Mendoza Argentina is usually associated with wine tours, the occasional game of rugby, not somewhere you would think to find thermal pools. But after planning to stay here for a few days, tasting Mendoza wine, I needed to find something more to pass time until our bus to Chile.
I thought this would be the last place in the world I would find a hidden gem. Let alone Mendoza’s hidden thermal pools tucked away in the Andes Moutain Range… that no one seemed to know anything about.
After arriving from Buenos Aires, with a bus booked to Chile in a few days all I had planned was a Mendoza wine tour on a bicycle. One of the top things to do in Mendoza. I thought that a town that is so well known internationally would have a lot going for it, but unfortunately, when I arrived I was a little underwhelmed.
Although to be fair the Mendoza wine region, cruising around drinking some of the worlds best wine was amazing!! But there had to be more.
I began asking around some of the locals, doing a bit of digging into what other things there are to do in Mendoza to fill at least one more of my days there. Seek and you shall find. I found exactly what I was looking for. A hidden Oasis in the Andes Mountains.
The Mendoza thermal pools are located about an hour out of the centre of town. There is a bus that leaves around 8 am (which has to be booked in advance at any hostel or agency) in the morning and returns at 5 pm later that evening. Giving you a full day to spend at the pools.
The bus journey itself is comfortable and scenic. Making your way out of Mendoza along the flat straight roads before winding into the foothills of the Andes. A Barron landscape scattered with cactus and red rock towering around you.
Once you arrive you will need to pay the entrance fee which is only around 200 peso. This will grant you full access to the pools, with all the activities and amenities you need.
Be prepared to be amazed! I couldn’t believe what we had found.
The Mendoza thermal pools are more like a theme park you would find in Australia, rather than your average hot pools. Multiple pools all at different temperatures, sizes and each with there own unique view.
Not only are there multiple pools to choose from, but there are also water slides for you to let out your inner child, as well as a river that you can float around.
All of this nestled between two massive mountains surrounded by cactus. You don’t need to leave the premises. They have everything you need. Changing rooms, restaurants, even a bar.
I couldn’t believe the jackpot we had found and what made it even crazier was the fact that there were no other travellers there. Just us with a lot of local Argentinians.
Like I mentioned above there is more than enough to keep you entertained for the entire day. But like any thermal pools, you begin to get a little drained. Keep hydrated and be prepared because the only way back is the bus you took. It can feel like a long day.
We were more than done by the time the bus left, but it was honestly the best day out. What a pleasant surprise.
Along with the Mendoza wine tours, this was the next best thing to do in Mendoza, by far! The perfect way to fill in a day before continuing on your travels.