Thanks for the “Fire”
ECUADOR, HOME TO STRONG SEISMIC ACTIVITY, GOT THE GIFT OF HAVING FABULOUS HOT SPRINGS RISING NATURALLY FROM THE ENTRAILS OF VOLCANOES
Is it a blessing or a punishment? The inhabitants of Ecuador do not even ask. They are confident that nature is wise, and that if their nation grew within the Pacific Fire Belt, the inverted 400,000-km-long half-moon land strip that harbors half of the world's active volcanoes has many good reasons to be so. And that includes the fact that from the very bowels of that fertile land, natural hot springs –renowned for their world-class quality- rise naturally.
With its four regions (Sierra, East, the Coast and Galapagos) where those warm waters have abounded from time immemorial and were used by the ancient inhabitants for their miraculous healing effects –the explanation lies in its high content of nutrients, minerals and sulfides- today Ecuador proudly displays its popular seaside resorts that make the nation a spectacular destination for those who seek natural soothing and spa treatments.
For all the above, this South American nation joins the select list of just over 20 nation from four continents associated with the International Fair of Thermal Tourism, Health and Welfare (Termatalia). Celebrated businessman specialized in tourism-oriented communication, Guido Calderón, serves now as a delegate for the event.
Whether it’s natural pools –such as those originally discovered and used by the natives of the region- or manmade, the Ecuadorian territory offers truly impressive places like the city of Banos, the most sought-after destination in the country after the Galapagos Islands, and this is mainly owed to the presence there of the active Tungurahua volcano and its hot springs. In fact, there’s no other place in the nation that boasts a larger amount of resorts dedicated to this activity. From Termas del Salado, the Santa Clara and Termas water complexes and La Virgen all the way to Termas Santa Ana and The Modern complex, there’s really nothing like it in Ecuador.
MORE NATURAL WONDERS
For three decades, about 15 families live in a very unique community in the province of Guayas, Shuar. Getting there not only means being able to swim at a temperature of up to 40° C, which is all by itself a gift of nature (especially for those suffering from muscle pains and such conditions as arthritis and rheumatism), but also the opportunity to make friends with good and hospitable people who will show their customs, rituals, shamans, dances, typical dishes like ayampaco fish, chicken, and beef guanta, while you get an unforgettable mud massage. As if that were not good enough, the area offers seven waterfalls and the Churrute Mangroves Nature Reserve, a perfect place for hiking buffs.
Just an hour-and-a-half drive from Guayaquil, right at the entrance of Balao Chico, stands the Shuar Hot Springs Center, located not far from the Tuna waterfall with its 20-meter-high water show, coupled with the widespread belief that visitors may be taken aback by good spirits that purify them if they get in the water from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
A Oyacachi, which belongs to the Chaco district in the province of Napo, is not solely famous for the Mawka Llacta ruins and the trail leading up to the Virgin Cave –the venerated Virgin of Quinche is thought to have showed up there- but also for the half dozen pools that provide great relaxation and whose waters are warmed by the Cayambe volcano itself.
And if words of praise go around when someone asks about the Termas de Nangulví, then the eyes of those you poll shine brightly when someone asks around the Termas de Chachimbiro. Located in the province of Imbabura, it features the Aguasavia Complex, some 40 minutes from the city of Ibarra, or the one called Agua Santa, that got its gift from the La Viuda volcano crater and that men later on whipped into shape to set up a striking complex, the best of its kind in north Ecuador and made up of 14 pools. Half of those pools are designed as a recreation area, while the remaining ones are reserved for spa or healing purposes.
The waters that come together here are of mesothermal type, that is, with temperatures that hover around 30° to 50° C. They concentrate significant amounts of iron chlorides and sulfides, magnesium, copper, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine. They act as regulators of the digestive trait, stimulating the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, but equally as diuretics and anti-inflammatory in trauma cases, neuralgias, arthritis and rheumatism. In the same breath, they fight back skin and gynecological infections.
A geological fault called “Loma de los Hervideros” gives a hallmark of its own to Termas de Baños de Cuenca, which is nestled in the parish of Baños, in the Cuenca Canton, in the province of Azuay. It is this unevenness what actually causes the water to reach up to 75° C (the highest water temperature in the whole country). This hot water takes a cooling and channeling process to bring it down in the neighborhood of 38 to 40° C, low enough to be used in baths, swimming pools and Turkish baths, and balmy enough to work wonders in terms of muscle relaxation, blood circulation, rehabilitation and skin diseases.
The fact that the World Travel Awards recognized Termas de Papallacta as the best spa resort in Ecuador in 2014 speaks volumes of what this place has actually become ever since. The fame of this foliage-carpeted valley comes from yore, when Inca warriors flocked there, totally exhausted or badly injured, to heal their wounds in those sulfated waters teeming with sodium, calcium, chloride and a tad of magnesium, natural values that have been chipped in by the Cayambe and Antisana volcanoes. And so is the name of the nearby steep peak whose silhouette is admired by tourists as they discover what a true paradise is actually like.
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