Termas del Flaco

Termas del Flaco is a settlement of cabins and pools at about 1,700 metres in the Tinguiririca valley, open only through the summer because the road is closed by snow the rest of the year - and that road is the memorable part: the last stretch is a single-track shelf with no passing, so traffic runs uphill and downhill on fixed hours and getting the timing wrong means waiting hours. Above the springs are dinosaur footprints preserved in a tilted rock slab, cretaceous tracks left in what was then a shoreline, now standing at an angle on the mountainside and reachable on a short walk.

What you actually see

• Hot pools at 1,700 metres - open only in summer.
• A single-track timed road - uphill and downhill on fixed hours.
• Cretaceous dinosaur tracks - in a tilted slab above the springs.
• A seasonal settlement - cabins that open and close with the road.

When to go

December to March; the road is shut otherwise. A full day or overnight.

Honest expectations

The timed road is strictly enforced and misjudging it costs hours. Accommodation is basic cabins and books out at weekends. The pools are simple and crowded in January. There is no fuel up the valley.

Nearby

San Fernando is down the valley; the Argentine border is above.