Termas Papallacta Spa & Resort

The entire lodge is set around the steaming thermal pools with an array of jets to luxuriate in and sensational views to surround you. You'll also find a polar pool to add to the experience! Back at the spa, enjoy delicious treatments including Andean mud, chocolate and white grape mousse body wraps. They really do sound good enough to eat... The casual, cosy restaurant serves a variety of dishes inspired by local cuisine and everything is prepared with the freshest of ingredients. The glass-sided spa cafe offers a menu of light snacks too, if you fancy something to nibble between treatments.

Built from preserved wood, there are 35 rooms all centred round the lodge's thermal pools (which are only used by guests, it's good to note). With King-sized or double beds, the rooms are uncluttered and polished and the decor is inspired by the flora in the surrounding hills. The bathrooms are especially spacious and three rooms feature a private Jacuzzi tub for some extra special. Set around 100 metres from the hotel, there are six duplex cabins with a room on each floor, a sitting area and some with a roaring fireplace.

We agree, you could spend every hour enjoying a good soak and all the massages, but the glorious outdoors beckons... There are hiking trails aplenty, from riverside walks to expeditions into a glacial valley and quiet strolls beside gushing waterfalls. As you explore, keep your eyes peeled for the vivid birdlife (you could see anything from soaring Andean condors to iridescent hummingbirds) and, if you're lucky, some larger wildlife like the spectacled bear. Leisurely horseback rides into the highlands can also be arranged.