End of the World Swing
Swing to the end of the world, next to the iconic Tungurahua volcano or Mama Tungurahua. You’ll relish the unforgettable and spectacular views of valleys and mountain landscape from this lofty perch.
Rafting down the Pastaza River
Reap the rewards of an encompassing panorama while rafting in the Pastaza river and its amazing canyons. An adventure full of adrenaline and fun, that you´ll hardly forget
Baños, at the slopes of one of the tallest
The eastern slopes of Mama Tungurahua Volcano, shelters the cozy city of Baños which can be visited all year round and offers many adventure sports as well as many other activities.
Virgen de Agua Santa
Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary of Holy Water. Here is the Venerated Virgin of Holy Water to whom the miracles of her devotees are attributed. Inside you can see a collection of murals that describe local miracles, attributed to the Virgin, patron saint of the city.
Part of our gastronomical culture
The guinea pig is part of the Ecuadorian cuisine, as well as the different ways for its preparation, where different restaurants or open markets serve this dish as an specialty, with potatoes and peanut sauce on the side.
Connecting two sides is the Tarabita
Can´t have a canyon without a connection, the tarabita in Baños is a tourist attraction but it goes far beyond that, for the locals who live accross the canyon is a part of their everyday life transportation.
Need help Planning your visit to Baños?
What is the weather like?
You can buy a ticket online for either a morning or afternoon trip to the top by cable car. However, an excursion to the 3,500-foot summit always depends on the weather, so check it before you go. It’s wise to bring a sweater with you, and wear sunblock and proper footware. If you plan hiking to the peak or along one of the trails at the summit, be safe and bring water, snacks and a friend.
How safe is it?
As in any other city you visit, it’s always best to keep your wits about you. Anyway is considered as one of the safest cities in Ecuador, its a walkable town to almost every place you will need to go, and safe to walk at night as well, Baños depends 99% on tourism, therefore, tourist safety their number one priority.
When to go
Baños has a temperate climate all year round. October to April offer warm and dry weather, but the notorious south-easter winds occur from December through January. February to mid-April has great beach weather, and hiking enthusiasts will enjoy crisp, clear days from late April to early June.
How many days should you spend in Baños?
We offer a two days, one night tour, that will let you have a good idea of Baños and several of its available activities. Stay longer if you’d like and use the city as a base to explore the beautiful, surrounding areas towards the east, such as the Amazon region of el Puyo, Palora, or continue your journey into the deeper Amazon as Tena, El Coca and others.
Destination Baños and Baños tours
Baños de Agua Santa has unique landscapes of jungle like forests, high incline mountains, canyons and ravines, waterfalls and hot springs are part of Banos amazing landscapes. It is one of Ecuador’s most fascinating tourist attractions. Where lush green is everywhere you go and look, while enjoying a mild to warm weather all year round.
Thanks to its topography and climate many natural attractions are available in town as well as in its surroundings. Baños is the ideal place for a variety of adventure sports as: rafting, bridge jumping, rappel, rock climbing, kayaking, zipline, swings, hanging bridge crossing, mainly all this sports are practiced right outside Banos town.
Whats in the town of Baños ?
The town of Banos, is a small walkable and quiet town but at the same time it’s always alive. In Baños you will feel a sense of tranquility and peace, but at the same time Baños has a special atmosphere to have a good time, an option is to visit the area of bars, clubs and discos, which has several nightlife establishments, with music for all tastes. In the daytime an immense variety of businesses focused on tourism are available
- From, lodging for all budgets to restaurants with the best of national and international food will complement your stay in the most complete tourist center of Ecuador.
Relaxing Break in Baños
A wide range of lodging establishments also offer a relaxing Spa service which offer different massage therapies from A to Z as hot stone, chocolate wraps, facials, reflexology, back and neck just to name a few.
Also if you are visiting Banos with the purpose of relaxing, check out the municipal natural hot springs called Termas de la Virgen, its water is replaced twice a day 6 am and 6 pm located right at the foot of the waterfall Called Cascada de la virgen. Its entry price is $2 USD.
