Baños - Ecuadorian destination for everybody!

"Baños - a little piece of heaven"

We went to Baños with a planned stay of one day...wrong! We stayed for three days, as this place is a little jewel of Ecuador, offering many activities for people of all ages.

Baños surrounded by mountains

First of all - location. Conveniently located three and a half hours by bus from Quito, with a journey through the famous Avenida de los Volcanes. Spectacular views of the Andean landscape guaranteed.
As we all know the bus costs are low in Ecuador, so it is in this case - US $3,5 per person/ one way.

To start with - Baños as the name suggests (Baths) is a place of natural hot volcanic springs.





There are two pools (not for swimming) filled with warm water and one on the lower section, which is extremely hot. Additionally there are two little pools filled with ice cold water. It does get very crowded, but the experience is worth it. The water has medicinal properties - the trick is to dip for one minute in each pool - one hot, one cold. The opening hours are from 5:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and in the evening from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The entrance fee is US $3.

Privileged location of the baths - under a waterfall make it a place not to miss, while in Baños.

Apart from relaxing activities, there are numerous adventure activities available: canoeing, rafting, trekking, jungle excursions, sky rope slides, cycling. Moreover, in near distance of Baños there are located breathtaking waterfalls, like the one in Rio Verde (bus US $1). Next to Baños there is located an active volcano - Tungurahua (Devil's Throat in Quechua language), which can be observed from various spots, like the bridge located opposite the main bus station.

The excursion to the jungle is very interesting, although we have done only a daily excursion as it was raining heavily that day and it made no sense to stay overnight, as we wouldn't be able to observe any wildlife at night. One day of this type of adventure costs from US $30 to 40 per person.

Canoeing in the jungle

Hola Vida

It begins at 9:00p.m. and you arrive back at around 8:00 p.m.  It is really worth it, to have a glimpse of the jungle - the guide explains properties of various plants, the history and the culture of the tribes living within the area and finishes at the waterfall Hola Vida, where you may take a bath.  The excursions located within the heart of the Amazon forest cost about US $500 for five days, but the transport is by a small airplane. Cuyabeno is one of the recommended spots in Ecuador for Amazon trips.

Tungurahua - Ecuadorian plate in Casa hood

We stayed at the eco-hostel "Casa Del Molino Blanco", which was excellent. The standards very high, it is newly opened, at accessible prices. Jimmy (Jaime) - the owner, was very helpful and welcoming. Regarding the places to eat out "Casa Hood" located in the main Plaza is one of the best. Finish your dinner off with a "bajativo"- shot of chilli cachaça. Well recommended by myself and others. I admit that I don't take any profit by mentioning these places, but it's a genuine recommendation.