A Guide to Entre Ríos’ Hot Springs: Which Ones Are the Best?

Villa Elisa, a city of about 14,000 people on National Route 130 near Argentina’s Route 14 highway, combines carefully maintained streets, grand houses built by poultry-industry fortunes and one of Entre Ríos’ most popular thermal resorts. Its Gothic-style parish church began construction in 1936.

At Villa Elisa’s resort, guests can walk from the Quinto Elemento hotel to 10 pools. Some are covered, while others are partly covered or outdoors. One outdoor pool, kept at 39 degrees, has a round shape and hydrojets. In the evening, steam rises from the water as the surrounding area quiets down.

The thermal resorts of Villa Elisa and other parts of Entre Ríos lie near the Uruguay River. They emerged in the late 1990s after drilling for oil in neighboring Uruguay reached hot, mineral-rich water. Towns and cities along the same thermal aquifer soon followed.

Villa Elisa opened two wells in 1999 through a public company. The wells reach 1,036 meters underground and produce salty water rich in sodium and magnesium. One contains more sulfur than the other. The water reaches 41 degrees at the source, although it can cool to 36 degrees during transfer. Maintenance schedules are published online so visitors can check when their preferred pool is available.

The resorts are no longer aimed only at older visitors. Couples, groups of friends and families with children now visit them. In Concordia, north of the city and near the lake area, visitors can choose among the provincial Ayuí and Punta Viracho resorts and the private Las Vertientes complex. Ayuí includes good slides in its family area, and the article recommends visiting during the low season to enjoy the pools with fewer people.