Die hards

Badlands
The high plains directly north of Andalucia's Sierra Nevada are windswept and arid. The few people living here are mostly dependent on agriculture which  means growing olives.

Touristicly though it is an interesting area: there's much history to be discovered whereas the natural surroundings though desolate are very photogenic. 
However with the summer holidays, temperatures here are very hot, thus dissuading potential tourists. 
So it's not surprising that the hot springs of Alicún are little known.

Finding Balneario de Alicún de las Torres is not straight forward: the GPS router seems to disbelieve the existence of the place. 
Luckily the turn off from the main A-92N motorway (between Baza and Guadix) prominently features Balneario de Alicún. So off we must go.
From the motorway the road goes nearly deadstraight until the edge of this part of the Altiplano de Granada has been found. Here, the road swirls around a corner and you arrive at the balneario. Simple.

Closure
The balneario and surroundings are rather non-descript this Monday, not much seems to be going on, though some seniors are milling around the building. The entry to the balneario itself is not clear and the congregation of elders all seem to know what to do. A lady proclaims 

'cerrado'

: closed. 

OK, though that does seem to contradict most of the ongoings, hmmm.
We cross the main road to where it looks like there is an overflow from the balneario. Some of the water flows swiftly away in what's best described as an irrigation ditch, which is enveloped in vegetation.

To the left of this is another stream with water seeking to progress through a park-like landscape. More buildings are here. Behind these, there are a few large pools to be seen. But all are empty; closed. 

Later I discover the reason. Apparently old habits die hard here: it's been decreed that after September 1 the outside swim season has come to an end. Today (mid-October) the outside temperature was 25ºC! Pity this.

In the surrounding park there is though a small pool which might afford a soak, but it's not very deep, nor any warmer than 30ºC. 

We returned to the balneario and I then followed the above mentioned irrigation ditch. Who knows, maybe there's a soakable overflow somewhere downstream?
While the adjacent track itself descends swiftly, the ditch continues it's higher trajectory. The difference gets bigger, 5-7 meters. At about 500m from the car park, there's a narrow underpass. The drop on the other side of the irrigation ditch is even bigger. From the underpass there's a good overview of the swimming pools. But empty.

Alas, it's not evident that a wild soak is to be had here ...
 

Ancient
Concerning the termas of Alicún, there's not too much additional information available on internet, certainly not in English. 

The balneario's own website adds nothing in English, though I could swear there was more English info on the site during the summer. 
In Spanish there's more info, such as the fact that the balneario was built in 1920.
About the swimming pools, otherwise known as Piscinas Termales los Torreones:

'Enclosure of 20,000 m2 with two outdoor thermal pools, one for adults 1,000,000 liters and a children than 100,000 liters. This complex is complemented by a restaurant, 2 bars, barbecues, changing rooms, first aid, games room and solarium'. 

The balneario has a site on pininterest with a couple of pictures from the swimming pool area. Some added info such as the swimming pool is the biggest thermal pool in Andalucia.

The bigger of the pools, source.

On the site of conocetusfuentes.com the additional info includes stating the temperature of the water (34ºC) and that the hot spring has been

'... famous since ancient times'.

Then there's an extensive photo visit report (in French) which notes finding a cave in the back of the springs somewhere; looks idyllic, no idea whether it's naturally heated ...

The forum site Furgovw (Spanish) has an extensive posting on this hot spring, with many photo's. In this forum entry, the author adds more info but not with enough detail. Apparently the best place for a soak is behind the main bathing building .... 
If only I were not sick the day before ... 
The info found: the irrigation ditch would date back 3,000 years, rises to 15m above surroundings in some places and in this dry climate encourages a moist micro climate.

In the Spanish language Waste.ideal.es site there's a full article on the irrigation ditch itself. It is 3 km long and is of high natural significance for the province of Granada. Because of the carbonated nature of the carried water, the irrigation canal has grown in height and length naturally.

The balneario hotel itself gets just 3,5 stars from tripadvisor but based on only 3 reviewers. Booking.com gives it a 7,5 based on 6 reviews. Not much word on soaking experiences or even the use of the swimming pools.

The following gives a good overview of the swimming pool itself:

A good youtube of the surroundings of Alicun:

Dolmens
We get in the car and continue our descent into the gorge. We'll return to the motorway, this time via the village of Gorafe. This a picturesque route. Near Gorafe, about 5 km from the balneario, one can find dolmen from Megalithic times.

From here the road winds itself back up the opposite side of the gorge. At the top more dolmen are to be seen and we are also blessed enough to see vultures soaring under and above us.

For more info on Gorafe check this page. 

Feel free

Within Europe there are great contrasts in the way hot soaks are regarded and/or experienced. Some countries have managed to transform the natural phenomena into spa's which nowadays only vaguely refer to their natural origins. Other countries have medicalized their waters and restrict their use to 'patients' (see Aquistas).

Spain though, despite it's cultural forwardness in prior times (Romans, Moors, conquistadores) has let many a soak fall into disrepair / neglect. Notes in case are Tiermas, Santa Fe, Hedionda, Alhambra and Arnedillo (Rioja) to name a few.

Included in this listing should be the termas of Bande or as they were known in the Roman time as Aquis Querquennis: a Roman camp with an adjacent thermae. And such is the wish of the local tourism office, they would like the name to stick; but Bande is much more easier to pronounce (and spell) ...

