A Little Piece of Heaven

Imagine driving two and a half hours into the Andes, the last 35 kilometres or so in the dark, on an uneven dirt road with mining trucks barreling past, in a land so dusty that even the plants and rocks at the side of the road have taken on a dull gray colour. Imagine relaxing in warm hot springs, surrounded by the scraggly and barren mountains of the Andes. Imagine heading back to the warmth and comfort of a cozy mountain refuge tucked away into the mountains at what seems to be the end of the universe. Imagine waking up the next morning to some of the most stunning scenery that you have ever seen in your life. Last Friday, my Santiago-based friends rounded up a small crew and we experienced all of this.

Heading out after the workday, we made our way to and through the Cajon del Maipo [The Maipo Valley] southeast of Santiago. After a quick stop at the Refugio Alemán, a wonderful mountain retreat, we got back into the cars and headed the extra ten kilometers to the Los Colinas hot springs. The springs consist of nine cascading pools surrounded by the stark, but incredible beauty of the Andes. The springs are open twenty-four hours a day and the atmosphere at night is particularly stunning. There are no pictures as I didn’t bring my camera, but this is a picture of the road to the springs during the day.

The Refugio Alemán was opened in the 1930s and serves as a base for exploring the mountains, glaciers, and of course, hot springs nearby. They serve hearty, healthy meals necessary for hungry hikers (or for people like us who have worked really hard during the week) and offer a wonderfully relaxed and warm atmosphere. Highly recommended! I only wish that we had had more time to explore the surroundings. But alas, our scheduled wine tour back towards Santiago awaited us!