Termas del Arapey

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About Termas del Arapey

The Termas del Arapey are in the northern part of the Salto department, near the Arapey Grande River. In the 1940s, a drilling by the Instituto Geológico del Uruguay searching for oil found hot water from the Aquífero Guarani. As no oil was found, the well was abandoned, but locals asked that it not be closed, and there the country's first thermal pool emerged.

In 1953 the land, which belonged to the Army, passed to the Intendencia de Salto. Today the area covers 250 hectares, with public and private thermal complexes, gardens, native fields and riparian forest. The water springs at about 41 °C from wells up to 1,300 meters deep, according to the municipality.

The municipal thermal park has pools between 27 and 41 °C, whirlpools, restrooms and food and drink sales; admission is charged and it is open year-round. Surrounding the park are hotels, bungalows, motels and a large camping area.

The Arapey River runs over basalt, with rapids, small falls and calm stretches, and attracts sport fishing. On the riverbank is the grave of a soldier executed in 1903, days after Batlle y Ordóñez abolished the death penalty, remembered as the last person executed in the country.