Chachimbiro Hot Springs

Chachimbiro is a group of thermal complexes in a warm sheltered valley on the flanks of the Chachimbiro volcanic system north-west of Ibarra, where mineral water emerges hot enough to need mixing and feeds pools at a range of temperatures, from family swimming pools to hot medicinal soaking tubs, run by a community enterprise with lodging, restaurants and spa treatments attached. The water is iron- and mineral-rich and the medicinal pools are the draw for Ecuadorian visitors, who come in numbers at weekends. The valley itself, dropping toward the warm Chota country, is green and flower-grown, and the complex makes an easy restorative day from Ibarra or Otavalo.

What you actually see

• Hot mineral pools at graded temperatures - from swimming to soaking.
• The community-run complex - baths, lodging and treatments together.
• A warm sheltered valley - the microclimate below the paramo.
• Weekend Ecuadorian spa life - the pools as locals use them.

When to go

Year round. Half a day. Weekends and holidays are crowded with families; midweek is calm. Bring your own towel and sandals or hire there.

Honest expectations

It is a family bathing complex, not a boutique spa, and weekend crowds are real. Facilities are worn in places. The medicinal claims are traditional rather than clinical.

Nearby

Urcuqui is below; Ibarra lies south-east.