If you would like to use other pools Banos is full of Hotel and Hosterias, where you are able to use its pools for a cost range between $10 to $20 USD
Coffee shops and restaurants in Banos
Coffee shops, Tea shops, restaurants from around the world, as all over as well as Mexican, Italian, Swiss restaurants, some theme restaurants as well as local cuisine as Guinea Pig, Ceviches, Hornado, Llapingachos, Cevichochos, Bolas de verde. Last, the traditional local sweets called melcochas (sugar cane toffee) and other sweets and drinks made of sugar cane as the famous alcoholic beverage called Sanduche or plain sugar diced cane can be found in Banos and its surroundigs.
Banos local market and hand craft market
If you are a foodie check the local Market right at Banos main street where you will find an endless offer of local foods, and fruit juices as well as fruit, vegetables and more.
Right next to the market, you´ll find a colorful handcraft market full of souvenirs from Banos, as T shirts, keychains, jewelry, and much more.
Whats is Banos know for?
Baños de Agua Santa, back in the days was traditionally known for three things:
- Its sugar cane candies called “melcochas” which right now you can find other sweets also, you can taste the famous marshmallows and alfeñiques, cane juice and other local goodies.
- Know for its volcanic medicinal waters, that people on their long and tortuous journey to the jungle would make a stop to enjoy the natural hot springs and rest. Hot springs from the bowels of the Tungurahua volcano, with temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius, to restore your vitality.
- For the miraculous “Virgen de Agua Santa”, or the Holly water Virgin, people are very faithfull to this virgin because many miracles have been attributed to her, and the most important , if not the most important miracle, locals believe that Virgen de Agua Santa is the one that looks after them and protects Banos from being affected by the eruptions of the Tungurahua volcano, throughtout history and although Banos is located right at the foot of Tungurahua Banos has never been affected by this massive volcano and its eruptions.
How far is Banos from Quito?
Quito to Banos is a great 3 hour 15min journey ( by private transportation and 3h 45 min by pubic transportation) or 190 km (118miles) where along the way can do stops at the main towns to try their typical snacks as Helado de Salcedo (Salcedo´s popcicle) or the typical allullas con Queso de hoja (salt cookies with motzarella cheese wraped in a leaf). Also you will ride along the Panamerican highway as well as through the middle of two mountain ranges the eastern and western that at the same time, belong to the Andes. This part of Ecuador is known as the Avenue of the volcanoes.
Baños tours
How to get from Quito to Banos
If your destination is Banos and you are located in Quito, your number one and most convinient option is a Banos tour which are offered by us. As a tour operator we offer all-inclusive Quito to Banos tour with two options:
- Econo Pack for $170 p/p
- Standard Pack for $190 p/p
Where the main difference is in the accommodation type. With this options we take care of every detail, from picking you up from your accommodation in Quito, to bringing you back to your accommodation once the tour is over, as well as programing all the reservations and visits you will do as part of the itinerary.
If traveling on a budget or if you consider yourself a more adventurous person and want to start with the adventure from Quito, you can go to the Quitumbe Bus Terminal (south terminal) where you can get your bus ticket to get to get to Banos
Driving to Banos from Quito, take the Panamerican Highway south of Quito to the city of Ambato, here the turnoff is taken to the city of Pelileo towards the East, and then, the jorney continues to Baños.
How is the weather in Baños?
The weather in Baños is very stable all year round, altough it has its rainy season and dry season, its temperature remains about the same from its low 70s to its high 70s, therefore Baños is a place to visit any time of the year.
Activities in Baños
There are several options in terms of adventure sports:
- Rafting banos Ecuador is one of the most popular adventure sports among travelers visiting Banos: Rafting is practiced along the Pastaza River; you will be on the river for approximately 1.5 hours all the needed equipment as wetsuit, shoes, vest, helmet and paddles will be supplied to you. Therefore the only thing you have to take is a swimming suit a towel and a good vibe!
What is rafting?
Rafting is considered an extreme sport and a recreational activity. The objective is to navigate downstream on river rapids using an inflated raft. This sport is challenging, and requires a great briefing and a great deal of teamwork; it is practiced in most countries around the world. Rafting is also an extremely popular recreational activity in Banos and is practiced in most countries around the world.
Banos Ecuador Zipline is a polular adventure sport among travelers as well, due to all the mountains, it turns into a natural setting along the waterfall trail for ziplining, there are several ziplines on the side of the road where not only you can stop to take pictures, but you can also stop to practice this wonderful adventure sport, where you start on one side of the river and end on the other side or across the river, the zipilines in Banos can go from 700 m long (2300ft) to the longest zipline in Ecuador with 1220 mts. (4000 ft)
This zipline practice nowadays in Banos is mostly used as a tourist attraction but there are several families that still live across the river and use this crossing method for their everyday lives as for example going to work, kids going to school, going to the market and so on.
