Pemehue, Hot spring in the Renaico valley, Malleco Province, Chile

Pemehue is a thermal complex with multiple outdoor pools where the water maintains a warm temperature, surrounded by native forests and mountain landscapes. The site features several bathing areas integrated into the natural terrain, each offering different depths and settings.

The hot springs lie in the upper Renaico valley, in the Andean massif that separates the upper Biobío from the Central Valley. The surrounding area is known locally as "La Reserva" because it borders the Malleco Forest Reserve, created in 1907 as the first protected wilderness area in South America and the ninth in the world. Tolhuaca National Park later originated from part of that reserve, and the Araucarias Biosphere Reserve now covers the sector from the Renaico south.

The name Pemehue comes from Mapudungun and means "viewpoint". The surrounding forests are home to the araucaria, called pehuén by the native peoples, whose edible seed, the piñón, is the staple food of the Pehuenche, "people of the araucarias". The area is known locally as "La Reserva" because it borders the Malleco Forest Reserve, created in 1907 as South America's first protected wilderness area.

The site is accessible by road from nearby towns in the region. Accommodation options including cabins and rooms nearby allow visitors to spend time relaxing in the warm waters.

The name Pemehue comes from Mapudungun and means "viewpoint". Above 800 m, Araucaria araucana, called pehuén locally, grows; its edible piñón seed fed the Pehuenche, "people of the araucarias". The Guindo santo, a rare white-flowered shrub, reaches its southern limit here.