Termas Geometricas: The Winding Red Path to a Breathtaking Bath
Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook and Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter.
Deep in a lush forest canyon at Villarrica National Park in Chile, a bright red boardwalk beckons. The wooden path, serpentine and shrouded in mist, leads to one of the world’s most spectacular spas.
Termas Geometricas, or the Geometric Hot Springs, are 17 slate-lined thermal pools built into a ravine that teems with wild ferns, moss-covered rocks, and a rushing stream. The pools, fed by naturally heated water from the area’s hot springs, vary from 95 to 108 degrees Fahrenheit. The red boardwalk running through the narrow ravine provides a walkway connecting each pool. At the end of the path is a waterfall, which you are welcome to stand beneath.
The springs are open year-round, meaning you can soak in the warm water during a snowstorm if you so desire. During winter, the temperature of the waterfall plunges to around 43 degrees Fahrenheit, making for a bracing conclusion to an afternoon of relaxing dips.
Termas Geometricas is the creation of Chilean architect Germán del Sol, who designs hot springs and hotels that blend into their natural surroundings—his Remota Hotel in Patagonia features a roof covered in wild grass.
More hot springs: