Araucanía sits on one of the most volcanically active zones on the planet, which has one very pleasant consequence: hot water comes out of the ground on its own, everywhere. There are dozens of thermal springs around Pucón, from rough stone pools beside rivers to landscaped complexes with tiered baths in native forest.
This trip combines the two things people want without realising they want them: seeing the region without driving it, and ending the day submerged in 38-degree water with the forest around you.
How the day works
The first half is the drive: viewpoints over Lake Villarrica, volcanic landscape, and the back roads around Pucón that are hard to find on your own. We stop where stopping is worth it, not where the schedule says.
The second half is the one the trip is named after. We reach the springs and the rest of the afternoon is yours — moving between pools of different temperatures, stepping out into the cold air, getting back in. Nothing to tick off, no group to follow.
How hard is it
Not at all. This is the gentlest trip we run and it works for almost anyone: families with children, older travellers, people wrecked from yesterday’s volcano climb, or anyone who simply did not come south to suffer.
When to go
Year-round — and this is one of the few trips where bad weather improves things rather than ruining them. Sitting in thermal water with cold rain falling on your head, or snow banked around the pool in winter, beats doing it on a sunny day. If you get a grey day in Pucón, this is the plan.
What to bring
- Swimwear and a towel
- Sandals or flip-flops for walking between pools
- A change of clothes, especially in winter
- A bag for wet things
- A warm jacket for the stops along the drive
Leave valuables and jewellery at the hotel: thermal water is heavily mineralised and will blacken silver.
