Tuesday afternoon my husband surprised me with a trip to Piedra de Agua, a thermal spa in Cuenca, Ecuador. I’ve never been to a spa back home, which made our afternoon together even more special (I don’t even get my hair or nails done)!

First, we had a private experience in different underground pools. The pools are very popular because Piedra de Agua is built on a volcano! We started in a hot pool with red clay, then moved into a warm pool with blue mud (Juan was daring enough to put this in his hair)! In between we washed off in the most amazing shower I’ve ever seen and exfoliated with salt and coffee.

The next part was probably my favorite (mainly because I was entertained by my husband’s fear of cold water)! We spent ten minutes in a hot bath, then spent one minute in a cold pool. Juan was so cold that I spent over two minutes in the freezing water, because she started timing once he fully submerged his shoulders. We repeated this process again, and of course Juan acted tougher the second time. My husband often acts really tough, but when it comes to handling sickness, pain and the cold, I always win!

We ended our day of relaxation in a sauna and Japanese cleansing pools. I would 10/10 recommend Piedra de Agua if you’re in Cuenca!