The district of Churin is known as the main hot springs destination near Lima. Churin's fame is based on the mineral-medicinal waters that flow from underground at temperatures that range between 35°C and 55°C. The road trip from the Peruvian capital takes approximately 6 hours, positioning it as an ideal weekend getaway for wellness.
Visitors looking for a wellness escape have a wide variety of things to do in Churin. The thermal complex offers diverse therapeutic pools, including private natural pools (like Esperanza, Machay Baños and Jatún Baños) and treatment services. In addition to relaxation, the area allows for light hiking, the exploration of natural caves, and visiting communities where the work of local weavers can still be observed.
The surroundings of Churin are dominated by a mountainous landscape that offers additional natural attractions, such as the El Zambo Masajeador Waterfall, which complements the trip. This guide is designed to provide all the information about this place, detailing the properties of its main natural pools, the entry costs, and the logistics for the trip from Lima to this destination.
Where is Churín located?
The district of Churín is located in the north-central highlands of Peru, in the department of Lima, within the province of Oyón. Geographically, it is set in a mountain valley, in the upper basin of the Huaura River, at an altitude of approximately 2,080 meters above sea level. This elevation, lower than the Cusco highlands, provides a mild valley climate that is ideal for wellness tourism.
Logistically, Churín is considered an accessible destination for a weekend getaway from the capital. The town is about 210 kilometers from the city of Lima. Access is exclusively by road, starting on the North Pan-American Highway and taking a detour toward the mountain route. The vehicle journey takes an average of 5 to 6 hours, depending on traffic.
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About Oyón: a tourist destination near Lima
Located 232 kilometers from Lima, Oyón's main economic activity is mining. However, in recent years, this province of Peru, belonging to the Department of Lima, has been projected as a good option for enjoyment due to its popular route of thermal baths.
Oyón is described by visitors as an "impressive experience" in which you can contemplate beautiful lagoons, immerse yourself in medicinal thermal baths, visit important archaeological sites and contemplate spectacular snow-capped mountains.
Churín Thermal Complexes
The wellness offer in Churín is built around a thermal circuit that covers the town and its surroundings. The richness of these waters comes from underground springs of volcanic origin, which give each complex a unique mineral composition and temperature. This allows visitors to select the most suitable spa based on their therapeutic needs, whether they seek relaxing effects (due to the lithium content) or treatments for rheumatic or respiratory conditions.
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Youth Baths (Jatún Baths)
This complex is located just 5 minutes from the center of Churín, which makes it one of the most accessible. Its waters are known for a high lithium content, a mineral credited with beneficial properties for relieving stress and the nervous system. Most of its pools are in enclosed and protected areas.
The complex stands out for its unique natural features, such as the cave The Mysterious Tongue, where pure water filters through the rocks. Additionally, it has the waterfall known as the Zambo Massager, whose force is used to relieve muscle contractures and stiffness.
- Temperature: 30°C to 35°C (Warm).
- Therapeutic Use: Recommended for people with rheumatic, dermatological, and respiratory conditions.
- Cost: S/ 3.00.
The plateau Complex (Covered Pools)
Located in the upper part of the town (about 400 meters from the center), the plateau Complex is a therapeutic center that puts thermal stability first. Its pools are mostly indoors, an architectural choice to ensure that the temperatures of the healing waters stay constant, avoiding the impact of the cold outside the mountain.
The waters of this complex (with a similar entrance cost to the previous one) are rich in sulfur and other minerals that are especially recommended for people with rheumatic, dermatological, and respiratory conditions. Its facilities include three stepped pools known as Hope, which vary slightly in temperature and include jets for vibrating hydromassages.
- Temperature: 30°C to 35°C (Warm).
- Therapeutic Use: Recommended for rheumatic conditions.
- Cost: S/ 3.00.
Mamahuarmi Complex (Open Natural Pools)
This is one of the most outstanding and popular places in the area, as it offers a completely open-air experience. Mamahuarmi is known for its rich composition of sulfate, sulfur, and magnesium, which is found in pools and grottoes surrounded by natural plants. The complex's name comes from a local legend linked to an Inca princess and the origin of the waters that sprang from a mountain crack.
Unlike other complexes, the visit to Mamahuarmi is free and focuses on enjoying the natural environment. The site includes several notable pools such as the Pozo de los Novios (Lovers' Pool) and the "Velo de Novia" (Bride's Veil) pool (a waterfall with a natural hydromassage effect). This setting, with its waterfalls and fresh mountain air, is very popular for relaxation and stress relief.
- Composition: Its waters are rich in sulfate, sulfur, magnesium, chloride, and other minerals.
- Attractions: The complex includes several notable pools such as the Pozo de los Novios, the "Velo de Novia" pool (a waterfall with a natural hydromassage effect) and a natural grotto (La Gruta). The pools have a temperature that ranges between 30°C and 32°C.
- Therapeutic Use: It is a place for relaxation and is credited with benefits for vision, skin, and stress relief.
- Access: Its entrance is free.
The safety pins
This complex shows the most important pools that can be visited in the Churín thermal water circuit, highlighting their features and therapeutic properties:
- Pozo del Novio (Groom's Pool): This is a pool with temperatures that range between 30°C and 32°C. It is credited with beneficial properties for skin conditions, vision, and headache relief.