What is a zipline?
A zipline is a suspended metal cable that is tied down and secured on both ends, where the rider attaches to it with pulleys and a harness, then the rider is pulled by gravity down the incline and along the line, in Banos there are tree common positions to ride the zipline. Bat, Superman or Seating
What is waterfall Rappel?
Waterfall Rappel, is another popular adventure sport practiced in Banos which is challenging and fun Waterfall rappelling is usually when you will hike to the top of a waterfall, rappel down and then do it again or several times.
Classic Activities in Baños
Banos swing, it is the place where every person who visits Banos would like to take one of the amazing magazine pictures. Since a travel picture taken from this spot, won a photography travel award in the year 2014 people have not stopped to visit the this charming swing which is known as “end of the world swing” since the photographer named the picture like this, others call it the “swing at the end of the world” and locally is known as “La Casa del Arbol” or “Treehouse swing”, named like this since the swing was placed underneath one of the sides of the charming little treehouse. The end of the world swing is located on an elevation in front of the Tungurahua volcano at 2662m,(8730 ft) from where on a clear day the volcano can be observed. This place is also a monitoring station for the volcano and with a well-kept garden and beautiful local flowers, also at this place there is a small zipline, a restaurant and, a Banos sign
Agoyan water dam and waterfall, the Agoyan water dam was built in the year 1987 with the purpose of generating electric power by using the flow of two rivers Chambo and Patate that form the Pastaza river, just a few meters down you are able to see its waterfall with the same name as the dam called Agoyan and right to the left of the Agoyan waterfall you can see the Guamag waterfall that comes all the way from the top of the mountain, so at this stop of the waterfall trail of a banos tour you´ll be able to observe this two waterfalls from the front in a privileged view.
Brides Veil Waterfall
As you continue going down the road from Banos to Puyo at the next lookout from the side of the road the second stop is the waterfall called the Brides Veil, and once you take a minute to observe it, you will know why it is called like this.
This name was adopted because the waters that fall from the waterfall have such whiteness that it resemble the bride’s veil. The crystal clear waters that form the waterfall enhance the landscape. The bride´s veil is approximately 40 meters high with a single fall. The transparent water with a temperature of 10º C.
If you have a hiking spirit, here at the Brides Veil is a good chance to do medium sweat hike of about 40 min to go and come back, where you can hike all the way down into the river, go across the Pastaza river through a hanging bridge and walk to the bottom of the brides veil waterfall.
Devils Cauldron
The Devils cauldron is located in a hamlet called Rio Verde or green river and its named after the color of the river that when observed it has an emerald green tone, this waterfall can be considered as the jewel of the crown in terms of waterfalls while doing a Banos tour, due to its location and beauty, it attracts thousands of travelers who get to Rio Verde in search of El Pailon del Diablo or Devils Cauldron, this waterfall has two entrances, from the top and to the lowers part where any of the two entrances you take will lead you different views and attractions, both sides are awesome, if you are visiting Baños longer than a one day trip and have the time to visit the Devil´s Cauldron through both entrances would be awesome since both sides have different and extraordinary views and activities.
Banos Ecuador elevation and location
Baños elevation is more or less at 1800m (5904ft) and its located on the province with the same name as the volcano “Tungurahua” the town of Baños is located right underneath the North Estern side of the Tungurahua volcano and to the East of Ambato, which is the capital city of the Tungurahua province
In Baños indigenous traditions and modern customs of American and foreign visitors are mixed. The tourist city of Baños is located in a valley with waterfalls and hot springs next to the Tungurahua volcano with a height of 5,016 meters.
Baños Population
according to the last census(2010).
- 14600 people.
Tungurahua s last eruption
The Tungurahua volcano last eruption was in the year 2014 where lahars mostly affected the western side of the volcano, the ash colums mainly affected two cities, Riobamba and Ambato, several houses, bridges, cattle and other small animals were lost as well as several human lives
Holidays and main festivities
- Carnaval in February
- Holy Week
- May 24 (Battle of Pichincha)
- August 10 (First shout of independence)
- Festivities of the Virgin in October
- November 2 (Day of the faithful departed)
- Cantonization Party in December.
