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The Complete Guide to the Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal

Searching for ecotourism alternatives in Medellin isn’t hard. There are tons of great hikes in the area, not to mention places to try stuff like white water rafting and paragliding.

Still, if your goal is to extend your understanding of Medellin past, well, Medellin, there are some other great places to check out.

The Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal are one of those places, being one of the top places to visit in Colombia. Keep reading for everything you need to know about the Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal!

What to Know About Santa Rosa de Cabal

Santa Rosa de Cabal is a town located 15 kilometers (about 7 miles) from Pereira , the capital of the Colombian coffee region, and is one of the main tourist places in this area of the country.

In fact, this part of the country is a World Heritage Site for its Colombian coffee cultural landscape.

The reason so many people head out there is because Santa Rosa de Cabal is right on the cusp of Los Nevados National Natural Park. There, you can also enjoy the famous Santarrosano Chorizo or go on a coffee tour.

However, the real draw are the hot springs, known as the Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal, with natural hot pools where you can kiss aches and pains goodbye.

How to Get to the Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal

Courtesy of Booking.com

To get to the hot springs, you’ll first need to get to Santa Rosa. You can get there by taking a bus from Medellín to Pereira and then transferring to a bus that goes out to Santa Rosa.

Depending on each city is the travel time, but here are a few times and distances to Santa Rosa de Cabal :

From Pereira: 15 km (about 8 miles) and 30 minutes of travel
From Armenia: 60 km (about 40 miles) and 1 hour and 30 minutes of travel
From Manizales: 40 km (about 25 miles) and 57 minutes of travel

Once you make it to Santa Rosa, you can take a bus in front of the mayor’s office for approximately $2,500 COP to get to the hot springs. Or, just take a taxi from the main square for a slightly higher price.

Remember that most buses go directly to the town, and From Santa Rosa to the hot springs, the route is 11 kilometers (about 6 miles) long and takes 35 minutes.

If you want to skip the public transport, you can always go in a rental car. But, this option tends to be a bit more costly (even if it is more comfortable).

What to Expect From the Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal

Once you get to Santa Rosa de Cabal, there’s a lot to see and do. That’s true even if you’re not just there for the hot springs!

Here’s what to expect while you’re there.

The Hot Springs

The hot springs of the Termales Santa Rosa have four thermal water pools that reach as much as 100°F, as well as a 285 foot high waterfall called Santa Helena. The waterfall is surrounded by mountains and high rocky walls that give it a striking appearance.

Even though it’s definitely a tourist hotspot, the atmosphere of the place is very natural. There’s vegetation and streams everywhere that are really charming.

Also, in these hot springs there are bars where you can buy drinks and snacks. Sip on a cocktail or even just order a pitcher of cold juice. It’s the perfect way to cool down after soaking in the water for a while.

To enter this wet area, the site offers wristbands that let you tay for up to four hours. But, it’s important to make reservations well in advance or to get there early.

The springs fill up fast!

At the Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal there’s a hotel with three different buildings for you to pick from:

Hotel Termales de la Cascada
Hotel Termales del Río
Hotel Termales de la Montaña

These hotels offer reservations for groups or for couples. They even offer a day trip from the hotel where you have the right to enjoy private hot springs and a 180-meter-high waterfall called the San Miguel Waterfall.

Some of the hotel buildings have a swimming pool, others have their own restaurant, and they all have a beautiful view of the mountains that surround the place.

Plus, most of the rooms include breakfast so you don’t have to worry about finding somewhere to eat.

The San Miguel Termal Spa

In the Termales Santa Rosa spa , you can get various beauty and self-care rituals such as facials and body treatments.

All the treatments use thermal mud, which is said to have tons of skin benefits. Plus, the treatments use volcanic stones and mineral water to help give your body vital nutrients.

The treatments are actually pretty affordable, too, so if you feel like pampering yourself, this is a good place to do it.

Guided Hikes

The hotel also organizes a guided hike up to the mountains behind the hot springs. The hike only lasts about an hour or two.

On the hike, you’ll be given gum boots so that you don’t get your feet and legs wet on the way up.

