Water in the Andes
 In the age of the Incas water, apart from being a vital element, was also considered to be sacred and was used in bathing rituals for purification and energy. Baths were taken before religious ceremonies in the temples and several rituals continued to be practiced even after the arrival of the Spanish. In 1844 purification rituals were banned as they were thought to be of a pagan nature. To initiate any important festival or celebration the Inca Nobles and priests would take a bath; not only to clean their bodies but more importantly to purify their spirit and energize them. The chief Inca would also have taken these types of baths, many would bathe when they were ill as the water was also thought to have healing properties and as such was used in various therapies.
Some chronologists state that the Incas Huayna Capac and Atahuallpa really enjoyed bathing in the thermal baths, this information is almost certainly true when we consider that the majority of the thermal baths in Peru have been in use since ancestral times.
 Today there are more than 500 hot springs in Peru. They provide mineral and thermal medicinal waters that have healing and relaxing properties. The healing properties are well known and can help relieve the symptoms associated with rheumatism, bronchitis, skin ailments and muscular pains.
The waters properties are based on the chemical substances it contains such as sulphur, calcium, lithium, bromine, iodine, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, oxygen, bicarbonates and silica.
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