Termas de Ourense (As Burgas & Outariz)
Ourense sits on one of Europe's richest geothermal fields, and you can slide into steaming, sulphur-kissed waters right in the city centre — for free. From the ancient As Burgas fountains to the landscaped riverside pools at Outariz, this is the city's beating, bubbling heart.
As Burgas: the original hot spring
Three ornate stone fountains on Praza das Burgas have been gushing water at around 67 °C since Roman times, when legionaries camped here to rest aching muscles after campaigns across Galicia.
Today locals queue with plastic bottles to collect the mineral-rich water, believing it aids digestion and joints — a ritual unchanged for two millennia. Stand here at dusk and you'll watch steam curl through the old-town lamplight like something out of a fairy tale.
Outariz: the riverside spa park
A short drive or bus ride along the Miño river brings you to Outariz, where a series of free public thermal pools are carved into the riverbank, ranging from a skin-tingling 38 °C to a muscle-melting 42 °C.
The setting is extraordinary: you float in hot water while the wide green Miño slides past and wooded hills frame the horizon. Arrive on a cold winter morning and the contrast between icy air and warm water is genuinely euphoric.
Weekends fill up fast, so aim for a weekday morning. Bring flip-flops, a towel and a bottle of local Ribeiro white to sip at the water's edge — the Galicians certainly do.
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