- Velo (Veil): This natural pool includes a waterfall that provides a hydromassage effect. The water temperature varies from warm to cold in the fall, which helps relieve muscle tension.
- El Churi: This spa is famous for its unique feature: the presence of a pressurized water jet that looks like a geyser, which can reach up to 5 meters in height, being a visual spectacle.
- La Gruta (The Grotto): It is a natural cave. Its waters are rich in cobalt. The place is used by visitors as a space for rest and deep relaxation.
What to eat in the area?
Churín has a wide range of meals and desserts. The typical dishes of the region are pachamanca, fresh trout, guinea pigs, cornbread or peach sweets. They are to die for. A menu can cost S/9, although there are also outstanding restaurants for the most demanding palates.
Colorful Places
Near Churín is Huancahuasi and Picoy, other towns that also have hot springs. To visit them you just have to take a tour in the city's Plaza de Armas. These can cost between S/10 and S/20.
Although they are embedded within the mountain, the pools in these places have a higher temperature, are more rustic and have a great natural environment. The entrance to Huancahuasi is S/5 and Picoy is S/3.
Why a Hot Spring Bath?
- It stimulates oxygenation in the brain, which makes you sleep better.
- It produces endorphins due to the state of relaxation that it generates.
- It activates the body through the absorption of minerals in the water, which improves the skin and some internal processes, such as the digestive one.
- You don't need excuses to visit this magnificent place: it's super close to Lima, it offers high caliber natural beauties, powerful energy, good food and affordable prices.
How to get to Churín?
The cheapest bus ticket to Oyón costs S/20 and the travel time is approximately 5 hours. If your option is to travel in your own car, the most frequent access route is the Panamericana. If, on the other hand, you plan to travel by public transport, you should go to the Jirón Montevideo in Lima, which is located behind the Grau Polyclinic.
The route of the bus also includes the Panamericana Norte, but until the detour towards Río Seco, specifically at kilometer 103. Then, you continue to Sayán and stop at Churín. This journey takes approximately 6 hours.
First stop in the Sierra of Lima
If you want to visit Oyón, you should make a first stop in Churín. In the district of Pachangara, whose capital is Churín, there are thermo-medicinal waters that have healing properties to combat skin, kidney, and respiratory diseases, among other conditions. Some of the best known places are the Lord of Miracles, Santa Rosa, Youth, Mama Warmi and the Poza de los Novios.
In the Andajes district, you can visit the Fierro de Cabracancha, Huancahuasi and Picoy baths. Toning and rejuvenating benefits for the skin are attributed to these waters. The temperature of these thermal pools ranges between 32 °C and 36 °C.
The road continues...
Straight to Oyón! Located 3,000 meters above sea level, it is also known as “the cradle of the harp”, since it is the homeland of the Peruvian folk singer Alicia Delgado. These are some of the places that you can include in your travel itinerary to Oyón:
Nevado Yarawuayna, at 5654 meters above sea level.
Archaeological Complex of Rapazmarca, at 3,300 meters above sea level, which you can access after a two-hour walk from Huancahuasi.
Rapaz, a picturesque town very close to Oyón where the largest quipu in the world is located. This is one of the 100 monuments around the world in danger of extinction, according to the World Monuments Watch.
Archaeological Complex of Antamarca and Chaulín, remains that remain in a good state of conservation and that are attributed to the Cayash culture.
San Cristóbal Church, better known as the “Sistine Chapel of the Andes”. It is located in Rapaz, whose antiquity dates back 400 years. The beauty of this attraction lies in the giant murals that cover the walls and ceilings of this religious site, where drawings of apostles, saints, demons, virgins and sinners are shown.
Lagunas de Patón, Surasaca, Guengue, among others.
Recommendations:
- Do not forget your swimsuit to enjoy the delicious waters of the thermal baths.
- Put your sunscreen in your suitcase.
- Wear clothes that protect you from the cold, since the average annual temperature is 15 °C.
- If you plan to go trekking, take your basic equipment such as the support stick and special footwear.
- A first aid bag is never too much. Better to be cautious!
- Don't forget a portable charger for your cell phone. You don't want to run out of battery and stop documenting your amazing trip to Oyón.
When is the best time to visit Churin?
The best time to visit Churín is between the months of June and September because the sun is more intense and the temperature is ideal for visiting the thermal baths.
Churin complexes
Churín has several unmissable complexes that you must visit if you visit this place. Below we show some of these tourist sites.
- Boyfriends Well: Recommended for those who suffer from eyesight or headaches.
- Veil of the bride: Its waters are ideal for reducing stress. The temperature is warm.
- El Churi: Its main tourist attraction is its 5 meter high geyser.
- The Grotto: It is a huge cavern rich in cobalt.
What are the benefits of hot springs?
- It is scientifically proven that hot springs bring great benefits to people. Below we show you some of the positive effects that these natural spas have.
- It helps improve blood circulation, oxygenation and the elimination of toxins.
- Improves the metabolic process facilitating the digestion of food.
- They eliminate stress and reduce muscle pain.
- Helps reduce the effects of skin diseases such as dermatitis and psoriasis.
- Increases the production of endorphins.
- Budget to enjoy a day in the thermal baths of Churín
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