Photo by Marcelo Gonzalez on Pexels
🇧🇴 Bolivia · Potosí Department
♨ Temperature
38°C
⛰ Altitude
3800 m
⚗ pH
7.1
💧 TDS
1100 mg/L
🌊 Flow rate
5 L/s
📅 Established
Pre-colonial
✓ Verified on 2026-07-22
The thermal springs of Urmiri rise at nearly 3,800 metres above sea level in the rugged highlands of the Potosí Department, one of the highest spa destinations in South America. The waters emerge warm and mineralised from geothermal sources connected to the volcanic arc of the Andes. Indigenous communities of the altiplano have traditionally used these springs for bathing and in ceremonial contexts long before the arrival of European colonists. Today a modest resort operates here, drawing visitors from Potosí who seek the unusual combination of high-altitude landscape and thermal immersion.
| Sulphur | 22 mg/L |
| Bicarbonate | 420 mg/L |
| Calcium | 110 mg/L |
| Sodium | 85 mg/L |
The Urmiri springs have been part of Quechua and Aymara cultural life in the Potosí highlands for centuries. Local oral traditions connect the springs with sacred geography, and the waters were historically used in ritual cleansing ceremonies tied to the agricultural calendar.
Urmiri offers an experience rare in world balneology — thermal bathing at extreme altitude, in a landscape of stark Andean beauty. The combination of warm water and thin mountain air creates a distinctive sensory contrast that has defined the springs' appeal for generations of local visitors.
The springs are located in a fragile high-altitude ecosystem sensitive to overuse. Community management has limited commercial development to preserve both the spring source and the surrounding puna grassland.