Cacheuta

Cacheuta sits where the Mendoza river cuts through a canyon of red and grey rock at around 1,200 metres, and thermal water emerges here at temperatures that have been used since long before the railway brought spa guests in the early twentieth century. Two operations share the site: a hotel spa with quieter pools and treatments, and a larger water park with terraced pools built into the canyon wall at different temperatures, waterslides, a wave pool and a mud area, busy with families through the summer. The setting does much of the work, with the pools looking out over the river and the canyon walls rising directly above. The road in from Mendoza follows the old rail route through tunnels and along the water.

What you actually see

• The terraced pools - thermal water in pools cut into the canyon wall.
• The canyon - red and grey rock walls above the Mendoza river.
• The spa hotel - the quieter, treatment-focused side of the site.
• The approach road - the drive through tunnels along the river.

When to go

Year-round, and winter is arguably better, when the hot water contrasts with cold air and crowds thin. Summer weekends and holidays fill the water park to capacity. Booking ahead is advisable in January.

Honest expectations

The two sites are separate businesses with separate prices, and the water park is loud and family-oriented rather than restful. Day passes are not cheap. Summer heat plus hot pools is a difficult combination for some, and shade is limited.

Nearby

Potrerillos reservoir lies upstream; Mendoza city is under an hour east.