Terraced hot spring pools at Baños Colina, San José de Maipo, surrounded by mountains.

77 km from Santiago · straight line

Baños Colina

Terraces of hot water high up the Cajón del Maipo.

  • Idea
  • A weekend

Photograph: Gallardoval · CC BY-SA 3.0

Why it's worth the trip

Because it's the first destination on the route that asks you to stay the night, and because the contrast between the cold at altitude and the hot water does the rest of the social work.

Landscape

At the end of the Cajón del Maipo road, past where the asphalt stops, thermal water runs down the hillside forming stepped pools, one above the other, with the mountains all around. You arrive late, get into the water at dusk and sleep right there.

  • Mountain
  • Water
View of the stepped thermal pools at Termas Valle de Colina.
View of the stepped thermal pools at Termas Valle de Colina. Photograph: DavidKingNT · CC BY 3.0

What the trip could look like

One night away: afternoon arrival, hot springs at dusk, a shared dinner and the return next day.

A possible format, not yet a trip with a date.

Who this destination is for

A good fit if

  • Anyone wanting landscape without much walking
  • A first night away with the group

Maybe not if

  • Anyone expecting a spa
  • Winter: the road closes with snow

Worth knowing

  • It is a private site with an access fee; we have not verified rates or opening hours.
  • Altitude and road conditions make the season limited.

Sources