Rich in active gases or metals — a strong mineral character.
Buoyancy
Standard buoyancy
LowHigh
Soft water — natural, classic buoyancy.
SoufreSulfuresSulfates
Termas de Puchuldiza is one of Chile's highest and most remote geothermal fields, located at 4,200 meters elevation on the Tarapacá altiplano where sulfate-calcium springs feed steaming pools and small mud volcanoes in a surreal landscape of Andean volcanic cones and high-altitude salt flats populated by flamingos and vicuñas. Accessible only by 4WD through the high desert, the journey passes extinct volcanoes and pre-Columbian rock art sites attesting to millennia of human engagement with these altitude springs. Soaking in geothermal pools at extreme altitude while condors circle and the thin air sharpens every sensation is a fundamentally primal Chilean Norte Grande experience.
Insider tip — Located on the remote altiplano of northern Chile near the Bolivian border at over 4,000 m elevation, Puchuldiza is a field of fumaroles and steaming pools set against a lunar landscape of salt flats and volcanoes. The geothermal waters carry a strong sulfurous charge and form terraced travertine pools of vivid turquoise. Access requires a high-clearance 4WD vehicle and acclimatization to altitude is essential before bathing. The solitude and raw Andean wilderness make this one of Chile's most unforgettable geothermal experiences.
