Soak In Steaming Hot Springs With Stunning Atacama Desert Views In This Rarely-Visited Chilean Destination

The long, slender country of Chile is one of South America's safest countries and also one that's full of unbelievably gorgeous landscapes and natural phenomena. Northern Chile is home to the otherworldly Atacama Desert, one of the driest deserts in the world that simultaneously boasts some of the most stunning beaches in South America. Salt flats, ochre-colored valleys, and mineral-rich lagoons stretch across the desert, and small villages dotting the landscape preserve indigenous Aymara traditions. One of those villages is Mamiña, and it's known primarily for its high-altitude thermal springs with views of the Andean foothills.

Mamiña is a small town of only around 600 residents, shaped by its surroundings, from houses built out of local volcanic rock to businesses centered around the hot springs. There's a local legend that a blind Incan princess gained back her vision after bathing in the springs. Her father then named the settlement "Mamiña," a rendering of an Aymara word that translates to "apple of my eye," in honor of her restored eyesight. The area's thermal waters have long attracted people for their supposed therapeutic properties and purity — even Coca-Cola set up a facility nearby to bottle the area's mineral water.

The Mamiña Hot Springs are located around 9,000 feet above sea level, overlooking the desert valley in the Andean foothills. A bus can take you right to the springs, stopping at the Barros Chinos, or Chinese mud baths. The mud baths are a popular feature of the hot springs. If you choose to partake, you'll be given a bucket of pungent, sulfurous mud, which you lather all over your body. Then, you let it harden on your skin in the sun before rinsing off in a thermal pool. The mud baths are supposed to have a therapeutic effect, relieving stress, reducing inflammation, and revitalizing skin.

Several springs make up the Mamiña Hot Springs complex, including the El Tambo and Ipla springs. The thermal water ranges from about 100 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, naturally heated by geothermal activities beneath the mountains. At the Ipla springs, the bathing area is arranged as small, private pools, where people can bathe individually. Allegedly, the mineral content of the thermal water has healing properties for conditions from arthritis to respiratory illness. While you bathe, you get incredible views of the dry, golden highlands of the Atacama Desert lined with cacti.

The best way to get to Mamiña is by starting at the nearest major city of Iquique, where the Diego Aracena International Airport is located for those flying in from other parts of South America. One way to get to the thermal springs is by reserving a tour, which leaves from Iquique and returns the same day. However, getting to Mamiña and its hot springs on your own is doable. Buses depart from Iquique and take about two hours to reach Mamiña for an affordable price. If you opt for the bus route, it will first stop in the lower section of town, where the plaza is located, and then proceed to the upper section, where the springs are.

Of course, you could just skip seeing the town and go straight to the hot springs, but Mamiña's center is worth exploring, too. In the village, you'll see houses made from mud and thatch, as well as some colonial architecture, including the Church of San Marcos, established in 1632 and characterized by its construction out of pink volcanic stone. There are a couple of small restaurants in town where you can get Andean soup or tamales — one must-try is Restaurant T'amiky, with 4.7 stars on Google. And once the sun goes down, you're in one of the top destinations for nocturnal sightseeing.