Recently it was my youngest nephew's birthday, and to celebrate it, we decided to meet in San Diego de los Baños, a town in the municipality of Los Palacios in Pinar del Río.
In an environment of great natural beauty is located this picturesque town famous since the seventeenth century for the medicinal properties of the waters of the springs that feed one of the most renowned spas in the country.
Legend has it that a sick slave named Taita Domingo, expelled by his owner, lived in a cave near the river. He bathed daily in a hot spring and little by little his body's injuries healed. As a living proof of the miracle, he returned to his owner's hacienda to demonstrate the healing power of the spring.
Thus began the fame that would later be scientifically proven and that the waters of this place preserve to this day and that would provoke since around 1700 the pilgrimage of hundreds of people suffering from different ailments.
Every year during the summer season, visitors would arrive at the place and build precarious houses. They enjoyed the goodness of the waters during the season and at the end, before leaving, they destroyed the huts. This went on for a long time, until they settled nearby and a small town began to emerge. By the end of the XVIII century there were already more than 120 houses with adequate conditions and several hotels that lodged the more than 2000 visitors that arrived every year in search of a cure for their ailments.
History records that in 1891 the first permanent natural bath was established. A few years later the first doctors arrived. In the middle of the 19th century, a facility was built with 8 artificial pools, 24 individual bathtubs, gymnasium area, consultations with different specialists, solarium and other services. A modern building for its time equipped with the best of the existing technology and with a first class professional team.
We were lucky enough to enter and tour most of its areas in the company of a worker of the Center. After descending approximately 40 meters down a wide, spiral-shaped corridor, we arrived at the pool area. From the moment we entered, the smell of sulfur was present and as we descended, it became stronger, nauseating and quite unpleasant. The heat was also almost unbearable. I was allowed to take very few pictures. Sadly the passage of time, neglect and lack of resources have left their mark on the place. Its deterioration is evident, but even so, several of its pools continue to provide services with technical personnel and specialists who accompany the treatments. Despite the deterioration of the building, the medicinal properties of its waters remain intact.
There are 3 main springs used by the Spa, two of them, "El Templado and El Tigre" work together supplying 9 to 10 liters per second. Both feed the system of collective and private pools. There is a third well, called "La Gallina" with a smaller supply of 0.6 to 0.8 liters per second, but with a higher temperature (this was the spring where Taita Domingo cured his body).
The waters have been studied and classified as sulfate-limestone, hydrogen sulfide, low mineralization radioactive, fluoride and thermal. The temperature of the waters of San Diego reaches 47°C, something surprising, because these temperatures are only found at a depth of 400 meters.
The spa pools have temperatures between 32 and 38 degrees, ideal for the treatment of pathologies that have made the center so famous. Rheumatic, dermatological, anti-stress, cosmetic and obesity treatments, rehabilitation of nervous system diseases and programs for the elderly carried out by a specialized staff guarantee the success of this place, which has been maintained for many years.
This institution has the technical capacity installed in different areas to treat more than 1000 patients daily, something that the deterioration due to the lack of resources prevents it from happening.
According to our guide several personalities have visited the place throughout history. The scientist Alexander von Humboldt, Napoleon Bonaparte's personal physician, the politician Winston Churchill, Edith Piaff, Frank Sinatra and the writer Cirilo Villaverde are some of them.
We were not able to bathe in the swimming pools of the institution, but in the vicinity of the facility is the river of the same name.
Although it does not have the same physical-chemical properties as the springs that feed the pools inside the spa, the waters of this river are also curative, especially for skin diseases.
As we were staying nearby, we bathed every day. Incredibly its temperature is very pleasant. Even early in the morning you can take a bath peacefully. In fact, it is the only river where we have bathed that has water at that temperature.
San Diego is an old town, you can see it in its small streets, but you can also see the splendor it once had thanks to the fame of its waters. Hopefully someday it will recover its splendor, for its waters are still here, gushing from the earth with their healing power.
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Hace muy poco fue el cumpleaños de mi sobrino más pequeño, y para celebrarlo, decidimos reunirnos en un hotel en San Diego de los Baños un poblado del municipio Los palacios en Pinar del Río.
En un entorno de gran belleza natural se encuentra este pintoresco pueblo famoso desde el siglo XVII por las propiedades medicinales de las aguas de los manantiales que alimentan uno de los balnearios más reconocido del país.
Cuenta la leyenda que un esclavo enfermo llamado Taita Domingo, expulsado por su dueño, vivía en una cueva cercana al río. En un manantial de aguas calientes se bañaba diariamente y poco a poco las lesiones de su cuerpo sanaron. Como muestra vivente del milagro, regresó a la hacienda de su dueño a mostrar el poder sanador del manantial.
Así comenzó la fama que posteriormente se comprobaría científicamente y que hasta hoy día conservan las aguas de este lugar y que provocaría desde alrededor del 1700 el peregrinaje de cientos de personas aquejadas por disímiles dolencias.
Cada año en época veraniega los visitantes llegaban al lugar y construían precarias casas. Disfrutaban de las bondades de las aguas durante la temporada y al finalizar, antes de partir, destruían las chozas. Así sucedió por muchos tiempo, hasta que fueron asentándose en las cercanías y un pequeño poblado fue surgiendo. Para finales del siglo XVIII ya existían en el lugar más de 120 casas con condiciones adecuadas y varios hoteles que hospedaban a los más de 2000 visitantes que llegaban cada año en busca de una cura para sus padecimientos.
