Based on our prior experiences of thermal baths in South America, and also based on negative reviews by a group who had just come from there, we went to Papallacta with pretty low expectations.

It is amazing how expectations shape your impressions of a place. We loved the Papallacta Termas resort - the place looked relatively new, but yet the landscaping looks mature. Our cabins were very cosy with a fireplace (which we were unsuccessful in lighting), with a giant bathtub in the middle of the bathroom, which had french windows that opened out to a communal garden with 2 small thermal pools. In the adjoining plot, there is a larger thermal bath area with 6 large thermal pools, but we all preferred the cosiness of our small private baths in front of our cabins.

There are some beautiful hikes to the back of the resort - we took a short hike on the island trail, walking through the forest along the river, and enjoying the views of the rapids and waterfalls along the route.

The one night just was not enough for us to fully enjoy the place.......