Aguas Termales de San José Purúa

Insider tip — Aguas Termales de San Jose Purua is a historic spa resort in the Michoacan highlands of central Mexico, set in a deeply eroded ravine lush with subtropical vegetation at around 1600 m elevation. The bicarbonate waters have been bottled and sold commercially since the mid-20th century and the resort retains an elegant mid-century aesthetic. Multiple pools at varying temperatures step down the canyon walls, each carved into the hillside and fed by natural springs. The dramatic gorge setting makes this one of the most scenically distinctive thermal destinations in all of Mexico.