The neighbors who sought water underground and changed the destiny of a city

Driven by the rising levels of the Uruguay River and the deterioration of the beaches, they bet on a thermal complex that transformed into the regional tourist engine - 8 minutes reading Three decades ago, a group of residents of Concepción del Uruguay decided to seek an answer underground. The recurrent floods of the Uruguay River hit local tourism and forced them to think of alternatives. What began as an uncertain bet, supported by 42 members without major investors behind it, went through failed drilling, the 2001 crisis, and a pandemic to become one of the most important thermal complexes in Entre Ríos. Today, Termas Concepción occupies 30 hectares over kilometer 129 of Highway 14. It has 17 pools, a water park, an aerial park, an artificial lake, 74 accommodation units, and a permanent schedule of activities. Furthermore, it is planning the construction of a four-star all-inclusive hotel that will mark a new stage in its growth. An opportunity underground "Every project carries a dream behind it," assures Daniel Dutra, the young architect who drew in tracing paper when AutoCAD did not yet exist, the sketches of an undertaking that, as soon as it started, began to navigate the seas of uncertainty. "It wasn't just because of the 2001 crisis, but due to the chain of setbacks. But today we are a reference for many families in the region and a demonstration of a collective work that does not stop. That is what counts," says Dutra, today responsible for coordinating the complex. Throughout history, thermal waters have been a haven for humans. At the end of the 5th century BC, they were enjoyed in the Roman villas of Balmes and Thermae, and just like in Greek civilization, estates were built entirely for their pleasures. Here, in the late nineties, some Entrerrian cities began to follow that path. But not because they had to. Locals remember that decade for the brutality of the Uruguay River. Without urban defenses, the water not only erased the beaches but also flooded entire neighborhoods and riverside facilities. Driven by a strong El Niño event, the June 1992 rise reached peaks of up to 8.70 meters in the local port. The sands of Banco Pelay were buried under the water for months, destroying tourism infrastructure. The "Super Niño" of 1997 crowned that disaster with its 12.61 meters and ruined the summers of 1997 and 1998 throughout Concepción del Uruguay. In parallel, Federation premiered its thermal pools, while Chajarí and Villa Elisa did the same in 1999. "The context demanded a change. Nearby localities improved, like the city of Colón, and we were going backward, so the meetings of the Tourism Chamber, integrated by hoteliers, gastronomes, merchants, and residents, were long and sometimes tough. I had just graduated as an architect and began to collaborate with that group. I was one of the youngest on that table and, like them, did not imagine how far we could go," recounts Dutra. There was a new complementary attraction to the river and the history so present in the city of Justo José de Urquiza: "The experience of Federation, but also that of the other side of the Uruguay River, awakened the inevitable question: what if there was thermal water beneath us too?" The search for water "There were stubborn and opinionated people, as in any group, but essentially people who worked very committedly," recounts one of the current members. Indeed, it was necessary to convince others to investigate and, if there was fortune, to find the resource. "It involved assuming risks. Because a good idea must be sustained to see it work. So we started the first stage by traveling to different experiences in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. It was not yet about thinking about a tourist complex like the one we know today, but about understanding something more elemental: how to search for water, what the different deposits had, what studies were necessary, and how to extract it with the few resources available. Each trip contributed information, contacts, and new questions," describes Dutra. A limited liability company undertook the project without a major investor or a business group behind it. There were 42 residents with a cooperative spirit among them, including merchants, professionals, and a geologist as advisor for the first studies of a municipal property that was not yet theirs and barely had a use permit. Towards the end of the century, and 1,218 meters underground, the answer arrived: there was thermal water. "There wasn't enough money, but if something was worth it, it was that well. And, in seeking excellence, we hired one of the largest oil companies operating in Argentina to drill. But they did it wrong," they recount. The casing between the pipe and the earth did not seal correctly, and when the pump was lowered, the well appeared blocked. "It delayed us by another year, and it certainly generated discussions. It was obvious that if we judged a company with a law firm like that, we would lose. But our lawyer was motivated and, in mediation, we ended up settling for a few mangos. With that money, we traveled to Salta and convinced a driller who had kept a broken Russian machine as part of the compensation for the then privatized YPF. We offered to repair it and, in return, drill. Four months later, we finally saw the water." From the well to the small town The challenge changed in scale. The water was there and now they had to imagine what to do with it and how to transform those lands into a tourist complex. Projecting internal electrical energy networks, building sewers and bringing drinking water, developing drains, and connecting natural gas implied raising a small city from scratch. At the same time, they had to organize the territory, define sectors and future growth areas with streets, squares, and recreational spaces. "One of the strategic decisions was to start systematic afforestation that would end up forming a large part of the surroundings that characterizes us today, with 10,000 trees of different species within the property," they recount. Everything seemed ready and there were already concrete projections for inauguration. But Argentina was heading towards one of the greatest economic and social crises of its recent history. 2001 was approaching. "The project was completely paralyzed. There was the land, the water, the constituted society, and the work in progress, but we could only cut the grass and kill ants. Literally, eh," recalls Dutra. Thirty-six months later, work resumed with the first pool, immense and covered, which is still the star of the complex, with temperatures between 35 and 38 degrees, ramps and hydrotherapy. Little by little, four more pools with constant temperatures between 37 °C and 41 °C were added, one of them equipped with 12 hydro-massages. The north sector grew, oriented to harmony with nature, and three more pools, while the southern area focused on the balance between recreation and well-being, with five oval and circular pools suitable for the whole family. Gradually, the infrastructure arrived to transform that field into a real complex, with a large administrative headquarters, the first cabins, and the general bathrooms. Streets, networks, and circulations were incorporated as pieces of a large puzzle. "A few years later, operation was full, and of course, some wondered what was missing. That's when the Water Park with its endless slides arrived for those who also saw the place as a family summer destination. And there we just had another pause with the pandemic, but it ended up functioning as a border between two stages. A shelter with a capacity of 60 people was built, designed for meetings and activities; new pools were incorporated and the spa began a process of evolution, adding services and projecting saunas, hydro-massages, and other experiences linked to well-being," they explain from the administration. The dream grows, 30 years later The Aerial Park, linked to adventure, was the last piece to be added. Balance games, climbs, and several flight lines, including a 300-meter zip line, are some of its attractions on the ground that saw water spring up about 20 years earlier. The place is located at one end of the complex and has two dozen hanging bridges and a climbing wall. Entry to the property is free and only the game circuits are paid for. "The new bet of the four-star hotel, with 84 rooms, integrates with the complex aiming at new demand segments, such as a convention room, coworking spaces, meetings, and events, which will allow diversifying the offer and reducing seasonality," they explain. It is still a project, a dream, but the current 120 members, today shareholders, know the challenges. "We are part of a history that began before us and that we hope will continue long after. And a message for the new generations: here there was waiting, overcoming crises, reinvesting, stumbling and getting up again and again." Termas de Concepción RN14 Highway, km 129. T: +54 3442 473805 www.termasconcepcion.com