As Burgas
As Burgas are hot springs in the historic center of Ourense, in Galicia, Spain. They include Burga do Medio, which is infused with gas, Burga de Arriba and a Burga de Abaixo.
Visit details
Overview
Sulphur scent in the air and steam curling from stone basins give away As Burgas before you see it. These springs set in the middle of Ourense have been pumping out hot water for centuries, making them the city’s cornerstone and giving rise to the local nickname, ‘A cidade das Burgas’. The minerals staining the old stone hint at the water’s serious heat, between 64 °C and 68 °C as it emerges, and its distinctly silicated, lithinated, and fluorinated mix.
Ourense itself is no metropolis, but with 105,769 people it’s still Galicia’s third biggest city. As Burgas is what sticks in most people’s memory. The springs pour out about 300 litres each minute, so the water’s always fresh and locals treat the basins as part day spa, part public square. Pilgrims walking the Way of St James come here to fill bottles directly from the 65 °C taps at the edge of the pool.
That flow, roughly 80 gallons per minute, never really stops, so even during long dry spells, there’s always someone collecting water or dipping a hand in. While the city has built a proper bathing pool to make the most of the springs, plenty of locals will tell you they grew up just splashing around the stone basins after school. Everybody, retirees, students, the odd pilgrim on the Camino, and local workers on their lunch break, has a story about the hottest spot or the best tap.
Even the name is debated. The most likely origin is Latin ‘burca’, meaning a basin or tub, fitting, given the endless procession of feet and buckets, but there’s always someone who’ll tell you it goes back to the Celts. Legends add some colour: one story claims the springwater flows straight from below the Santo Cristo chapel in the cathedral, another blames a dormant volcano under Monte Alegre.
People don’t just bathe and fill bottles, the Centro de Interpretación de As Burgas at Rúa do Vilar 8 steps up with audiovisual displays and a garden exhibiting the thermal heritage and Roman archaeological remains. But you don’t need a ticket or a tour to experience As Burgas. The hot steam, the echo of voices at the basins, the warmth of the water if you dip a finger in, that’s all free.
History
The Romans and the first thermal baths
Romans showed up in what’s now Ourense more than 2,000 years ago, drawn here by these reliably hot, steaming springs, not just for a soak but for their promise of healing and daily hygiene. Roman-era settlements coalesced around these points where mineral water bubbled up between smooth granite boulders. The earliest evidence for the historic baths here points straight to imperial Rome, with the springs forming the literal foundation for Ourense’s urban layout.
Roman engineers prized these waters, channelling them through stone conduits into public baths. “As Burgas” isn’t just local shorthand, either, the site’s very name is possibly from the Latin “burca,” meaning a basin or tub, and not, as sometimes claimed, Celtic for hot. The remains of these Roman baths are still visible under glass panels on the square. Later generations built right on top of the old axis, but the path of the water, emerging at temperatures of around 64–68 °C, loaded with minerals, has remained unchanged for centuries.
Centuries of use and local devotion
As Burgas never dropped out of use, townsfolk kept returning to refill bottles, wash wounds, and gossip beside the steaming pools. This is rare. Most Roman bath complexes across Spain fell into decay, but Ourense’s residents clung to the springs, believing in their curative powers. Medieval and early modern city plans kept the baths at their core.
Devotion to the springs led to layers of tradition, folklore, and competition over water rights that sometimes spilled into city politics. Even in the worst periods for public hygiene, As Burgas stayed relevant, feeding public fountains and fountains-for-hire. The steady pour (roughly 300 litres per minute, according to recent measurements) kept the pools from stalling out. Centuries-old stories place the “source” of these waters under everything from cathedral chapels to hidden volcanoes, the future cathedral’s crypt, or a supposed volcano under Monte Alegre.
Modernisation and control
Industrialisation and better municipal plumbing didn’t kill the ritual, but the 19th and 20th centuries layered in new regulation and upgrades. The focus shifted from simple healing fountains to civic baths, now subject to public health rules.
There have been phases of expansion, modernisation, and even controversy as city authorities, private bath-owners, and developers squared off. Legal disputes over how and when people could access the water sometimes went all the way to regional courts. Throughout, though, city plans always wrapped their civic pride around the springs, dubbing Ourense “A cidade das Burgas” and keeping the baths as a core symbol.
The 21st century: a new pool, yet more clashes
The new thermal pool over the springs, known as the Burga do Medio pool, opened on 28 July 2010. The Galician architect César Portela led the redesign, aiming for a modern look always tied to the ancient baths below. The main pool uses the same hyperthermal spring, though for safety, bathers sit in cooled water at about 38–40 °C.