Once you’re up in the mountains, you’ll get to see the source of the hot springs, a natural sauna, and a large cold waterfall.

You’ll also get a chance to go for a swim in the lukewarm waters of the thermal river!

Visit the Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal

The Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal are undoubtedly a first-class tourist attraction. There’s tons of stuff to do there, so it’s no wonder.

So, what do you say? Are you ready to head there yourself? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

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7 Tips for Visiting Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal: Colombia’s Best Hot Springs

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Colombia is one of the most beautiful countries that we’ve ever visited. With the incredible jungles, steep mountains, and green EVERYWHERE, every view is jaw-dropping. We were shocked when we went to Santa Rosa Hot Springs (Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal), as they were even more beautiful than the rest of the country. The Santa Rosa Hot Springs are easily the most beautiful hot springs in Colombia and are a must-visit stop on your Colombia travels.

During our 2-month family visit to Colombia, we traveled all over the place, discovering the most beautiful places we could find that was safe and great for visitors to Colombia. From couples to families with kids like ours to single backpackers, we can’t recommend Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal enough. We visited here as a quick side trip on our way to Vale de Cocura and we loved it so much that we ended up staying there for 2 days.

Visiting Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal

Nestled near the base of the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano and several other volcanos and massive mountains, things here feel extra magical. The clouds often cling to the mountains, making the scenery seem rather otherworldly. While driving there on our trip from Medellin, we left the highway and started to wind through the town of Santa Rosa. As we left town, we saw the cloudy hillside ahead of us, and it soon started raining. From what the locals told us, rain is an almost daily occurrence here, which combined with the steep mountains and jungle, feels really incredible. The road quickly turned to dirt, and soon there were little restaurants and shops along the side of the road, a sure sign that we were headed somewhere worth going. Coffee plantations were all over the hills and the green was so vibrant that it almost hurt the eyes. The road got bumpier and windier, leading us to question where we were going…until we saw it. The massive, cascading waterfall tucked back on the hill, just waiting for us to explore it. Things were even more beautiful than the pictures looked.

As you park in the large parking lots, you’ll stroll across the street to the entrance gate. The entrance was quite basic and we started following the path alongside the river. The farther we walked the more beautiful things became. At this point, we were all half in awe by how beautiful things were and then quickly took pictures of everything around us the other half of the time.

The river that you walk up alongside is warm, but not hot like the hot springs. There are several really great places to take photos along the banks of the river and actually in the river itself.

When you get to the pools near the biggest cascade, you’ll and just hang out and admire the view…likely for a LONG TIME! Once you go through the gates of the hot springs building at the top, you’ll see several pools of different shapes, sizes, and temperatures that are perfect for hanging out in. Some of the pools are bathtub warm (like the one that’s designed for little kids), and others are scorching so that you can’t stay in for long at all. Each of the pools has a spout filling it with cool water as well, so if things are getting too hot for your taste, simply move closer to that and the water will cool down.

The pools are naturally heated by geothermally warmed water, and the pools at Santa Rosa Termales are filled with minerals. It’s hard to describe, but the water almost feels like it has a thickness to it. It’s really refreshing and soaking in the pools feels fantastic.

When you’re ready for a change of pace for your body, walk over to the bottom of the cascade, and got for a swim, and dunk yourself under the water. It feels incredible and the cool water is so refreshing after a long soak in these Colombian thermal hot springs. The combination of the cold waterfall and the hot springs nearby feels wonderful to the body and also does wonders at clearing the mind.

We had originally planned on staying that day for just 90 minutes or so but quickly found ourselves there for nearly 4 hours. Thankfully, we had some sunscreen with us, and there was a place where we could buy food. The food was typical Colombian food for the most part and was a good price and quality.

What Is The Best Time To Visit Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal?

The best time to go to the Santa Rosa hot springs in Colombia is first thing in the morning. We arrived at 7 am on a Friday morning and had the place nearly all to ourselves. By 11 am, the pools were starting to fill up with other people and there was a pretty steady flow of people walking up the trail towards the hot springs. If you’re looking to get pictures at Santa Rosa Termales without a lot of other people in them, you need to be there early in the morning.

