Have you ever wanted to visit the Fountain of Youth?
Tales of a natural spring that restores youth and revitalizes anyone who touches the water sounds too good to be true. Legend has it that many explorers have gone searching for these magic waters, and I think I have found the Fountain of Youth in Puerto Rico!
Location
Located near the center of the island, deep in the mountains, are the natural hot springs of Coamo. Centered between Ponce and Caguas, these thermal baths are worth the drive.
- Coamo Hot Spring Pools
- Aguas Termales de Coamo
- Coamo Thermal Springs
- Banos de Coamo
- Coamo Natural Thermal Pools
- Piscinas Aquas Termales de Coamo
- Coamo Thermal Baths
Known by many names, these hot springs are located between Ponce and Caguas in the south central town of Coamo. The healing properties are widely praised among the locals and visitors alike.
Facilities
The hot springs facilities are open seven days a week, 6 AM to 9 PM. There is a small entrance fee of $3.35 per adult (non-resident) for the clean, well maintained facilities including full size changing rooms.
Once inside, the area is a large tranquil garden with plenty of seating and areas to lounge. There is a small snack bar and gift shop with a beautiful mountain view.
Thermal Pools
The pools are fed from the natural thermal waters from a spring upstream. Locals say the pools were built downstream for the optimal natural temperature for the best healing properties.
The pools reported to be around 43 degrees Celsius, 109 F. There is a slight mineral smell to the water. The pools are continuously refilled from the springs to maintain the warm temperature, so the water never gets “stale”.
Start with a cleansing shower and the step into the larger pool to acclimate to the temperature before stepping into the smaller, hotter pool.
There are lounge chairs around the pools and more tables & chairs for seating upstairs. You only need to bring a swimsuit and towel, everything else is provided!
It is recommended to limit pool time to 20 minutes or less, then hydrate and cool off before another soak session. The abundant seating is convenient for multiple sessions and it is easy to spend a couple hours soaking (off and on) in the pools.
Saturdays and afternoons (Noon to 3PM) tend to be the busiest times. Most visitors spend at least an hour at the pools.
Are the thermal pools really the fountain of youth? I plan to go many more times and test the waters of this theory for myself.
Great blog post…and these days we need to do all we can to support Puerto Rico, they have just had such a rough few years of natural disasters. How far were these hotsprings from San Juan? And do they offer accommodations for overnight?
The hot springs are about an hour away from San Juan, but make a great stop on the south side of the island near Ponce. There are a few Haciendas, paradors, and guesthouses nearby for accommodations.
It would be so nice to have a bath in one of these hot springs. Happy to know that they’re affordable even for tourists. We were able to visit another a few months ago and the prices are double for tourists (which I don’t really see the logic)
Thank your for sharing your wonderful experience at Coamo Hot Springs.
Fountain of youth sounds enticing for me! Looks very chilling and relaxing! A perfect combination that sums up a day! Hotspring is always a great idea to cool down, sounds like you spent a great time at Coamo hot springs !
This is really thorough! Who knew the fountain of youth is in Puerto Rico. Thank you for sharing your discovery. We’ve only been to San Juan so will have to plan another trip to PR to check out those thermal pools.
There is so much to explore on the island beyond San Juan! I hope you make it back to explore more soon.
Very interesting find. Especially because we have planned to visit Puerto Rico soonish. I love all kinds of thermal pools and spas, so this would be something I would definitely enjoy. And the cost of visiting is so cheap that I could just return every day. Will definitely check out your other posts about Puerto Rico too.
I certainly would love to find the fountain of youth. The thermal baths at Coamo Hot Springs would certainly be worth a try. Like that there are spots to lounge between plunges. We would love to check this out if we visit Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico has so much to explore, I hope you make it out here!
Looks like a nice place to chill out after a long day exploring the island or going for a hike. I usually do thermal baths in Europe in places like Poland and Iceland but never knew they existed in the Caribbean. Been longing to go to Puerto Rico for a long time and when I eventually get there, I am so going to unwind here. 🙂
There are a few thermal baths in the Caribbean, Coamo is one of my favorites.