Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
The fun and adventurous town of Baños, Ecuador is a great place to visit and base your adventures during part of your trip to Ecuador. Located in the Andes Mountains and tucked at the base of the active volcano, Tungurahua, the town is best known for the relaxing hot springs and the local adventure sports including white water rafting, rock climbing, waterfalls and more. This article highlights the best things to do in Baños Ecuador as well as other information to help you plan your visit.
Below you can find information to help you plan your visit to Baños, including the best things to do, where to stay in Banos, the best time to visit Banos and more. We loved spending time in Baños after hiking the Quilotoa Loop and spending time in Quito.
Quick Look at the Best Things to do in Baños Ecuador
Below is a quick list of things to do in Baños – you can scroll down for more details on each activity. Note that some of these Banos activities are tours, while others can be done on your own.
- Visit an Adventure Park
- Take the Ruta de las Cascades (visit the Banos Ecuador Waterfalls)
- Soak in a Hot Spring
- Swing at the End of the World
- Try White Water Rafting
- Go Canyoneering or Rock Climbing
- Enjoy the Food
- Go Hiking
Things to Know about Visiting Baños
Banos, or Baños de Agua Santa, is located a few hours south of Quito and is an active and fun town. The town is easy to walk around and taxis cost just a few dollars to get around. The town has a main street where you can find lots of restaurants, tour guides and companies, and shops. If you are visiting for a few days and want to do a specific activity, you are best off booking your tour in advance, if you have longer, you can visit one of the tour companies in town to arrange your activities.
When is the Best Time of Year to Visit Banos?
The best time to visit Baños Ecuador is during the dry season between June and September. Temperatures are very consistent throughout the year. Daytime temperatures typically range from 50-70 degrees F.
Due to the location in the mountains, it’s not uncommon to start the day clear with blue skies and experience afternoon clouds and late day showers.
How many days do you need in Baños ?
You should plan to spend at least 2 days in Baños . This gives you time to explore the town and try some of the activities in town. With two days you will need to pick and choose some of the best things to do in Banos as you won’t have time to do it all. If you have flexibility and more time, Baños is a great place to base yourself for a week and you will find other travelers stopping over for a longer visit here.
How to get to Baños
The easiest way to get to Baños is by bus. If you are trying to get from Quito to Baños, you can take the bus from the Quitumbe Bus Terminal, just South of the city of Quito. There are some buses that leave frequently from here with the final final destination of Baños. If you are coming from other towns you can also take a bus to Ambato, the capital of the Tungurahua province, and from there take another bus to Banos. We were coming from Latacunga so this is what we did. There are several bus station in Ambato so confirm that the bus to Banos leaves from the same station or you will need to connect on a local bus or take a taxi.
You can also find buses to Baños from many other towns including some of the towns in the Amazon region of Ecuador.
See more about traveling on Ecuador Buses.
Where to Stay in Baños Ecuador
Baños is full of hotels, hostels and resorts and there are a range of options based on your preferences and budget. When you are selecting a hotel or hostel in Baños , note how far it is located from town. Below are a few of the best options of places to stay in Banos.
We found many great options of places to stay by searching on booking.com. You can sort your results by the best reviews to find a great place to stay in Baños for your budget.
Casa Amarillo
This lovely guest house is perched up on the hill above the town of Baños. If you are willing to make the uphill walk for about 20 minutes, this is an incredible place to stay and gives you a view out across the town with a wonderful breakfast included. You can also arrange for horses to help you get up the hill. This is where we stayed and we highly recommend it!
Finca Chamanapamba Guest House
This is a gorgeous place to stay just outside of town. You will want to take a short taxi ride to reach this hotel, but the individual bungalows are lovely and there is even a waterfall on the grounds. This is a great choice if you are looking for a comfortable stay outside town.
La Posada Del Arte
This is a funky and great place to stay right in town. If you are coming in on a bus and looking for an easy and comfortable hotel – this is a great option. There is a restaurant on site as well as a hot tub or garden.
