Parque das Águas, Mineral water park in São Lourenço, Brazil.

Parque das Águas covers 430,000 square metres in São Lourenço and holds nine mineral springs, each with its own claimed therapeutic properties. Its first section gathers the springs, the Balneário beside a 90,000-square-metre lake with pedal boats, gardens, lawns, alleys, forest roads and the Ilha dos Amores. Parque II, reached by a tunnel under Rua Saturnino da Veiga, has volleyball, rugby, footvolley and football courts, a running and cycling track, peteca and four sulfurous mineral showers.

The park is managed by Minalba Brasil, which maintains its structure and also bottles and distributes São Lourenço mineral water across Brazil and abroad. Its Parque II section was added only recently, reached by a tunnel beneath Rua Saturnino da Veiga, and its vegetation is still developing.

The park is managed by Minalba Brasil, which maintains the grounds and also bottles and distributes São Lourenço mineral water across Brazil and abroad. The Parque II, linked to the main grounds by a tunnel beneath Rua Saturnino da Veiga, was planned as an open-air theatre and occasionally hosts a classic car gathering.

Early morning or late afternoon are the best times to explore when crowds are fewer and paths feel less busy. Bring swimwear and allow time to sample the different water sources.

Each of the nine springs has its own mineral composition, ranging from sulfurous to alkaline waters, with different properties. Visitors often create their own route through the springs to notice how the waters vary in taste and feel.