Some of the places we love most are the ones that were never fenced off, priced or polished for visitors: places of joy, culture and relaxation that have stayed public, for whoever comes this far.
Over the border, in Lobios
Right after the border of Portugal, after leaving the thermal-tourism town of Gerês, you cross into Galicia and a very small town, Lobios. There, beside the river, a simple public thermal pool, hot enough that we felt it was close to 60 °C, is open and available to anyone.
The story of the Termas de Lobios
The hot springs here are old. The spa at Lobios traces its history back to Roman times, and Roman thermal remains turned up when the present spa was built (Páxinas Galegas). Nearby, at Baños de Río Caldo, lie the ruins of Aquis Originis, a Roman road station on the Via Nova, which are now open to visitors (Páxinas Galegas); the provincial archaeological museum of Ourense reports excavations there in 2023 (Museo Arqueolóxico Provincial de Ourense).
The water is hyperthermal and bicarbonate-sodic. Tourism listings give it about 73 °C where it rises (Postal). In the free outdoor pools by the Río Caldo, in the place called Os Baños, it mixes with cool river water and is reported at roughly 35 to 45 °C all year (Porto Secreto). Our own sense of “60 °C” is just that, a feeling: it was very hot. I could not find a published figure for the exact pool in our photo, so treat all of these as approximate.
Public water, shared
This is not the first public thermal bath we have visited. Lares, in the Cusco region, is another amazing place where locals can enjoy the water, and visit and blend with other travelers.
The most important and beautiful experiences of travelling often come in places where you can enjoy, respect and engage with the local community on its own terms. In Lobios, locals came and sat in the hot water as if it were nothing, while we had to go in part by part. Everyone was enjoying it. The place felt sacred, shared, loved by so many.
How to enjoy it
Some say the water is too hot. That is only if you rush into it. Give your body time to adjust, follow the locals, ask.
After about 10 minutes, take a dip in the cold river, give yourself time to cool off, drink plenty of water, and repeat as many times as you want. There is a small river beach and lawns beside the pools, and a snack bar nearby that may be closed, so bring something to eat (Postal). I found no opening hours or current management details, so check locally.
We left feeling so clean and renewed, and grateful for this wonderful experience.
Find it on the map: Termas públicas de Lobios, Ourense.
