After a day on the road from Arequipa, crossing Patapampa Pass at 4,800 meters and having the first encounter with the Colca Valley, the body asks for exactly what La Calera offers: hot water, relative silence, and time without any specific objective. The hot springs of Chivay are not a luxury or a secondary attraction on the Colca route, but rather the activity with which most travelers close the afternoon of the first day before going to sleep early for the condor outing. That combination of practical usefulness and spectacular scenery is what makes La Calera one of the most valued stops in the valley.
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Where It Is and How to Get There
The La Calera hot springs are located between 3 and 5 kilometers from the center of Chivay, following the road that borders the Colca River toward the northwest. From Chivay’s main square, you can get there by taxi for about 5 soles or by colectivo from the town market for 1 sol. Walking, the route takes between 40 and 50 minutes along a road with views of the river and the valley’s agricultural terraces. On organized tours from Arequipa, transportation to the complex is included in the itinerary on the first day or on the return on the second day.
The complex is managed by the Municipal Government of the District of Chivay, which makes it a locally managed public facility rather than one run by a private operator. That condition explains its affordable prices and the mixed use by both local visitors and tourists.
The Pools: Temperature and Features
The origin of the waters is volcanic. They come from the Cotallumi volcano, an inactive volcano in the area, whose waters emerge at an initial temperature of between 80 and 85 degrees Celsius. Along the way from the source to the pools, that temperature drops to 38 or 39 degrees Celsius, which is the temperature at which visitors experience it.
The complex has five pools of different sizes, built specifically to retain the heat of the waters. Some are outdoors and others have partial cover. The hottest pools have temperatures close to 40 degrees, while the warmer ones are around 35. The characteristic sulfur smell of volcanic-origin waters is present and is one of the first sensory effects perceived when entering the complex.
The mineral composition of the waters includes calcium, zinc, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, sulfates, and bicarbonate. That composition is what supports the therapeutic properties that locals and regular visitors attribute to the waters for treating muscle pain, bone problems, skin conditions, and arthritis. Beyond the therapeutic properties, the most immediate and real effect of soaking in 38-degree water after a day at altitude and a long journey is the muscle relaxation that any hot bath provides, but at 3,633 meters, with the cold of the Andean highlands around you and the canyon walls in the background, it has a completely different character.
The Thermal Contrast: The Main Experience
The element that makes the La Calera experience unique compared to other hot springs in Peru is the contrast between the hot water and the outside air. At 3,633 meters above sea level, the afternoon air temperature can be between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius. Immersing yourself in water at 38 or 39 degrees with the cold highland air around you creates a sensation that does not exist with the same intensity in lower-altitude hot springs, where the air and water temperatures are closer to each other.
That contrast is especially pronounced during the winter months between June and August, when afternoons in Chivay can drop to 5 or 6 degrees Celsius. Under those conditions, getting out of the hot outdoor pool creates an immediate thermal shock that makes you move quickly toward the changing rooms. Many regular visitors to La Calera describe that moment as one of the most memorable parts of the visit, which says something about the intensity of the experience that the water temperature alone does not convey.
The Archaeological Museum at the Complex
Next to the pool area, there is a small museum with pieces found in archaeological excavations carried out in the Colca Valley. The collection includes ceramics, tools, and objects from the Collagua and Cabana cultures, which inhabited the valley before the arrival of the Incas and during the Inca period. It is not a large museum or an exhaustive collection, but it adds a historical layer to the visit that most travelers do not expect when they arrive at the hot springs.
This museum inside the pool complex is one of the details that distinguishes La Calera from other hot spring complexes in Peru where the only attraction is the hot water. For anyone curious about the history of the valley, the combination of a thermal bath and a walk through archaeological pieces in the same space does not require extra time, only the willingness to enter the museum after leaving the pools.
The Suspension Bridge and the Surroundings
A few meters from the complex, there is a suspension bridge over the Colca River that connects the two sides of the valley. The bridge has a rustic construction and the characteristic movement of wooden suspension bridges over mountain rivers: it sways with weight and wind in a way that some visitors find uncomfortable and others add as part of the experience of the place. Crossing it gives access to the other side of the river, where there are trails and views over the canyon that are not available from the side of the complex.
The viewpoints near the complex allow you to see the bottom of the valley and, during favorable morning hours, also the condors gliding over the canyon from that lower perspective. For those who arrive at La Calera early in the morning before tour groups reach the complex, that view of the condor from the surroundings of the hot springs is an added experience that the afternoon in the pools cannot offer.
Hours, Prices, and Services
The complex opens every day of the week from 4:00 in the morning to 7:00 in the evening. The 4:00 a.m. opening time is intended for those who want to bathe before leaving for the Cruz del Cóndor Viewpoint, although in practice most visitors arrive between the afternoon of the first day of the tour and midday on the second day. Admission costs 15 soles. Payment is exclusively in cash because the complex does not have a card reader.
The complex has parking, changing rooms with showers, a café selling drinks and simple food, a local handicraft shop, and restrooms. Lifeguard supervision is available at the pools during the busiest hours. Massage service is available at certain times for an additional cost that varies depending on the duration and type of massage.
What you need to bring is a swimsuit, towel, sandals for the changing rooms, warm clothing for changing after the bath, and cash in soles. Sunscreen is useful for those who arrive in the morning, when the sun at that altitude is intense even in winter.
The Other Hot Springs in the Valley
La Calera in Chivay is the best-known and most accessible hot spring in the Colca Valley, but it is not the only option. The Chacapi hot springs in the town of Yanque, about 15 kilometers from Chivay, have three thermal pools in a more intimate setting with fewer visitors. Their hours are from 6:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening, with an entrance fee of approximately 15 soles. The Puye hot springs, also in the Yanque area, have three more rustic pools at a price of 3 soles and mineral properties similar to those of La Calera.
For those who have more than one afternoon available in the valley and want to compare experiences, the Yanque hot springs offer a quieter and more authentic alternative to La Calera, which during high season can be busy with Colca tour groups that include it as a stop on the itinerary.
When to Go to Make the Most of It
The afternoon of the first day of your stay in Chivay is the most logical time to visit La Calera. Arriving between 4:00 and 6:00 in the afternoon allows you to enjoy the pools in natural light, see the sunset over the valley from the surroundings of the complex, and return to Chivay before the nighttime temperature drops too much. Having dinner in Chivay after the hot springs and going to sleep early prepares the body for the early morning of the next day.
The early morning between 4:00 and 7:00 before leaving for Cruz del Cóndor is the other schedule with its advantages: the complex is practically empty, the contrast between the hot water and the cold Andean dawn is at its maximum, and the silence at that hour has a different quality from the rest of the day. It is not the most common time, but for anyone who is already waking up early for the condor, arriving at the hot springs an hour earlier does not add logistical complexity.