In 1802 a stone appeared at Orens with a complete commitment around it. A woman named Calpurnia Abana records that she joyfully fulfilled the vows she made to these water nymphs inspired by a dream.
Almost two thousand years have passed and the city continues to do the same: approach some springs that flow more than 60 degrees in the historic center. Now, yes, with a swimsuit and towel. Because they are not like Caracalla; These hot springs are fully functional. And it’s not just retirees who have swapped Benidorm for Salou: it’s another of their favorite destinations.
born from water According to Consello, the Romans settled around As Burgas and built a sanctuary and baths there. Excavations have brought to light a pool dating back to the 1st century AD. C. and six votive stone reveves dedicated to Annabarego, an indigenous deity of the springs. That is, water was holy before the army.
Among the original walls, its renovation including the hypocaust, the Roman heated floor and the medieval alterations are preserved. This heated floor explains why the Romans already used bathing flip flops. In the Middle Ages, a dark period for European thermalism, neighbors continued to use fountains. Even the city’s name is disputed: some say it comes from Aquis oriensisMiño’s gold, and from others Aquatic urentesburning water
local symbol. The current sources are much younger. Burga de Arriba, the simplest, of the 17th century; Burga de Abaixo, Neoclassical and from the mid-19th century attributed to the architect Trillo. They were also a common service: villagers are said to have scalded their chickens there to pluck them more easily. A popular song cites three things in Ourense: Santo Cristo, the Roman Bridge, and As Burgas “boiling water.”
Legend has it that the springs are born from a dormant volcano under the cathedral’s chapel of Santo Cristo or under Montelegre. The scientific explanation is simpler: rainwater that seeps down the granite and heats back up. As Burgas has been an asset of cultural interest since 2007 and since 2010, it has a thermal pool designed by Cesar Portella.
Pond next to the river. After the Millennium Bridge, Mino accumulates about four kilometers of pools: Chavasquera, Muino da Veiga, Outariz and Burga de Canedo, some public and others private. The free ones, outside, are about 40 degrees. At Burga de Canedo, bathing is limited to 90 minutes. Swimwear and flip-flops are essential (no one is going to get fungus), children under 10 are not admitted and use is exclusively recreational.
Questions of how many people can fit and who pays to enter are repeated in other underground heritage sites. For example, Gruta de las Maravilas de Aracena, Spain’s first tourist cave, receives about 150,000 visitors a year; In Mallorca, the caves are haunted by those who take the stalactites as souvenirs; And in the Cueva del Viento de Tenerife, which filled 96.5% of its space in 2025, ICOD residents enter for free on the last Sunday of each month from 2026.
Why are they still there? (though not always). They continued because the water didn’t stop coming out and the city never stopped using it. What changes to the calendar: According to La Region, Muno da Vega is in a flood zone and cannot operate in autumn and winter due to flooding. The deal, approved in August, envisages opening Chavasquera and Muino from April to October. Munio closed on September 30, and the Amigos das Termas association replied that both sites were at the same flood level and asked to maintain them as long as the river would allow.
Who pays it? As Burgas pool has been closed since March 2020 due to construction and leakage. On Monday, the plenary session preliminarily approved the ordinance that sets 7 euros per ticket at the time of reopening, with a monthly bonus of 25 euros, 50% discount for unemployed, pensioners, large families and people with disabilities and free admission for minors under 16. Compared with the numbers of PP, PSOE and BNG. The mayor, Gonzalo Pérez Jacome, defended the price as reasonable and noted that he wanted to charge Outrage and Muno as well. No reopening date yet.
If you go now. According to the latest official reports, the free pools of A Chavasqueira and Burga de Canedo (it, in part), are open from 10:00 to 19:00, in addition to the paid pools of Chavasqueira and Outerez (it, 6.95 euros for two hours, closed on Tuesdays). Munio da Veiga, Free Outdoor Pool and As Burgas Pool are closed. It is better to check the updated status before going, as it depends on the river and the weather.
Picture | Ourense Tourism
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