Peru's hot springs are Andean banos termales, and at least 5 of them sit in this directory, all high in the mountains. The pools of Banos Termales de Aguas Calientes steam below Machu Picchu, while Banos Termales de Lares mark the end of the Lares Trek in the Cusco region. All 5 listed here are public thermal pools, and every one is paid. High-altitude trekking soaks define the country.
The Cusco region holds Peru's most visited thermal pools, tied to its famous treks. The hot pools of Banos Termales de Aguas Calientes sit in Machu Picchu Pueblo at the foot of the ruins, with water from 38 to 46 degrees Celsius, while Banos Termales de Lares at 3,150 metres marks the end of the Lares Trek. Two of the directory's Peruvian springs sit in this trekking heartland of the southern Andes.
The southern highlands around Arequipa and Apurimac add canyon-country pools on the old Inca routes. The municipal pools of Complejo Turistico Banos Termales La Calera near Chivay sit at 3,610 metres in the Colca Valley, fed by volcanic heat, while Banos Termales de Cconoc lies at the foot of the Apurimac canyon at 1,780 metres. Both sit on long-travelled mountain roads through the southern Andes.
The Cordillera Blanca in the north holds a thermal town among Peru's great snow peaks. The dark mineral pools of Banos Termales de Monterrey lie 7 kilometres from Huaraz at 2,700 metres, with private soaking rooms and water reaching 49 degrees Celsius. This northern spring rounds out the directory's Peruvian entries, close to the Cordillera Blanca trails.
Peruvian thermal bathing follows the high Andes, where mineral banos termales sit at altitude along trekking and Inca routes. Most are municipal or public pools rather than resorts, and several double as the warm reward at the end of a long trek, which sets Peru apart. All 5 springs listed in this directory charge entry, and none is free. Water ranges from warm to hot, and the thin mountain air keeps the pools welcome. These sit within the wider hot springs in South America.