Price to Enter Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal Hot Springs in Colombia

The price to enter Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal was $41.000 pesos per person (just under $10 USD). Kids under 120cm were free. While this felt expensive compared with the price of most things in Colombia, when we compared it to the price of other hot springs around the world, like the famous hot springs in La Fortuna Costa Rica, these are incredibly affordable.

Hotel at Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal

If you’re making the long journey out to the hot springs, you might as well just stay there as well. About 1.2 km farther down the road is the Termales Santa Rosa Hotel which also has its own set of hot springs pools. We stayed there and it was FANTASTIC! In fact, if we had not known how incredible the setting was with the waterfall down the road, we would have been thrilled to just enjoy the hot springs here.

The hotel at Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal is tucked against the mountain with a rushing river right next to it. It’s a beautiful mix of jungle and mountains and we loved our stay there.

At the hotel, there are 4 hot springs pools that are exclusively for guests. We loved soaking in them and it was so convenient to have them right outside of our hotel. We got a lot more hot spring time in here because we could just walk outside any time that we wanted to and go for a soak. We especially loved the pool with the natural waterfall next to it that was FREEZING COLD, since it felt so wonderful to transition from there to the hot springs and back again.

There are tons of options for rooms and were in the Superior Family Room which sleeps 8 and has lots of space. There is an on-site restaurant where the food is fine, but prices are slightly higher than at the hot springs down the road. This is the best place to stay for visiting the Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal in Colombia.

How to Get to Termales Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa Termales, also known as Santa Rosa de Cabal Thermal Springs, is located near the town of Santa Rosa de Cabal in the Risaralda Department of Colombia. It’s in a more remote area, but you can easily get there by bus or by a small national flight to a nearby airport. Here are the general steps to get to Santa Rosa Termales:

Fly into Colombia: Most international travelers will fly into Bogotá or Medellín. Both cities have international airports – El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá and José María Córdova International Airport in Medellín.
Domestic flight or bus to Pereira: From either Bogotá or Medellín, you can take a domestic flight to Matecaña International Airport in Pereira, which is the closest city to Santa Rosa de Cabal. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Bogotá or Medellín to Pereira, but keep in mind this will take considerably longer.
Bus to Santa Rosa de Cabal: From Pereira, you can take a local bus or taxi to the town of Santa Rosa de Cabal. The bus station in Pereira is located in the center of the city, and buses run frequently between Pereira and Santa Rosa de Cabal.
Bus or taxi to the Thermal Springs: Once you’re in Santa Rosa de Cabal, you can take a local bus or taxi to the thermal springs. It’s approximately a 10 km journey, which takes around 20-30 minutes by car.

You can also very easily drive to Santa Rosa Termales from either Medellin or Bogota. This is what we did and the scenery was AMAZING! There are lots of tolls on the highways near there, so make sure to have plenty of small bills on hand (most tolls were $12.000-$17.000 pesos). Having a car makes it really easy to get around and explore the area more than you could by bus or with just a taxi.

Do I need A Reservation To Go To Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal?

No, you do not need a reservation or to purchase advance tickets. When we went in May of 2023, we had neither and had no problems getting in.

What Time does Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal Open?

The hot springs open at 6:30 am and close at 11:30 pm. While the tickets on their website have designated time slots that you can stay, we bought out tickets directly at the front desk and we stayed well after what was supposed to be our designated time slot and no one ever said anything to us. This appears to be a remnant of a C-times protocol that wasn’t updated on their website.

Hi, I’m Jessica, a mom of 5 kids and married to my favorite adventure partner. I love to bike, ski, camp and hike. We've visited over 40 countries with our kids, but are equally happy on the road as we are exploring our home state of Utah.

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Is December a good month? How far from Medellin or bogota?

Santa Rosa de Cabal

Last updated on September 10, 2024 .

Santa Rosa de Cabal is famous all over Colombia for two things – chorizo and hot springs . Both are worth the trip! Santa Rosa is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia .

