THERMAL WATERS (AGUAS TERMALES)

There’s nothing more enjoyable for my wife and I than relaxing in the sumptuous thermal baths of Mexico.  When we lived in San Miguel de Allende, we went as often as possible to “La Gruta”, a place located in the middle of the country in the direction of the small city called Dolores Hidalgo.  The waters there reminded me of what I’d enjoyed in a mountain forest near Seattle, WA back in the 80s.  There were three levels—warm, warmer, and almost hot.  And just above these baths were a couple of ponds with lotus flowers. 

Here in our area of Tlaxcala, we don’t have far to go to enjoy another set of thermal waters—a place called Chignahuapan located in the state of Puebla.

Last Friday, we got up early, ate breakfast, packed our backpack, and walked from our house to the nearby highway to catch a “combi” (a passenger van) for the small city of Apizaco, about 15 minutes away, where we planned to take the bus to Chignahuapan.  (Just in case you’re wondering why we walked…well, it’s because we like to keep in shape and use the plentiful public transportation!  We had a car years ago in San Miguel de Allende for a few months, but we found that it made us lazy.)  Above you can see the first class bus we took to our destination.  It comes with air conditioning and movies, and the price for the one hour trip was quite reasonable--$53 pesos for the both of us which is around $4.25 U.S.  Of course, this is because seniors get a 50% discount on bus trips here in Mexico.  And most of the drivers are quite professional.

When we arrived in Chignahuapan, we took a taxi ($50 pesos) to the place you see above which is called Aguas Termales de Chignahuapan.  We could have taken a combi which would have cost us $6.00 pesos each, but we chose to take the faster mode of transport due to the time of day.

Of course, you can see that the resort has pools outside and inside.  What you cannot view, however, are the small rooms that contain rectangular concrete bathtubs, about 3.5 feet deep that allow you to adjust the temperature of the water according to how much you let flow into and out of the tub.  Since Fridays are half price day, two hours of this luxury cost us $150 pesos (about $13 U.S.).  The thermal waters not only detoxify you but allow you to meditate or daydream—just plain relax.

Certainly, one can also go to the spa to enjoy the meditation room, yoga, or 20 minute massages.  There’s also a really nice dining room where you can order from the menu or at selected times choose the buffet.  In fact, this place reminds me of the spa I used to go to in Frankfurt, Germany called “El Pueblo”.

If you wish to stay for the weekend, there are junior suites and master suites.  The junior costs $2,599 pesos while the master (with a Jacuzzi) runs $3,145 pesos for two people, which includes three meals per day including additional amenities.

Since this resort is primarily for Mexican people on holiday or taking time off like ourselves, there’s only one person there who speaks a little bit of English.  This means that whoever plans to use this resort needs to either speak basic Spanish with fluency or have someone with them who does.  It’s a place where you do not often see international tourists.

The Town Of Chignahuapan

While the town of Chignahuapan has a population of about 30,000, there are an additional 50,000 or more in the surrounding villages.  Numerous hotels and cabins can be found at reasonable prices.  There are several restaurants which have really good food.  Obviously, instead of staying at the spa, it’s more economical to find housing and food close by.  We’ve been coming here several times a year for more than seven years, and we’ve found the people to be quite friendly.  Also, the weather can be a little cool at night because the altitude is close to 8,000 feet.

As for ourselves, we took a combi back to Chignahuapan from the resort, and had lunch at a very nice restaurant—the one to which we’re partial and the waiters are great.  Then we walked a few blocks, got on the bus, and went home.  We’d had a wonderful day of relaxation.  Thank you Mexico!