Termas de Bande or Baños de Bande are located in Ourense province, along the Conchas reservoir on upper reaches of the Rio Lima. 

Background info in English on these soaks is scarce, so we'll have to make do with what's available in Spanish (or Galician) and pray google translate is able to come up with something remotely understandable.

A good point to start with an internet search is the blog site of Las Termas de Bande. Oddly, it only contains two entries which does not help us much, as well as the rather short text. A summary: better in winter, it's then quieter and there's a lower level in the adjacent reservoir?

More pictures from the termas while the reservoir levels are lower on this blog published in Portuguese.

More info comes with assistance of the all-natural soakers. Lugaresnaturistas has an entry on Bande termas. Noting it's temperature of 40C, it adds:

 '... you can sunbathe in the most naturalist, because nobody looks at anyone here and the feeling of freedom is full'. 

Or as this website puts it, au-naturel bathing is habitual:

'En las termas la mayor parte de la gente toma los baños desnuda ya que es algo habitual y luego, como zona de playa, está las proximidades a estas termas'.

Down stream

Downstream of Bande hot springs closer to the border with Portugal are the hot springs of Torneiros and the Lobios Caldaria thermal spa resort.
Starting with the former, this 85 rooms, 4 star resort features a hot spring and belongs to the Caldaria concern:

'The Thermal Spa has two entries one directly to the hotel and one that connects with the exterior. The treatments follow the line of those of Thermal Spa Laias Caldaria**** and Arnoia Caldaria***.

The water is hyperthermal, with low mineralization, bicarbonate soda, chlorate, and it appears with a spring temperature of 77,1º Celsius, and can be drank or used topically after being submitted to a naturally cooling process. The Riocaldo river waters are specially indicated for chronically digestive problems, respiratory and rheumatic affections, skin problems and dieresis cures. Besides that its specific characteristics make them ideal for the development of aesthetic treatments and Stress cures. The Thermal Spa is divided is two floors: in the upper floor one can find the hydro therapy techniques. In order to increase the communication among our clients, we made a Termarium, a place where different group techniques can be developed – dry and moister heat cabins, aromatic showers, tonus massage, jacuzzi, relax thermal spa swimming pool and warm couches. At the Termarium we reproduce ancient techniques that were commonly used by the Romans. In this floor we also have the inside thermal spa swimming pool, equipped with swan neck jets, underwater jets and a marvelous view over the Xurés Natural Park mountains.

In the lower floor there’s a quiet ambience for a correct use of the mass therapy and aesthetics. Besides the massage and aesthetics rooms our clients can also find a small gymnasium where physiotherapy techniques can be developed as well as physical exercise tabs (bicycle, mechanical walking, etc…)'.

Objectively, this resort scores a 7.8 on booking.com, garnered from 28 reviews; heed that tripadvisor's reviewers are less enthusiastic.

Torneiros looks like a great natural soak. A couple of pics from this blog. More extensive is this Portuguese website.....

  'A piscina e as termas'.

Source

Aquis
More info on the surroundings of the Bande termas.
There is quite a bit of info on Aquis Querquennis (AQ). Mostly in Spanish and focussed on the non-soak site, there is still quite a bit of info both on the history as well as current conditions of the hot spring. Why the camp here? According to Europeanheritage.org:

'The place was chosen because it’s an easy place to access, with pastures, big amount of firewood and thermal springs'. 

Other data are the origins (around the year 0) and the fact that the archaeological digs started in 1975.

The camp site reminders

Originally there was a village in the reservoir, Baños de Bande was submerged in 1947 (source).

Access to the hot springs and archeological site is very straightforward, highway OU-540 which goes straight from Bande to the Portuguese border. There is an official website concerning the Aquis camp remains and museuem.

So my personal experiences ...

Coming from Bande, in the hamlet of Portoquintela there's a turn down a narrow alley which after 200m opens up to a broad street. To your right is a good (snack)bar, left a cobble stone street heading to the AQ museum and ahead is a treelined parking space. The museum is a very flash affair, free entry though.

Despite the emphasis of the museum of the roman camp, two signs on the entrance door sufficiently emphasize that the visitors are mostly coming for the hot springs. One sign reads 'aguas de banõ de calidade insuficiente' (bathing water of insufficient quality) the other 'recoméndáase non bañarse' (recommended not to bathe). We shall see ...

 

Inside the museum, are a great amount of halls dedicated to the archaeological finds further down the street. In all, it certainly provides tremendous heaps of info, if only I could read Spanish ....

So after the museum (we were 'forced' to follow the complete tour by the singular lady at the reception. Despite being the only visitors, ambling randomly was not an option!)

Where was I? So after the museum, down the street, towards the reservoir, where the Roman camp once existed. Continuing from the camp site remains onwards one comes to ruins of a Roman villa and then the hot springs themselves, located at the top of an inlet of the reservoir.

The Roman villa. Far side is where the hot springs are ...

There's separate access here, a few locals were checking out the scene, having a soak or setting up camp themselves, it was a Sunday after all.

 

So despite all the warnings locals keep soaking ...

On my visit, most of the sources were submerged, rendering them mostly lukewarm soaks in the otherwise chilly reservoir. One source though was not submerged and was very hot and afforded a great soak.

Author mentally preparing himself for ensuing soak (or adjusting the feet to the temps ...)

Termas de Bande, a great place to feel free(dom) and soak.