Termas Geométricas: hot pools and red boardwalks in the forest

You don't see the Termas Geométricas from the road: you have to go down to them. They sit in a narrow ravine on the southeastern slope of Villarrica volcano, just inside the Los Ríos Region, where the Aihué stream runs between walls thick with ferns, nalca leaves and Valdivian forest. More than sixty natural springs rise here, with water emerging at around 80 °C.

From Pucón or Villarrica, head south through Licán Ray, follow the shore of Lake Calafquén to Coñaripe, and from there take the road that climbs northeast toward the Palguín hot springs: about 17 kilometers of mixed pavement and gravel. The last stretch dives into the forest, and the air cools the moment you enter the ravine.

What sets the place apart is its design. Architect Germán del Sol, who also created the Puritama hot springs in the Atacama Desert, finished the complex in 2004. A boardwalk of coihue wood painted red runs some 500 meters along the floor of the ravine as one continuous ramp with no steps, threading the stone pools together while the stream flows underneath.

There are eighteen bathing pools, each with its own temperature, between 35 and 45 °C. Two more aren't for bathing: they take the hottest water and, through a system of sluice gates, help regulate the rest. The water is neither heated nor filtered and is constantly renewed, and on cold days steam drifts up through the ferns and gives the ravine an otherworldly feel.

Toward the head of the ravine, the boardwalk leads to a waterfall spilling through the green. It's a good spot to stand still for a while, listen to the water, and then wander back slowly, trying another pool along the way.

• Tour type: Hot springs and sightseeing
• Difficulty level: Easy
• Tip: Every pool has a different temperature, so start with the milder ones and work your way up. Part of the road from Coñaripe is gravel: drive carefully, especially in rain or snow.