Termita 6
- Location
- Cosapilla, Arica y Parinacota Region, Chile, Chile
- Water type
- sulfurous
- Temperature
- 35 °C
- pH
- 6.5
Water profile
Soothing — neither hot nor cold, perfect balance.
Rich in active gases or metals — a strong mineral character.
Soft water — natural, classic buoyancy.
Termita 6 is a natural geothermal vent on the altiplano of Chile's Arica y Parinacota Region in the country's far north, at elevations typically exceeding 4,000 metres above sea level. In this high-desert landscape that ranks among both the most arid and the most spectacular on the planet, warm sulfurous water is a fascinatingly anomalous mineral occurrence amid the volcanic terrain of the Andean puna.
The water at 35 °C, mildly sulfurous, offers a welcome and unexpected warmth in this cold, high-altitude context. Bathed in the absolute clarity of Andean light, an open-air soak surrounded by volcanoes, salt flats, and bofedal wetlands is a nature experience of rare intensity. Flamingo colonies on nearby salt lakes and vicuna herds grazing the adjacent wetland meadows complete an exceptional natural tableau.
Access from the Pacific coast via the city of Arica requires gradual acclimatisation to the altitude — a logistical consideration that only adds to the genuine spirit of adventure that any visit to this discreet Chilean altiplano thermal site entails.