Missed the bats and cave, enjoyed the shower, hot spring and mineral mud, there are two ways up to the spring one for the grandson and an easier hike for grama!
Warm hot spring waterfall with an opportunity explore under the travertine limestone caves, 3 meter jump from top of the waterfall into the river and the clay mud bath in the jungle nearby.
We visited the hot springs twice whilst staying nearby on the Rio Dulce. It's a great place to swim and the surroundings are beautiful. There is no official fee to use the hot springs, but there is a donation box. You can also visit 3 caves above the hot springs with one of the local guides; this was very cheap and well worth the short walk. One of the caves is quite large and has bats in it. Another is like a natural sauna with warm water in it, which was quite an unusual experience. The food and drinks served at the hot springs were good and reasonably priced.
This is a must see and must enjoy place ;-). The river is quite cold just as any river, but under the hot waterfall it becomes hot too, so it is really amazing to swim there or just relax under the waterfall and enjoy a "hot massage" exactly like in a spa. And if you climb a little on top of it there are some hot springs and it gets really hot sitting inside, like in a hot tub, with medicinal mud/clay that people spread on the skin to make it soft. Perfect!
The hot springs are free so no complaints about the price, but you're basically just sitting in a partially walled off part of the river in an area where hot water seeps out of the rocks. So be prepared to do a lot of water-mixing while you soak to keep your legs from getting cold and your shoulders and arms from scalding. Plus the little fish that hang out there can really give your ankles a good nip. But it was still pretty relaxing to hang out along the river watching the boats go by, and we had a good hamburger lunch and a beer at the restaurant next to the hot springs.
A great spot to enjoy the hot springs and a cool water pool simulateneously. It is not too long of a walk to get there; journey can be a bit mucky if it has rained. However, this spot is very much worth the walk. We enjoyed this immensely, did not want to leave but the tour guide had to insist as we had other places to visit. There was a older Mayan gentleman there who was really helpful to us, because getting in and out of the pool might be tricky for more mature folks; can be slippery in places. (a tip for him is suggested). We were taken there by Oswaldo Contreras who runs Rio Dulce Travel that is located in Hotel Backpackers in El Relleno. Oswaldo was a great tour guide, and on that day we were his only passengers. A defintie MUST if you're in the area.
We took a very crowded van/bus out to the falls, which was an adventure in itself. A nice walk down to the falls, Hot waterfall into the cool water was GREAT. Brought a picnic lunch & had a blast. Walked back to the street & caught another not so crowded van/bus back to town. A great day trip.
we loved the hot springs, they are unique and recommend every traveler in the area of rio dulce to go see them.
Very nice area, amazing magical place. This is the first place you have to visit, dont forget to bring beverages and snacks.
If you take the boat trip on the rio Dulce river, don't miss this.Great location with lovely staff.Relax and enjoy