Breathtaking! (And the view is nice too)
At 7,000 feet above sea level in some places, the Land of Enchantment has thin air and hot days requiring visitors to drink more water than usual to stay hydrated. North of Albuquerque, past the Indian casinos and past the capital city of Santa Fe is the Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa.Travel Guides here
First opened in 1880 as a health spa, the resort sits at the foot of an ancient Indian Pueblo that dates back 700 years. It is believed that this village of thousands used the same healing waters that many from around the world now come to bathe in.
The air is warm, the ground is hot and the waters are steaming. With four different springs bubbling up in one location, relaxation seekers may soak and splash around in the arsenic, iron, and soda pools and then drink from the Lithia spring. The iron pool is one of the more popular pools at 109 degrees; and with its sandy bottom, it was very unique. Each of the pools varies in temperature a bit and is believed to have benefits this side of miraculous. Rumored to “cure” many inflictions, each one has distinct ailment-relief qualities:
- The arsenic water is believed to be beneficial for relief from arthritis
- Iron is considered to be beneficial to the blood and immune system
- The Soda Spring is said to relieve digestive problems
- Lithia is believed to relieve depression and aid digestion
Get Muddy!
The spa’s hot mud bath is another way to renew a visitor. Spackling your body with the warm mud, you let the sun bake and dry the mud to your skin. Described as an odd sensation; when the clay dries and hardens to your epidermal layer, it’s the cue to hose off.
The rejuvenation doesn’t end with the mud and the waters; soothing therapeutic treatments are available in their huge spa facility. There is a menu of spa services of all kinds; from massages, to body wraps, to cleansing scrubs, they have many to choose from.
Recharged and ready to explore?
The ancient Indian ruins are just a short hike from the resort. Remember to take a bottle of water with you and it’s best to do the hike early in the day. These were some of the oldest communities in America, thriving before the Europeans came here. But for the record, the people of this Pueblo, called the P’osi-Ouinge, disappeared from the hill-top just before the Spaniards rose-up from Mexico.
Use your imagination to reconstruct the two and three story buildings on the top of the mesa. Finding evidence of their agricultural fields is easy as you meander though the site; they are rectangular, filled with pebbles and bordered with larger stones. The entire area is scattered with bits and pieces of pottery and desert flowers. It is a peaceful place. Admire and respect it and use the standard rule of “take only photographs and leave only footprints.”
Ojo Caliente recently went through renovations and enhancements. Many new and improved accommodations make the traveler comfortable and ready for complete relaxation. Visit the spa’s website for all the details: www.OjoSpa.com
New Mexico is full of history, culture and casinos. Albuquerque and Santa Fe are worth a few days visit as well, surely one trip is sure to inspire a second.
Michael Dwyer is a freelance writer and travel columnist. Michael writes about happenings in the Rochester area, travels across Michigan and destinations around the world. Contact him at Michael@RochesterMedia.com