Search for Hostels in Banos
Details of the Top Things to do in Baños
There are so many amazing things to do in Baños and even more things if you include the region around the town. Below you can see some details on some of the most popular activities. We like to search for activities and read reviews on sites like:
Visit an Adventure Park
There are many option for zip lining and adventure parks right near Baños. You can search for tours that fit your group. We visited Parque Aventura San Martin and highly recommend this adventure park. It is located just a few minutes outside of town and can be reached by taxi. You can also arrange transportation or even walk. The park includes a number of different elements including a very long zip line, a Tibetan Bridge, rappelling, a via ferrata and more. The elements are all linked into a few different circuits and can be completed in just 1-2 hours.
Take the Ruta de las Cascades (visit the BañosEcuador Waterfalls)
Stretching downhill from the town of Baños, the Ruta de las Cascades is a trail that follows a series of waterfalls. The route can be travelled by bus, truck or you can rent a bike. We rented bikes and while we enjoyed the downhill ride, much of the trail is on a highway. After you reach the final waterfall, you can get a ride back in one of the trucks with your bike so you don’t need to bike back uphill to Banos. See more about:
Soak in a Hot Spring
Baños is best known for the thermal pools and hot springs the result from the nearby geothermal activity. There are a number of hot spring pools you can visit in or near town. Some of these pools are simple and inexpensive, although you can also find more luxury pools as well. You can find a good review of the local hot springs here.
We enjoyed El Salado which is a bit quieter than some of the other hot spring pools in town.
Swing at the End of the World
Baños is famous for the swing at the end of the world. There are now several different swings that go out over the edge of a hillside/cliff offering tremendous views. This activity is always on the list of the best things to do in Baños . The original swing is at the treehouse.
Try White Water Rafting
White water rafting is one of the most popular adventure activities in Baños and there are great rapids nearby. The tour prices for these rafting adventures are reasonable and the tour operators are excellent.
Go Canyoneering or Rock Climbing
In addition to rafting, Baños also has several tour operators that offer canyoneering and rock climbing tours. Surrounded by mountains there are countless waterfalls and rock walls perfect for climbing and rappelling. Most of these tours include transportation and sometimes even a meal. You can search for additional options. If you are booking a rock climbing tour, look at the difficulty rating. If you are looking for more of a challenge, you can also contact the tour companies to arrange a private tour.
Enjoy the Food
We really enjoyed the variety and quality of the restaurants in Baños. The food is slightly more expensive than some of the other places we visited in Ecuador, but we loved every meal we had in town. You can also find excellent food for just a few dollars if you visit the market or grab some street food. You can also enjoy an upscale drink at a rooftop
Go Hiking
Surrounded by mountains, Baños has many hiking trails. Some of the best hiking trails include hiking to the swing at the end of the world, Los Sauces Trail, El Pailon de Diablo, and Banos Circuit of Hills and Viewpoints. Most of the trails go to a lookout or to one of the many waterfalls in the area.
You can see some suggestions of the best hiking trails near Banos here.
Other Things to do in Ecuador
Banos is an incredible town, but there is so much to see and explore in Ecuador. Below are a few amazing things to do in Ecuador or you can check out our 10 day Ecuador Itinerary.
Visit the Amazon Rainforest
While you can find rainforest tours from Banos, you should also consider doing a longer rainforest tour in one of the parks or reserves. You can see our review of the best Amazon tours in our article here.
Visit Papallacta Hot Spring Spa
Nestled in the hills above Quito, the Papallacta Hot Springs is the perfect place to soak and restore. You can visit on a day trip or spend the night in the town of Papallacta.
Hike the Quilotoa Loop
This incredible hike through the Andes of Ecuador is the perfect multi-day hike and the best trek in Ecuador. Hike from town to town through the mountains and end at the gorgeous crater lake.
