Termas de Lares

Lares, Cusco Region, Peru

Location: Lares, Cusco Region, Peru
Water type: bicarbonate
Temperature: 36 °C
pH: 8

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

Standard buoyancy

LowHigh

Soft water — natural, classic buoyancy.

BicarbonatesSodiumCalcium

The Termas de Lares are natural hot springs situated in the remote Andean valley of Lares in the Sacred Valley region of Cusco, Peru, at approximately 2,800 metres above sea level, and have been traditionally visited by Quechua communities for their restorative properties across generations. The sodium bicarbonate mineral waters feed a series of outdoor thermal pools overlooking dramatic mountain scenery, accessible via the Lares Trek, an alternative Inca route to Machu Picchu that traverses high-altitude passes and indigenous weaving villages. A soak at Termas de Lares after days of Andean trekking offers an unmatched combination of therapeutic warmth and Inca heartland wilderness immersion.

Insider tip — Termas de Lares cascades down a steep Andean valley at 3,500 metres elevation in the Sacred Valley district north of Cusco, fed by bicarbonate springs that emerge from glacially-fractured granite. The pools are arranged in terraces of increasing temperature, and trekkers on the Lares alternative Inca Trail use them as a reward at journey's end before taking the train to Machu Picchu. The waters are most enjoyable in the early morning when wisps of cloud fill the valley below and Andean condors circle overhead.

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