Ikogosi warm and cold spring... Natural wonder #3

Ikogosi warm spring is located in Ekiti west Local Government area of Ekiti state Nigeria in a valley from the surrounding hills at the warm spring. The Vegetation at the spring which is highly thick forest with natural and rich vegetation that is closely maintained and protected from arbitrary deforestation. It is highly protected from erosion by tall and evergreen trees. The trees also serve as a sort of canopy under which tourists could stay during the dry season and sunny days. The undulating topography of the area and the symmetry of the surrounding hills add more to the aesthetic beauty of the spring.

Historically, there has being many version concerning the history of the spring and one of such version is that both springs (Warm and Cold) were wives of the same husband who turned to springs water in the wake of rift and rivalry between them. The hot and ill-tempered first wife believed to have turned to the popular warm spring while the cool-tempered second wife turned to cold spring water. The husband became the undulating hills that encompass the springs. It is well established that some of the Villagers still worship the springs as their deities.

Another version of the history has it that a hunter discovered the spring during his hunting expedition. After that the people of the community then discovered that the warm water is therapeutic and that it cures many diseases. That made them to start worshipping the water and it continued till 1960s when the late Nigerian educator and author Tai Solarin heard about the spring and he brought his student to the site for a tour. After the tour Tai Solarin started publicizing about the warm spring before Rev. MacGee of Baptist church arrived to build student camp near the area. It was Rev. Macgee who built a chapel which is the conference hall and the hostels which is now the camp chalets at the resort.

The scientific proof could not be wished away in favour of the traditional belief. The possible and plausible scientific explanation is that the deeper a body of water goes underground, the hotter it becomes and if by chance it is forced back to the surface through some earth fault, the temperature will be relatively high.

The Baptist mission in the early 50s established a youth and conference centre and other conveniences on a hill adjacent to the warm spring area. This started attracting different people from far and near, even foreigner started visiting the centre as nature demands. At the wake of 1978 however, the Ondo State acquired this popular tourist centre from Baptist Mission. A few infrastructures were put in place by this Mission before the resort centre was acquired from them by the State government, but after the acquisition of the centre, however, both the federal and the state government has now focused attention on how to develop the centre to a modern tourist resort.

The warm and cold spring of Ikogosi flow parallel, and meet somewhere to form a confluence, with each maintaining its thermal quality. The warm spring has a temperature of 70o c at the source and 37oc after meeting a cold spring. The meeting point of the warm and cold spring is a unique attraction to tourist. Adding to natural beauty, there is a tree and a palm growing from the same source at the meeting point area of the warm and cold springs.