Getting to Santa Rosa de Cabal

Santa Rosa de Cabal makes for a great day trip from the nearby city of Pereira . There are several buses from the Pereira bus terminal to the center of Santa Rosa. Buses leave from the second floor. Hop on any bus marked “Santa Rosa”. It’s just 20 minutes away on a beautiful yet dizzying ride through the mountains.

When you arrive in Santa Rosa, the bus will make a right turn and go a couple blocks before stopping. Many people will get off the bus there. Follow them – this is only a few blocks from the main plaza. You can pay the driver when you get off.

To catch the bus back to Pereira , walk a couple blocks down the hill from the plaza and wait for one to pass. Buses on the way to Manizales also stop there.

Where to Stay in Santa Rosa de Cabal

If you’re not splurging to stay at the hot springs , there are plenty of places to stay in Santa Rosa de Cabal. I’ve stayed at one budget hotel.

Hotel Colonial Real (Permanently Closed)

Budget travelers and backpackers will be very happy to stay at Hotel Colonial Real. This small hotel, set in a historic colonial building, is just two blocks from the main plaza and has rooms for bargain basement prices.

It had great WiFi and lukewarm water and the bed was a bit stiff, but what do you expect for such a low price? The owner was a very friendly man who also gave us a 10% discount on a day pass to Termales Santa Rosa (which most hotels will offer). One very big negative – there were a few cockroaches scurrying around at night.

Where to Eat in Santa Rosa de Cabal

Most people come for the town’s famous chorizo, and there’s no shortage of restaurants selling it. You can find other types of food as well.

On the plaza are some great places to try the town’s famous chorizo. I ate at ChoriSant with some friends. It’s a restaurant that likes to get creative with their chorizo dishes. They create a lot of fusion dishes incorporating international flavors, such as French, Japanese, Mexican, and more.

I tried the chori-exótico (chorizo with a tropical fruit sauce) washed down with a drink called mistela de maracuyá (a passion fruit iced tea). Abe had the self-explanatory choriburrito, while Natalia tried to choriyaki (chorizo in teriyaki sauce). All of us enjoyed our meals.

There are several more places to try chorizo on the road leading to the hot springs. In my opinion, the best of these is Choripaco . Meals are served on a beautiful outdoor terrace and there’s a craft market across the street.

There’s a lot of variety on the menu. You can get a simple chorizo dish to sample both the boiled and grilled chorizo, or try a bandeja paisa. They also have delicious chorizo burgers.

Restaurante Típico

For an amazing breakfast, just a couple blocks from the plaza is Restaurante Típico. They have one of the most delicious calentaos I’ve had in Colombia .

Plaza in Santa Rosa de Cabal

On the main plaza of Santa Rosa, there’s a beautiful white church. The plaza itself is very wide with small paths and plenty of seats.

Santa Rosa also has some good nightlife. It’s possible to find lots of bars and clubs in the town’s entertainment zone (Zona Rosa).

Map of Santa Rosa de Cabal

Hot Springs near Santa Rosa de Cabal

The real draw to Santa Rosa are the hot springs (termales). There are two different hot springs to visit. Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal is about 20 minutes out of the town center, while Termales San Vicente is about an hour away.

Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal

The closest hot springs to Santa Rosa is Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal . There are two options – the balneario and the hotel, which are both located near each other.

Transportation to Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal

Most people use their own cars to get to Termales Santa Rosa, but it’s possible to get there by an infrequent and slow public bus service, taxi, or by hiring a jeep. You can find the latter two in the main plaza of Santa Rosa and negotiate a price.

The road to the hot springs has lots of antique shops and countless chorizo restaurants along the way, many which were jam packed as we drove by. The last stretch before reaching the facilities is down an unpaved road.

Leaving Termales Santa Rosa can be difficult at night or when it’s crowded. It’s best to arrange a pick-up with a taxi or jeep before leaving. Waiting too long for the public bus is also a risk because they can fill up quickly and they don’t run after a certain time.

Balneario de Santa Rosa

The first hot springs you come to is called Balneario de Santa Rosa. It’s typically open until midnight but is much more crowded than the nearby hotel. Adult admission starts at COP$65,000 (as of June 2024) and increases depending on the time of day or season.

