Balneario Las Barías

Las Barías is a spring at Las Marías near Azua where water comes up cold and clear into a pool built around it, shaded by trees, in a valley that is otherwise one of the hottest and driest parts of the country. It functions as a public bathing place: families come at weekends, food is sold and the water is the whole point. The setting is modest and the appeal is entirely the contrast between the heat outside and the water.

What you actually see

• The spring - cold clear water rising into the built pool.
• The shade trees - the cover around the pool in an otherwise bare valley.
• The dry valley - one of the hottest and driest regions in the country.
• The weekend use - families and food stalls that make it a public bathing place.

When to go

Year round; the spring temperature barely changes. Weekends are busiest. Summer heat makes the cold water most welcome.

Honest expectations

The site is basic and litter is a problem at weekends. Facilities are minimal. There is nothing to see beyond the pool itself.

Nearby

Azua is nearby, and Baní is east.