Salto, Uruguay · Open since 2011
AGUA
CLARA
The quiet hot springs of Salto: four large pools at 45 °C from a well 1,200 m deep, on the banks of the Daymán River. Hydrotherapy showers, massage, and not much noise.
The quiet one
Parque Termal Agua Clara opened in 2011 and was planned from the start as a place to rest rather than a spectacle. It sits on a 3,800 m² site on the banks of the Daymán River, 7 km from Salto, and draws its water from its own well, about 1,200 m deep, in the same Guaraní Aquifer that feeds Daymán, Arapey and the other hot springs around the city. The water surfaces at 45 °C, among the warmest in the region, and runs through four large pools kept at 38 to 40 °C in winter and 35 to 38 °C in summer by an automatic system. People come here for peace and quiet: residents on a regular routine, visitors recovering from illness or stress, and groups who want a safe, calm place to spend the day.
"El agua termal es el principal atractivo, pero su entorno natural lo convierten en un lugar ideal para descansar." (The hot water is the main attraction, but the natural setting makes it an ideal place to rest.)
— Vademécum de Aguas Minerales Termales del Uruguay, Balnea Vol. 12, 2026 · University of the Republic / Complutense University Madrid
A new park
on old water
Unlike Arapey (1945) and Daymán (1957), where oil drills found the water by accident, Agua Clara was designed and built this century, to meet a clear demand: the same water, closer to the city, with less noise.
As Termas del Daymán grew into one of the most visited hot springs in South America, a clear group of visitors emerged who wanted the water without the crowds, the water park or the family noise. The commercial centre of Salto saw the opening for a quieter alternative.
Parque Termal Agua Clara opened in 2011 on a 3,800 m² site above the Daymán River, 7 km from Salto, with its own well, about 1,200 m deep, into the Guaraní Aquifer. The water surfaces at 45 °C, which makes Agua Clara one of the warmest hot springs in Uruguay.
Agua Clara quickly became the year-round choice for anyone who needs peace and quiet (paz y tranquilidad): residents on a regular routine, visitors recovering from illness or stress, and groups wanting a safe, calm place to meet. The river, the mature trees and the unhurried pace set it apart from the livelier Daymán complex a few minutes up the road.
The park has added services year by year: Scottish, Finnish and Danish showers (duchas escocesas, finlandesas y danesas), hydromassage beds, professional massage, a restaurant, free Wi-Fi across the site and medical cover on the premises. Guests of the Hotel Vacacional Daymán, across the road, get free entry every day of their stay.
The same water,
a calmer setting
Agua Clara's water comes from the same deep Guaraní Aquifer, with the same basic chemistry, as the other hot springs of Salto. Vela and Maraver (Balnea, 2026) group Guaviyú, Aguas Claras, Altos del Arapey, Arapey Municipal, Club Remeros and Daymán together as one therapeutic family: warm to hyperthermal water (over 35 °C), lightly to moderately mineralised, with bicarbonate and sodium as the main ions and variable chloride and calcium. At 45 °C the source is well above the 33 °C that spa medicine takes as the minimum for a bath to do any good, and the pools sit in the accepted range of 33 to 42 °C.
Bicarbonate and sodium are the main ions, the same signature as Daymán and Arapey. The water is gentle on the skin, which suits long treatments and sensitive people.
One of the largest underground reserves of fresh water in the world, under Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Agua Clara's own well reaches about 1,200 m into it, one of the deepest in the Daymán area.
Abundant in the aquifer's water. Silica has centuries of use in spa medicine for the skin, connective tissue and inflamed joints, and is part of Agua Clara's reputation for skin and rest.
Part of the regional mineral profile. Together they support bone density, relax the muscles and settle the nervous system during a long warm bath.
Present in traces, as across the aquifer (about 0.015 mg/L in the region). Population studies link natural lithium in water to calmer mood and lower stress, which fits what Agua Clara is for.
The pools are regulated by season, 38 to 40 °C in winter and 35 to 38 °C in summer, so the water is at a comfortable bathing temperature whenever you come.
Like the rest of the Salto family, the water is lightly to moderately mineralised (under 1 g/L). That is what makes it so well tolerated, for long bathing and for sensitive people.
The thick basalt that seals the Guaraní Aquifer keeps the chemistry stable and the temperature gradient normal, so the water at the surface is the same as the water underground, in every season.
What the water
is used for
The Vademécum (Balnea, 2026) gives these evidence-based uses for the Salto family of hot springs, which Agua Clara belongs to. The calm of the place adds something of its own for stress and the mind.
Rheumatism and arthritis
A bath in bicarbonate water at 38 to 40 °C takes the load off the joints, improves the fluid in them and eases the chronic pain of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, here in a calmer setting that suits the people who need it most.
Circulation and blood pressure
Heat and water pressure together widen the blood vessels, help blood return from the legs and lower systolic blood pressure, with documented effects on arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk.
Stress, anxiety and sleep
Of all the hot springs of Salto, Agua Clara is the one built for switching off. The quiet, tree-shaded riverside adds to the effect of the water: hours of calm afterwards, lower cortisol and easier sleep.
Airways
Beyond bathing, the Salto waters are indicated for the airways (rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, mild asthma) through steam and inhalation. Agua Clara's semi-covered pool and steam showers suit this.
Skin
The bicarbonate and silica soothe and hydrate the skin, help its barrier and have a traditional use in stable eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis, and for the skin after cancer treatment, improving comfort and quality of life.
Healthy ageing
Gentle mineralisation, good tolerance and a calm setting make Agua Clara well suited to older visitors, people with sensitive skin or chronic conditions, and anyone on a programme of rest and recovery.
Built for rest
The 3,800 m² layout, the position on the river and the short list of services all serve one purpose: rest.
A semi-covered pool, an open-air pool with benches inside it (the adults' favourite, for its comfort and depth), a relaxation pool and a children's pool, all kept at 38 to 40 °C in winter and 35 to 38 °C in summer by an automatic system.
Three hydrotherapy showers that work together: contrast (Scottish), steam (Finnish) and a gentle rinse (Danish), a full circuit for the circulation and the airways, with staff on hand.
Hydromassage beds in the pools, and plenty of space to lie down afterwards: loungers, mats, chairs and tables. The resting is the point of Agua Clara.
Massage by qualified therapists, booked at the park: full body, partial, lymphatic and therapeutic, all year.
A restaurant and cold drinks on site, so you can stay the whole day. Barbecue shelters (quinchos) and parasols for sunny summer days.
Mature trees, the riverside, shaded picnic and barbecue shelters and pergolas give the park its calm. It is built for a slow day, not a quick dip.
Free Wi-Fi across the park and medical cover on site, for visitors in recovery, with chronic conditions, or who simply want the reassurance.
Across the road from the park, the hotel gives its guests free entry to Agua Clara every day of their stay, a good option for a stay of several days.
Hours, prices and contacts
Hours and prices
Every day: 8am to 10pm, all year.
General entry UYU 300 (about US$8). Residents and hotel guests UYU 250 with a voucher. Paid at the entrance, no bookings (Intendencia de Salto, Agenda Salto, October 2026).
Loungers, mats and shade are provided. Massage is booked at the park.
Guests of the Hotel Vacacional Daymán, across the road, get in free every day of their stay.
Contacts
Parque Termal Agua Clara
+598 4736 9057
WhatsApp +598 98 693 467
parquetermalaguaclara.com.uy
Hotel Vacacional Daymán
+598 4736 9733 · +598 4736 9141
vacacionaldaymansm.com
Questions about Salto: my contact details are at the foot of the home page.