| Eco Termales de San Vicente |
If you want to stay overnight at the termales you have only three options.
option 1 : you can bring a tent and camp. that will cost you 35.000 pesos per person and includes only hot pool entrance
and your sleep. so not that cheap. but as said there are few options and that is the cheapest
option 2 : in a simple room 139.000 pesos for two people 159.000 pesos for three people and 190.000 pesos for four
people. this includes breakfast, your bed and hot pool entrance. you will have to buy your other meals or bring a few cans
of tuna.
option 3 : in my recent trip I decided to splash out. 320.000 pesos for two people. about the most expensive
accommodation one can find in thie country I think. However worth it for one night. Included all meals, trout whatever. The
room was very nice and had its on fireplace and most importantly its own private spring fed hot pool. They will come and
light the fire at night and you can use the jacuzzi whenever you want. The package also includes a hot sand steam or
whatever and short massage. Its a hell of a lot of money for backpackers but others out there may like to splash out and I
thought it was worth it. The misses did too!
option 1 : you can bring a tent and camp. that will cost you 35.000 pesos per person and includes only hot pool entrance
and your sleep. so not that cheap. but as said there are few options and that is the cheapest
option 2 : in a simple room 139.000 pesos for two people 159.000 pesos for three people and 190.000 pesos for four
people. this includes breakfast, your bed and hot pool entrance. you will have to buy your other meals or bring a few cans
of tuna.
option 3 : in my recent trip I decided to splash out. 320.000 pesos for two people. about the most expensive
accommodation one can find in thie country I think. However worth it for one night. Included all meals, trout whatever. The
room was very nice and had its on fireplace and most importantly its own private spring fed hot pool. They will come and
light the fire at night and you can use the jacuzzi whenever you want. The package also includes a hot sand steam or
whatever and short massage. Its a hell of a lot of money for backpackers but others out there may like to splash out and I
thought it was worth it. The misses did too!
Getting there and away
These are probably the least visited, hardest to get to but also perhaps nicest hot pools in Colombia.
Fifteen kilometers on a dirt track from the nearest village and no public transportation.
The hot pool complex is quite big and nestled in a valley. There are a couple of man made pools and also
two or three hot pools that run along a river. They are particularly nice mixing cold stream water with hot
spring water. There are also three natural steam rooms. They have boarded over some of the hotest parts
of the park and covered with plastic the roof and built stone walls incorporated into the natural stone
making little hot rooms. Very very nice.
Fifteen kilometers on a dirt track from the nearest village and no public transportation.
The hot pool complex is quite big and nestled in a valley. There are a couple of man made pools and also
two or three hot pools that run along a river. They are particularly nice mixing cold stream water with hot
spring water. There are also three natural steam rooms. They have boarded over some of the hotest parts
of the park and covered with plastic the roof and built stone walls incorporated into the natural stone
making little hot rooms. Very very nice.
Getting to the hot pools is the tricky part. The road is not so flash. Its about 15 kilometers (fifty minutes in jeep) from the town of Santa Rosa de
Cabal which is in turn a thirty minute paved ride from the city of Pereira. The scenery is beautiful though. There are buses departing Pereira every
ten minutes or so to Santa Rosa de Cabal the town. The cost is 1.500 pesos. There is a bus departing from the offices of the Ecotermales Company
which is one block above the main plaza on the left every morning between nine and 9.30am. They will sell you a package for 39.000 pesos which
includes return transport, hot pool entry and a trout lunch. Not bad value. The return trip is at five in the afternoon. During weekdays there will be
only a few people at the pool. However on weekends and during holidays the place gets much busier.
If you want to go independently there is no scheduled transport you will have to hire a jeep from Santa Rosa de Cabal which will cost you 40.000
pesos each way. Maybe cheaper if you get it to wait several hours and take you back as well.
Cabal which is in turn a thirty minute paved ride from the city of Pereira. The scenery is beautiful though. There are buses departing Pereira every
ten minutes or so to Santa Rosa de Cabal the town. The cost is 1.500 pesos. There is a bus departing from the offices of the Ecotermales Company
which is one block above the main plaza on the left every morning between nine and 9.30am. They will sell you a package for 39.000 pesos which
includes return transport, hot pool entry and a trout lunch. Not bad value. The return trip is at five in the afternoon. During weekdays there will be
only a few people at the pool. However on weekends and during holidays the place gets much busier.
If you want to go independently there is no scheduled transport you will have to hire a jeep from Santa Rosa de Cabal which will cost you 40.000
pesos each way. Maybe cheaper if you get it to wait several hours and take you back as well.
Where to Stay
The whole complex receives very few tourists during the week due to its difficultly in accessing. However on weekends and during holidays can get
quite busy. But the place is big so it can handle the crowds.
Apart from the hot pools there are a couple of short/ medium walks up the valley to some nice waterfalls. One such trip, guided, leaves at eleven
each morning. I was so relaxed I'd be damned if I was going to do any walking. I must have spent at least ten hours soaking in the hot pools. I was
more ready for sleep than walking. But if you want its there as an option.
quite busy. But the place is big so it can handle the crowds.
Apart from the hot pools there are a couple of short/ medium walks up the valley to some nice waterfalls. One such trip, guided, leaves at eleven
each morning. I was so relaxed I'd be damned if I was going to do any walking. I must have spent at least ten hours soaking in the hot pools. I was
more ready for sleep than walking. But if you want its there as an option.
There is one area reserved for those staying overnight. It has two pools fed by rivers with cold water and hot springs coming up near the rocks. It
also has a great steam room and best of all an area of sand, kind of like a sand-pit where you can bury yourslelf in the sand (there is a shovel). The
heat comes up underneath you from steam from the hot-springs and its fantastically relaxing. If you are not staying overnight in the complex you
may still be able to sneak in. There is also a cold waterfall further along the path to take a dip in. It is very cold though.
also has a great steam room and best of all an area of sand, kind of like a sand-pit where you can bury yourslelf in the sand (there is a shovel). The
heat comes up underneath you from steam from the hot-springs and its fantastically relaxing. If you are not staying overnight in the complex you
may still be able to sneak in. There is also a cold waterfall further along the path to take a dip in. It is very cold though.
More Info
The other hot pools in the area are the Termales de Santa Rosa. Check out my posting on those hot pools for more info and on cheap
accommodation options in the town.
accommodation options in the town.