Santa Teresa Hot Springs

Termales de Santa Teresa uses the same geothermal resource as Los Ausoles nearby, piping naturally heated water into a series of stone-built pools arranged down a wooded slope at different temperatures, from very hot at the top to cooler below, with a cold pool and a river at the bottom. The setting is planted with tropical vegetation and the pools are open-air. It operates as a day spa with treatments and as a small hotel, and it is the most developed of the thermal sites in the country. Weekends bring visitors from San Salvador and from Guatemala, since the border is close, and booking is advisable then.

What you actually see

• The stepped pools - the stone basins at descending temperatures.
• The wooded slope - the planted hillside the pools run down.
• The cold pool and river - the contrast at the bottom of the sequence.
• The spa facilities - the treatments and accommodation on site.

When to go

November to April in the dry season. Weekdays are far quieter than weekends. Cool mornings and evenings suit the hot pools best. Booking is needed at weekends and holidays.

Honest expectations

It is a commercial spa rather than a natural site, with entry and treatment charges. Weekends are crowded. The hottest pools are genuinely hot and need care. Facilities are good by local standards but not luxurious.

Nearby

Los Ausoles are close; Ahuachapan lies east.