Termales de Empexa

Colchane, Tarapacá, Chile

Location: Colchane, Tarapacá, Chile
Water type: sulfurous
Temperature: 35 °C
pH: 6.5

Water profile

Thermicity

Neutral

35 °C

LowHigh

Soothing — neither hot nor cold, perfect balance.

Mineralisation

Bio-active

LowHigh

Rich in active gases or metals — a strong mineral character.

Buoyancy

Standard buoyancy

LowHigh

Soft water — natural, classic buoyancy.

SoufreSulfuresSulfates

Termales de Empexa is a naturally sulphurous thermal spring in the Empexa valley of the Tarapacá region in northern Chile, a remote high-altitude desert landscape where the Atacama Desert meets the volcanic Andean cordillera and geothermal activity produces hot, mineral-rich springs in one of the most extreme and visually dramatic environments on earth. The Empexa area is known for its remarkable concentration of archaeological pre-Columbian sites alongside its natural geothermal resources, embedding the thermal spring within a landscape of extraordinary cultural as well as geological significance. The sulphurous waters provide a genuine therapeutic experience in the raw, elemental beauty of the northern Chilean Atacama.

Insider tip — Termales de Empexa occupies a remote plateau in Chile's Tarapacá region near the Bolivian border, at an elevation above 3 600 m where the volcanic arc produces sulfurous spring water. The modest temperature of 35 °C makes soaking comfortable despite the altitude chill. The site is rarely visited and sits within a landscape of salt flats and flamingo lagoons, creating an extraordinary environment for a thermal bath. Self-sufficient preparation including food, water, and fuel is essential given the distance from the nearest town.

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