After purchasing tickets, there’s a long path to the actual hot springs. They pass by a series of cascades before reaching the buildings, which include a restaurant and changing rooms. In the changing room, there are coin-operated lockers available, or you can bring your own lock.

The setting is gorgeous with Cascada Santa Helena, a tall waterfall in the background. It’s possible to walk over to the waterfall and cool off in the plunge pool.

As far as the pools, ever since our first visit we’ve felt they weren’t as hot or as clean as we had imagined. Interestingly, the kiddie pool had the hottest water (makes you wonder why).

Termales Hotel

The second option is Termales Hotel. It was recommended by a local to go to the hotel because it’s nicer and cleaner than the Balneario. The only catch is you have to stay overnight (day passes were available in the past). Visit the official website for information on the hotels. (Note: I finally stayed the night in December 2022. I’ll add more photos and info when I have a chance.)

Termales Hotel includes three hotels set on a small river nestled between two mountains. There’s a restaurant, cafeteria, locker room facilities, and a very attentive staff if you choose to order food or drinks next to the pool.

The thermal pool is divided into three sections. Each section has a slightly different temperature. The hottest part of the pool can get very hot and it’s best not to stay in it too long. There’s also a cold shower at one end of the pool that’s very refreshing.

If you climb up the path near the locker rooms, you will see a beautiful waterfall, Cascada San Miguel, flowing down the mountain. It’s possible to swim in the plunge pool and the water is comfortable.

Termales San Vicente

About an hour from Santa Rosa de Cabal is Termales San Vicente . These secluded hot springs are in a beautiful natural setting with six different thermal pools.

The river that runs through the property is the only natural thermal river in the Coffee Region . The water contains a large number of minerals including potassium, magnesium, chlorine, sulfur, iron, silicon, selenium, nitrogen, calcium, fluoride, and sodium. The average temperature is 67 ºC with a pH of 7.6.

Other activities at Termales San Vicente include hiking, rappelling, and birdwatching. There’s also a spa offering wonderful relaxing massages, mud baths, aromatherapy, and more. These can all be booked at the front desk of the hotel at reasonable prices. It’s a much different experience than Termales Santa Rosa.

Getting to Termales San Vicente

Most people travel to Termales San Vicente in private vehicles. The road to the termales is mostly unpaved and rough in spots. If you’re in Pereira or Santa Rosa, you can purchase a day trip package including transportation to the termales. It costs COP$160,000 for adults (as of June 2024). Day trips leave Pereira at 8:30am while night trips leave at 5:30pm. Reservations are required at least a day in advance.

Day Trips to Termales San Vicente

Various day passes start at COP$40,000 for adults during low season and COP$75,000 other times (as of June 2024). They include admission to the public pools and a bottle of mineral water.

On my first visit, we spent a half day at the termales with Marisol’s family. After arriving, we went to the locker room to get changed. There are no locks but it’s possible to rent them from a small kiosk outside reception.

We crossed a small bridge over the river to access some of the pools available to guests. Some pools are hotter than others, and there’s also a kiddie pool with water jets.

A path downhill from the hotel leads to two natural thermal pools. One of them is the Bubble Pool (Piscina de Burbujas), which features several natural geysers under the water. Another natural pool is located a bit further down the path.

Overnight at Termales San Vicente

Termales San Vicente also has a good overnight package for guests who want to enjoy the peaceful natural setting for more than just a few hours. Packages are per person and prices vary based on accommodation preferences. There are rustic cabins as well as traditional hotel rooms. You can opt for a meal package including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or you can order off the menu for more choices.

Overnight guests have access to two more private pools, accessible via a short trail. There’s also the added advantage of the pools being less crowded for a couple hours late at night or in the morning when the day trippers are gone.

Cabins at Termales San Vicente

The best cabins available are the Cabañas San Vicente and can sleep up to six people. The cabins even come with a private thermal pool.

Hotel Rooms at Termales San Vicente

The best traditional hotel rooms are the Habitaciones San Vicente. There are only a few of these rooms, and they’re spacious, cozy, and have large comfortable beds.