La historia recoge que en 1891 se instauró el primer baño natural permanente. Unos años después llegarían los primeros médicos. A mediados del siglo XIX se construyó una instalación con 8 piscinas artificiales, 24 bañeras individuales, area de gimnacio, consultas con diferentes especialistas, solárium entre otros servicios. Un edificio moderno para su época equipado con lo mejor de la tecnología existente y con un equipo profesional de primera línea.
Tuvimos la suerte de entrar y recorrer gran parte de sus áreas en compañía de una trabajadora del Centro . Después de bajar aproximadamente 40 metros por un ancho pasillo en forma de espiral llegamos al área de piscinas. Desde que entramos el olor a azufre se hizo presente y a medida que bajábamos más fuerte era, nauseabundo y bastante desagradable. El calor también era casi insoortable. Me fue permitido tomar muy pocas fotos. Tristemente el paso del tiempo, el abandono y la falta de recursos han dejado su huella en el lugar. Es evidente su deterioro, pero aún así varias de sus piscinas siguen prestando servicios con personal técnico y especialistas que acompañan los tratamientos. A pesar del deterioro de la edificación, las propiedades medicinales de sus aguas siguen intactas.
Son 3 los manantiales principales utilizados por el Balneario, dos de ellos, “El Templado y El Tigre” funcionan unidas suministrando de 9 a 10 litros por segundo. Ambos alimentan el sistema de piscinas colectivas y privadas.
Existe un tercer pozo, denominado "La Gallina" con un aporte menor, de 0,6 a 0,8 litros por segundo, pero con mayor temperatura (este era el manantial donde el Taita Domingo curó su cuerpo)
Las aguas han sido estudiadas y clasificadas como sulfatadas-calsicas, sulfhídricas, radiactivas de baja mineralización, fluoruradas y termales. La temperatura de las aguas de San Diego llegan hasta los 47°C, algo sorprendente, porque esas temperaturas solo se encuentra a 400 metros de profundidad.
Las piscinas de balneario poseen temperaturas entre 32 y 38 grados, ideales para el tratamiento de patologías que han dado tanta fama al centro. Tratamientos reumáticos, dermatológicos, contra el stress, cosméticos, contra la obesidad morbida, rehabilitación de enfermedades del sistema nervioso y programas para la tercera edad llevados a cabo por un personal especializado que avalan el éxito del lugar mantenido por muchos años.
Esta institución posee capacidad técnica instalada en diferentes áreas para dar tratamiento a más de 1000 pacientes diarios, cosa que el deterioro por la falta de recursos impide que suceda.
Según nuestra guía varias personalidades han visitado el lugar a lo largo de la historia. El científico Alejandro de Humboldt, el médico personal de Napoleón Bonaparte, el político Winston Churchill, Edith Piaff , Frank Sinatra y el escritor Cirilo Villaverde son algunos de ellos.
No pudimos bañarnos en las piscinas de la institución, pero en las proximidades a la instalación se encuentra el río de igual nombre.
Aunque no posee las mismas propiedades físico-químicas que los manantiales que alimentan las piscinas dentro del balneario, las aguas de este río también son curativas, sobre todo para enfermedades de la piel.
Como estábamos hospedados muy cerca, nos bañamos todos los días. Increíblemente su temperatura es muy agradable. Hasta temprano en la mañana se puede tomar un baño tranquilamente. De hecho es el único río en que nos hemos bañado que tiene aguas con esa temperatura.
San Diego es un pueblo antiguo, se aprecia en sus pequeñas calles, pero también se evidencia el esplendor que alguna vez tuvo gracias a la fama de sus aguas. Ojalá y algún día recupere su esplendor, pues sus aguas siguen aquí, brotando de la tierra con su poder sanador.
All rights reserved on the text and images, which are of my authorship unless otherwise indicated. I use DeepL for translation because my English is very bad 🤭.
Derecho reservado sobre el texto y las imágenes, que son de mi autoría a no ser que indique lo contrario. Uso DeepL para la traducción porque mi Inglés es muy malo. 🤭
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Hey @mdrguez you are welcome. 👍
47°C is pretty warm haha. These are great places, where people can enjoy medicinal properties of the water. And what a beautiful surrounding, that mountain and all that greenery 🤩
You found a lovely motionless reading lady, did she say something to you? 😁
Right now I am also spending the day by a pool, there are medicinal pools but I don't really fancy entering them, I am just using the shower hundred times and the "olympic pool" (they call it like that) 😁
Enjoy your day, cooling off from the intense heat. I hope the waters are not as warm as those of San Diego 🤭.
The motionless lady was very sad looking at how everything around her was deteriorating due to neglect and disinterest, not to mention the real lack of resources. It is very sad, but this was a prosperous and beautiful town, little of that is left. The building of the spa is destroyed, the last cyclone that passed caused deep damage and almost 4 years later it is still unrepaired. I was not allowed to take pictures (for obvious reasons 😔). Saludos para todos 🤗
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