which should cost no more than $12. There are also busses connecting Pereira with SRC and the termales. Or, it’s easy to rent a car (our go-to rental company for South America is Localiza).
It took us about 40 minutes to make the drive up from Pereira, skirting the southern edge of SRC, to reach the termales area on a mostly unpaved (but smooth) road. Along the way, we saw scores of small resort hotels catering mostly to Colombian weekenders. It’s obvious this place is a mecca for Colombians needing a relaxing getaway!
Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal
Watched over by La Cascada St. Helena, the mystical and magical five-stream waterfall, this friendly, family-owned place is the largest balneario in the SRC area. First discovered by local farmers more than 80 years ago, the Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal consists of four thermal pools together with several restaurants, a bathhouse, a spa, and covered seating areas. It’s a pleasure to stroll around the beautifully landscaped grounds, and you can also swim under the waterfall (it’s cold!) if you so desire. In addition, the Termales offers guided hikes up into the jungle to see the source of the hot springs.
The Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal offers several admission packages depending on the time of the year and day of the week. If you book online, admission is about $7.50 U.S. for the full day during week days.
The Termales Hotel
The Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal also operates a beautiful and cozy hotel just up the road (about 2 kilometers) from the main balneario. That’s where we hung our hats for two nights, and we really enjoyed the restaurant and the three thermal pools that are available only to hotel guests. We also partook of massages in the spa facility on the top floor, serenaded by the surround-sound of rushing water. As we say here, ¡Era divino!
The Termales San Vicente
Although we didn’t visit Termales San Vicente on this trip, it’s definitely on our list for next time. We’re told the pools at Termales San Vicente are wilder and more natural, with a thermal river running through the property. San Vicente is a bit more off the beaten path, which means it’s somewhat harder to get to but probably has smaller crowds than the Termales Santa Rose de Cabal. The Termales San Vicente also offers overnight accommodations and private pools for hotel guests, with some of the rooms featuring a private thermal bath. It sounds like the perfect romantic getaway for couples!
Termales galore – just another reason to Travel Colombia!
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17 Comments
What a great setting for these thermal pools. Sounds like a fantastic break for a few days. Maggie
Thanks, Maggie! It was a great R&R stop.
Oh that does sound heavenly to relax in those hot pools with the beautiful scenery with it 🙂
Thanks, Meg! I sure wish I were back there right now in one of those pools 🙂
What a fantastic backdrop for these thermal pools, lovely scenery🥰
Thanks, Christie! SRC is truly divino!
Wow! Those photos are spectacular! You find the best places. I’d like to escape this madness in the US and soak in a hot spring for days on end. I’m not a jungle-y person though, so not sure we’ll get there but it sure looks amazing!
Thank you for the comments on our site. I had to giggle (even tho the post topic was somber) that you were living on your boat in SF on 911 and we were in San Jose. My gosh, what a small world. That must have been when John called on Abi about wine. Too bad we all didn’t connect way back when, but… such is life. We were meant to meet in Porto. Crazy, right?!
Thanks, Patti – sorry for my late reply (gutted by events of the week, not that that’s an excuse). Boy, I sure could use a trip back to the termales myself! Would you and Abi care to join us?? 🙂 And yes, it’s such a small world. 911 was just a bit before we took off on our boat to go cruising – I don’t know if John was still working at that point. But I’m certain he and Abi crossed paths sometime before that. And yes, we’re so glad we connected with you in Porto! Let’s find another rendezvous point soon.
What an absolutely amazing place!! It looks incredible and very relaxing.
Thanks, Hannah! The SRC termales really are special. We sure could use a soak there about now 🙂
It’s such a pretty place! We didn’t go because of the relatively high entrance price. But now, after traveling through a lot of South America, I would pay the $7.50 entrance fee if we ever pass through again! Yet, we did find some amazing natural springs in Colombia and Ecuador that were totally clear. 🙂
The entrance fee was worth every penny! Hope you are able to pass through there again – does that mean you’re coming back to Colombia? 🙂
Those waterfalls are enough reason to visit the Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal. If I go, I will probably spend more time marveling at them than soaking in the hot water.
Hi Bama! The termales were a feast for the senses, for sure. The Colombian landscape in that area is simply gorgeous and relatively unspoiled. It’s a special place!
Wow, what an amazing experience! An excursion to the steaming pools of Santa Rosa de Cabal Hot Springs looks like a natural experience of a different kind. I love how it is set in a valley surrounded by tropical rainforest – it for sure is a picturesque location. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva x
Thanks for reading, Aiva! The termales really are very special, and the natural surroundings add so much to the experience. Hope you can visit there someday. Have a good day back! 🙂
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