As Burgas are the most famous of Ourense's many thermal springs — three natural vents in the old city centre that have been flowing since at least Roman times. The water comes out at around 65°C and the springs have supplied the city with hot water for over two thousand years. A Roman bathhouse was built here, and the springs may give the city its name (from the Latin aqua urente, burning water).
The main As Burgas spring is accessible in a small plaza just below the old town, where a Roman-era stone fountain has been reconstructed. It is a slightly surreal sight — steaming water in the middle of an ordinary city street, not in a spa or behind fences. The free thermal pools along the Miño riverbank are fed by the same underground system and can be used year-round at no charge.