Aguas termales

Loja, Loja Province, Ecuador

Location: Loja, Loja Province, Ecuador
Water type: bicarbonate, carbonated
Temperature: 36 °C
pH: 6.3

Water profile

Thermicity

Neutral

36 °C

LowHigh

Soothing — neither hot nor cold, perfect balance.

Mineralisation

Restorative

LowHigh

Loaded with major ions — the essential minerals (Ca, Mg).

Buoyancy

High buoyancy

LowHigh

Mineralised water — eases movement and joints.

CO2BicarbonatesMagnésium

In the southern Ecuadorian highlands near Loja, a city celebrated for its colonial architecture and temperate climate, these thermal baths (baños) draw on a geothermal source that produces sparkling, bicarbonate-carbonated water at a comfortable 36 °C. The surrounding landscape of green valleys and cloud-forest hillsides lends the site an intimate, almost secret character that appeals to travellers who prefer discovery over the well-trodden circuit.

The water carries a slight natural effervescence alongside its bicarbonate character, and its mildly acidic pH of 6.3 gives it a fresh, lively feel against the skin. Bathing in carbonated thermal water has long been a rural tradition in the Andean foothills, where communities have gathered around such springs for generations of leisurely socialising. The gentle warmth and the subtle fizz create a distinctive, enlivening sensation that sets this source apart from more conventional thermal pools.

Insider tip — These natural thermal springs near Loja in southern Ecuador emerge along the Andean foothills at the intersection of the Sierra and Amazon ecosystems, producing naturally carbonated bicarbonate water with a characteristic effervescent quality. The lightly sparkling water, mildly warm at high-altitude temperatures, has been used by local communities for generations to treat digestive and circulatory ailments. Loja Province's exceptional biodiversity — sitting at the northern edge of the Tumbesian dry forests — surrounds the springs with unusual flora. The springs are modest and rural, providing an authentic Andean bathing experience far from tourist circuits.

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