The only reason to stopover in the Termas de Río Hondo, a small city some 65 km north of Santiago del Estero, is to soak in its hot mineral waters which are piped into nearly all the city’s 200 or so hotels. Termas de Río Hondo, situated on the banks of the Río Dulce and close to the Río Hondo reservoir, reached its heyday back in the 1950s and as very little has changed since then it’s looking decidedly drab. However, the Argentines still believe its waters cure all sorts of arthritic ailments and skin problems and during the winter months, particularly July and August, they flock to the city. There are also two public pools, La Olla and the Pileta Municipal, both close to the city centre. And there’s no shortage of chocolate shops.