Hotel Zarampallo
Why we like it: Family-run hotel with fifteen outward-facing rooms on the corner of Hermanos Villar and San Miguel, in the old town's wine district. Double €70.
From €70
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Duration2 nights
From Santiago1 h 15 by car
Best timeOctober – April
Budget€180–260 pp
Getting thereTrain or car
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving on Friday evening. If you arrive on Saturday, start with the Paseo Termal. Before you leave, check which baths are open: the Ourense tourism website keeps it updated.
Friday
- 118:00Arrival and a walk round As Burgas
The monumental fountains in the very centre, where the spring bubbles up at over 60 degrees, and the remains of the Roman baths alongside. If the pool is open, the water cools there to 38 or 40 degrees.
- 220:30Wine and tapas round the old town
Narrow streets of bars around Plaza Mayor. Octopus, pig's ear and a Ribeiro.
Saturday
- 110:00On foot along the Paseo Termal by the Miño
From the Milenio bridge, downstream along the pedestrian path: A Chavasqueira, the O Tinteiro fountain, Muíño da Veiga and, at the end, Outariz and Burga de Canedo. It is about 4 km, all flat. Wear your swimsuit underneath.
- 212:30A long soak at the Termas de Outariz
Two circuits, Celta and Zen, with pools at different temperatures. General admission costs €6.95 and covers two hours, changing room included.
- 321:00A second bath, at night
The paid baths open until one in the morning on Saturdays. With cold outside it is something else. To get back, a taxi.
Sunday
- 110:30Cathedral and Roman bridge
The cathedral, begun in the 12th century, with the Pórtico del Paraíso and the Santo Cristo chapel. Then the Roman bridge, the first crossing over the Miño and the symbol of the city.
- 213:00A farewell octopus
And a train home in mid-afternoon.
Ourense is the thermal capital of Galicia: hot water comes out in the middle of the historic centre and along four kilometres of river. It is an hour and a quarter by car from Santiago, Lugo and Pontevedra, two from A Coruña and a little over three from León, so you can simply set off on Friday after work. This plan splits the weekend between baths, walks along the banks of the Miño and long tables of octopus and wine. It works best in autumn and winter, when the contrast between cold air and water at 38 degrees is the point of the trip, and it doesn't depend on the weather: in the rain, the bath is just as enjoyable.
Which one to go to?
There are two thermal areas. As Burgas, in the historic centre, and the Paseo Termal del Miño, a 4 km pedestrian path along the right bank of the river with up to eight thermal spaces. The free baths have changing rooms and lockers, but you need to bring your own padlock; the paid ones also have circuits and treatments. None of them can be booked: you get in on a first-come basis, with limited capacity and a maximum time of 90 to 120 minutes depending on the space.
| Bath | Type | Atmosphere | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| As Burgas | Open-air urban pool | Central, among Roman remains | Free |
| A Chavasqueira | Open-air pools and Japanese-style paid baths | Closest to the centre | Free or €5.40 |
| Muíño da Veiga | Four pools beside an old mill | Quiet, good sunsets | Free |
| Outariz and Burga de Canedo | Free pools and paid baths with two circuits | The most complete | Free or €6.95 |
Before you go: what is open
The baths beside the Miño depend on the river level and the weather, and open and close according to the season. On 1 November 2026 the Termas de Outariz and the Termas de A Chavasqueira, both paid, were open, and the free area at Burga de Canedo partly open, from 10:00 to 19:00. The free pools at A Chavasqueira, Outariz and Muíño da Veiga and the As Burgas pool were closed. The Ourense tourism website publishes the current status: check it on the Thursday before you leave and adjust the plan.
The paid baths have long hours: Outariz opens from 9:00 or 10:00 to 23:00, until one in the morning on Fridays and Saturdays, and closes on Tuesdays; A Chavasqueira opens from 9:00 to 23:30, until 1:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, and closes on Mondays.
Getting between the baths
The Paseo Termal is pedestrian: you can't enter by car. There is free parking near each stretch: Campo da Feira for A Chavasqueira and O Tinteiro, and Outariz-Reza, on the other side of the river, for Muíño da Veiga, Outariz and Burga de Canedo; you cross by a footbridge. The Muíño da Veiga car park on the N-120 is closed. By city bus, line 9 takes you to A Chavasqueira and line 5 to the Outariz-Reza car park, both from San Lázaro park. The tourist train that used to go to the baths is not running at the moment.
If you arrive by train, A Chavasqueira is a kilometre from the station: walk to the Milenio bridge and go down to the river path.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Ourense, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Ourense
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Hot Springs in the City and the Ribeira Sacra by Car
In Ourense you do not need a car for the city or the hot springs, which have a tourist train, but you do for the Sil canyon and the Ribeira Sacra wineries. Sleep where you can leave it without driving around.
70–120 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepExe Auriense, at the entrance…
- Getting aroundFree parking at Outariz, across…
- EatNova, starred, at midday Tuesday…
- ServicesMunicipal tourist office beside the…
Sleep
- Exe Auriense, at the entrance to the city, with free parking
- Hotel Zarampallo, in the old town, with a discount at the Concordia car park
Getting around
- Free parking at Outariz, across the river
- The Sil canyon and Castro Caldelas, by car, for a day
Eat
- Nova, starred, at midday Tuesday to Sunday in winter
- Pinchos around Os Viños, in the old town
Services
- Municipal tourist office beside the cathedral, also open at weekends
- Ourense-Empalme station, if you leave the car and come back by train
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Exe Auriense
Why we like it: 134-room hotel 7 km from the centre of Ourense, on the road out towards the Ribeira Sacra: free parking, gym and a summer pool.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Old town | No car, tapas on foot | |
| Miño bank | Hot springs on foot, quieter | |
| Ribeira Sacra | By car, vineyards, one more day |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Ourense
Nova
What to order: the eight-course Raíces menu if it is your first time; with the pairing if you are not driving
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Bring a swimsuit, flip-flops, a large towel or bathrobe and a padlock for the lockers at the free baths. Shower before the bath and don't spend more than half an hour at a stretch in the hot water.
We'd skip it
Going on a Sunday afternoon: it is when the whole city goes. On Saturday first thing, or at night, there is room.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Santiago, Lugo or Pontevedra?
About 75 minutes by car from any of the three. From Santiago there is also a direct train to Ourense station, a kilometre from A Chavasqueira. From A Coruña, about two hours.
Are the baths free?
The open-air pools on the Miño and the As Burgas pool are, when they are open. The Termas de Outariz cost €6.95 for two hours and those at A Chavasqueira €5.40.
Do I need to book?
You can't. All the baths work on a first-come basis, with limited capacity. Only the massages and treatments at the paid ones are booked.
Can I go with children?
To the free ones, only from age 10. To the paid ones at Outariz and A Chavasqueira, from age 5, and from 5 to 8 you must show proof of age. Under-14s always go with an adult, and with children the bath shouldn't last more than 10 or 15 minutes.
What if it rains?
All the better: fewer people and the contrast with the hot water is part of the fun. If the river rises, some pools close: then, the paid baths.
Can I bring a dog?
To the baths, no. Along the Miño path and its green areas, yes.