The 200 m² pool, designed for open bathing, was supposed to mark a new era. Instead, ongoing disputes over who should manage it, city, regional tourist board, or private contractor, have left the main facility shuttered for over five years now, despite renovations. The mineral water keeps flowing, but the city has become a campaign issue: some officials wanted to introduce a €7 entry fee; others insisted on keeping it free; all blamed each other when nothing budged. Locals still fill bottles at the taps, but the civic ambition for a true municipal spa sits on ice.
Preservation and interpretation
To anchor the springs in Ourense’s own story, the city opened the Centro de Interpretación de As Burgas in Rúa do Vilar 8. You can see both the archaeological remains and the latest digital exhibits on the Roman presence here, from five interactive audiovisual modules to open-air garden displays.
The interpretation centre bridges the level of the street with stonework preserved below, making visible what centuries of new construction hid. Within, the focus stays tight on the twin birthrights that set Ourense apart: deep mineral water and every era’s struggle, practical, political, or symbolic, over who really controls it.
Visiting
As Burgas is right in the centre of Ourense, clearly marked by plumes of rising steam. Admission’s free, and you can wander in during open hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–13:00 and 17:00–21:00 (closed Mondays).
The hot springs area isn’t large, so you can walk from Ourense’s main squares in under five minutes. There’s no advance booking or ticket office. Just show up through the main gate, and you’ll find the spring basins and architectural installations on a stone terrace. Staff keep an eye on things during open hours. The place fills mostly with locals on weekends, and the vibe is low-key, no need to dress up or move in tourist packs.
Don’t plan on a dip right now. The main thermal pool, built into the Burga do Medio by architect César Portela, has been closed since March 2020 and shows no sign of reopening before at least March 2026 due to ongoing wrangling over entrance systems and management.
This outdoor pool was once the focal point, covering roughly 200 m² and updated in 2010 as part of an effort to revive the city’s open-air bathing tradition. Several proposals have aimed to reintroduce paid entry or change staffing, but infighting between city hall and operators means it’s unavailable to visitors or locals for now.
You can still see the historic spring basins and fountains, which keep running all day. Locals sometimes bring bottles to fill at the 65 °C taps next to the pool, though personally I wouldn’t bother trying to drink unless you like hot, mineral-heavy water.
Roman-era stones and traces of early channels are visible if you look close. Many make a quick stop just to put a hand in the fountain and feel the temperature. A legend persists that these waters flow directly from beneath the Santo Cristo chapel or a hidden volcano under Monte Alegre, no scientific backing, but don’t be surprised if a local brings it up while chatting at the taps.
The Centro de Interpretación de As Burgas (Rúa do Vilar 8) stands on one edge of the site. It’s open Monday to Friday 09:00–14:00 (plus Wednesdays and some days 17:00–21:00), weekends 10:00–14:00 and 17:00–21:00. Inside you get a quick (60 minutes is plenty) run through Ourense’s thermal story, with five audiovisual stations and a direct link to part of the Roman archaeological remains under the modern city.
Go down the ramp to find explanatory panels on thermal rituals, ancient pipes, and the city’s reputation for medicinal spa culture more than bureaucracy or luxury. Staff sometimes offer brief tours in Spanish or Galician if you ask, but most of the centre is self-guided and pairs well with a walk through the springs themselves.
You won’t pay for anything unless you buy a pamphlet from the gift counter, and there’s no need to queue anywhere on the site. If you want info (or to check for reopening updates), see ourenseturismo.com/as-burgas or ring +34 988 36 60 64.
Tips
- Temperatures by the spring hover at 64–68 °C, but the water in the open-air pool is always cooled to about 38–40 °C, still properly hot.
This means you never need to worry about the water being lukewarm, even on a chilly morning. The spring output is one of the steadiest in Galicia, hitting an average of 300 litres a minute.
- You don’t need to book or pay for entry. The entire site, springs, sculpture, and interpretation centre, is free.
- Open-air pool aside, the rest operates Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00–13:00 and 17:00–21:00. Mondays the gates are shut.
- The stone surrounds and water itself can get slippery, grip the rails and watch where you step.
- Even when the pool is closed, there are public taps running with hot water at around 65 °C. Locals regularly fill up bottles here.
Galicians believe strongly in the health-giving effects. If you’re curious, follow residents’ lead and touch the water, but be careful, it’s scalding straight from the tap.
- The Centro de Interpretación de As Burgas at Rúa do Vilar 8 is worth ducking into for an hour when open. Timetable varies: Monday to Friday 09:00–14:00 (plus selected late afternoon slots); weekends 10:00–14:00 and 17:00–21:00.
- Don’t expect a spa, there are no massages, robe service, or changing cubicles. Bring your own towel and wear a proper swimsuit if/when bathing resumes.
- Under-5s aren’t allowed in the pool area when open; children under 14 need an adult.
- Cameras are fine, but avoid snapping close-ups of bathers when the pool eventually reopens. Locals go for genuine relaxation, not an audience.
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