Termas de Socos

The springs at Socos come out at around 30 degrees, mineralised with bicarbonates and other salts, and they have been used as a spa since the early twentieth century - a hotel, pools and individual tubs, with mud treatments, in a wooded compound off the highway south of Ovalle. The same water is bottled commercially as Agua Mineral Socos and sold nationally, which is how most Chileans know the name. It works as a break on the long drive north from Santiago, and it is a short detour from route 5 rather than a destination in the hills, which is unusual for a Chilean thermal site.

What you actually see

• Springs at around 30 degrees - bicarbonate-rich mineral water.
• A spa since the early 1900s - pools, tubs and mud treatments.
• The same water bottled - sold across Chile under the site's name.
• A stop off the highway - rather than a mountain site.

When to go

Year round. Half a day.

Honest expectations

At around thirty degrees the water is tepid rather than thermal in the dramatic sense. The complex is dated in parts. It is close to the highway and traffic is audible. Day entry and hotel rates are separate, and camping is a third option.

Nearby

Fray Jorge national park is west; Ovalle and Valle del Encanto are north.