A balneario (Portuguese spelling: balneário) is an Iberian and Ibero-American resort town, typically a seaside resort, and less commonly along the shores of lakes and rivers or next to hot springs. In Spain, balneario typically only refers to spa town resorts. These resorts offer recreation, sports, entertainment, food, hospitality and safety services, retail, and cultural events. These balneario towns are characterized by being flooded by masses of tourists during the summer seasons.
History The word "balneario" comes from Latin "balnearĭus" and initially from Greek "balneae" from Greek βαλανεῖον balaneion, - "bath, bathing room".
Balnearios may be as simple as a beach or as complex as a planned city. Mexico's Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta are balneario city-destinations, for example, while Chile's San Alfonso del Mar is a more planned resort community and its Viña del Mar a city that also happens to be a balneario. Balnearios are characterized by having beaches and hot climates, being seasonal destinations, attracting foreign tourists, and having boom periods surrounding festivals. The word comes from Spanish, and the difference between a "playa (beach) and a balneario is the services provided at the balneario.
Playa versus balneario A beach (playa) is a stretch of land that is covered by sand or small pebbles at the edge of a body of water or especially the ocean. A balneario is a specific recreational destination that has amenities.balneario entry, Real Academia Española playa entry, Real Academia Española Features such as bathrooms, lifeguards, changing rooms, food options, picnic tables and sometimes umbrellas.
Famous balnearios
Angra dos Reis, Brazil Armação dos Búzios, Brazil Balneário Camboriú, Brazil Copacabana/Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Florianópolis, Brazil Fortaleza, Brazil Guarujá, Brazil Ilhabela, Brazil Ilhéus, Brazil Itacaré, Brazil Jijoca de Jericoacoara, Brazil Luís Correia, Brazil Mar del Plata, Argentina Maragogi, Brazil Costa do Sauípe, Brazil Natal, Brazil Porto de Galinhas, Brazil Porto Seguro, Brazil Salinópolis, Brazil São Sebastião, Brazil Trancoso, Brazil Pinamar, Argentina Central Litoral, Chile Algarrobo Viña del Mar Reñaca Zapallar La Serena, Chile Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Montañita, Ecuador Acapulco, Mexico Cancún, Mexico (Hotel Zone) La Paz/Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Mazatlán Playa del Cármen/Cozumel, Mexico Progreso, Mexico Puerto Vallarta, Mexico San Bernardino, Paraguay Máncora, Peru Aguadilla, Puerto Rico Culebra, Puerto Rico Mayaguez, Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico Vieques, Puerto Rico Cuaró, Uruguay Punta del Este, Uruguay Isla Margarita, Venezuela
See also Balneario da Toxa, Galicia, Spain
References
External links Chilean balnearios