LIRIMA HOT SPRING- CHILE

April 3, 2017 SouthAmerica

BAÑOS DE LIRIMA

Our April featured hot spring is Lirima in northern Chile the Lirima hot spring is located in a wide portion of the upper reaches of Quebrada Coscaya (waypoint -19.8528, -68.9075), which may be accessed from the west either through Tarapacá (taking Route A-565) or Mamiña (A-639). Both routes converge midway up the Pacific flank of the Andes into Route A-555, and both are very long drives on narrow twisty dirt roads. There are no services along the way. A 4×4 vehicle is recommended, and leaving Ruta 5 with a full tank is necessary. A longer approach leaving from Pica going to Laguna del Guasco and then north on A-689 is possible, but requires more gas. Linking this later approach into the more direct line first described above would make for a huge loop.

The Lirima travertine field sits at an elevation of 3,994 m in a wide flat-floored valley with grazing alpacas and overlooked by snowcapped old volcanoes. The hot springs on the west side of the valley is privately owned. The owner’s house lies just south of the hot springs. The only pool worth soaking in is marked by a small changing adobe hut. The site, the owner was present and very friendly, inviting me to enjoy the hot spring, but charging a modest fee of $1,500 Chile pesos.

There are several other boiling pools to the northeast, aligning along a NE-oriented fracture. These pools have some unstable cavernous ground surrounding them; approach with caution and do not enter or attempt to touch the water. Water at the vents emerge around 66ºC, and three of the pools have boiling water. The only pool suitable for soaking is about 10 by 15 meters in size, colored light blue, and is about chest-deep at the center of the pool. It is fed by two hot streams emerging from the travertine about 10 m to the north. The streams have white deposits and stringers of green algae, but the water near the vent is nearly scalding. A small adobe-walled changing building that sits right at the edge of the soaking pool is very rustic, but provides a much appreciated wind break while changing.

https://www.southamericatotheworld.com/ — Lirima Hot Spring – Chile

Finally, its worth taking the several kilometers drive farther east to visit the very small adobe-built Andean settlement of Lirima, which is a place without the crowds of tourists or souvenir shops. Do not be surprised if nobody is around during the day. The town has no facilities.