ACAYA THERMAL BATHS

LOCATION: Curicaca District, Jauja Province, Junín Region
ALTIUDE: 3460 m.a.s.l.

The thermal baths are managed by the local community and feature three pools: two private pools and one public pool. The water comes from a natural spring with a temperature of 29°C and contains minerals that are beneficial for treating rheumatic, gastrointestinal, and nervous system ailments. Entrance to the thermal baths requires payment of an admission fee for each half-hour of use. The baths are open to visitors every day of the year, in the morning.

HISTORY
Water was a vital element, revered and used in ritual baths by the Incas. Religious ceremonies were held at the temple, even after the arrival of the Spaniards. During any festival, priests and nobles would take these baths not to cleanse their bodies, but to purify their spirits and revitalize their energy. The Inca emperor and the nobility would also visit these baths for their therapeutic properties.
Currently, there are more than 500 thermal and medicinal springs with healing and relaxing properties, emerging from the depths of the earth. Their main mineral components include: sulfur, calcium, lithium, iron, bromine, iodine, oxygen, bicarbonate, silica, potassium, magnesium, and chlorine.

PLACES TO VISIT NEAR THE THERMAL BATHS

• Inca Trail (Corral – Yanamarca)
• Paca Lagoon
• Shutko Canyon
• Raymondi Puya (Bromeliad) Forest
• Tunanmarca Archaeological Site
• Malka Stone Towers and Pichiluli Ravine
• Walis Caves