BeST OF BAÑOS IN 4 DAYS
Baños, located in the Tungurahua province of Ecuador, is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful scenery, outdoor activities, and therapeutic hot springs. The town is situated at the foot of the Tungurahua volcano and is surrounded by lush green mountains and cascading waterfalls. My personal experience in Baños was suboptimal. I planned all the activities, that I am going to explain you in the following but ended up doing just a few of them, because it was raining all the time while I was there, which meant chilling in the hostel for most of the time. But all the planning shall pay off, because now I can explain you what you can do when you are there! Hopefully, you’ll be luckier than I was with the weather 
First, I am going to explain the details on each activity and then give the day-to-day itinerary at the end of the post, in case you want to straight jump there.
How to get there
Reaching Baños is pretty easy, there are bus direct bus connections from all major cities like Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca. However, often these buses are having a rather scarce schedule and will not grant you a lot of flexibility. In case you find yourself in the situation that you want to go spontaneously and there is no direct connection available at the moment, take a bus to Ambato, which is the next major city to Baños. There are very regular connections from anywhere to Ambato and there are very regular connections from Ambato to Baños. You can check for connections on rome2rio.com, but don’t trust the schedules there. The website is really just to understand which connections are available at all.
Where to stay
I would highly recommend Hostal D’Mathias, because it is located very well in the center, has good quality and prices and the staff is very helpful. They will provide you with hiking maps, can organize trips for you and help you with overall organization of your stay.
Try the best food ever: Venezuelan Arepas
So, before we start off with all the activities, I want to give you a food recommendation. I want to really encourage you to try the restaurant “Arepas To Go”. Arepas are a traditional dish in Colombia and Venezuela, which is one of the best things you can get in this area of the world. If you google it you will just find plain corn cakes, but here they are filled like a kebab with all sorts of stuff like chicken, guacamole, cheese etc. and there are vegetarian options too!
The restaurant was founded by a Venezuelan refugee, and he really makes the best Arepas I’ve ever had the privilege to taste. It takes some patience though, because he makes each Arepa freshly, which ends up in waiting some time to get one. Also it is definitely not the cheapest dish you could get in Baños, but believe me it’s worth every penny. I had a good talk with the guy, and I could really feel that he puts so much love in the cooking and is just an incredible person. This is the best food you will get in Baños!
Adventure Activities in Baños
One of the most popular activities in Baños is taking part in all the adventure sport activities such as rafting, canyoning, bungee jumping and paragliding. The Pastaza River, which runs through the town, is a popular spot for rafting, while the nearby canyons offer an exhilarating experience for those looking to try canyoning. A half-day rafting trip on the Pastaza River costs around 18 $ per person and is definitely to recommend. I did on my first day there and it was a thrilling experience.
A basic canyoning trip costs around 15 $, but I would recommend opting for a more expensive option, because I felt like my canyoning trip was a little short and there is more to it. In my case I was suspended from a 6 m waterfall, then from 8 m and 12 m respectively. Finally, I jumped down a 40 m waterfall before the guide blocked the rope, just 5 m above the ground. And actually, that was unexpected, because I was thinking I would need to jump to hit the rock with my feet and walk down the wall, but no. I was just falling. And it was great 😊
For those looking for a bird’s eye view, paragliding provides a unique perspective to take in the beautiful landscapes. A tandem paragliding flight costs around 60 $ per person and has 20 min of flight time. I didn’t do it due to weather constraints, but I really wanted to, because I bet that’s a blast.
Lastly, you can do bungee jumping, or as the locals call it “Puenting”. The location is very close to the village center at Puente San Francisco and the price is a mere 20 $.
Cycling Along the Road of Waterfalls
The town is a popular starting point for hiking and trekking in the surrounding mountains. The region offers a range of trails for all skill levels, including the popular Ruta de las Cascadas, which is a scenic road through the cloud forest and past several waterfalls. Just grab a bike at one of the rental stores for 5-10 $ and drive down the road to the west. After 18 km of downhill biking, you will encounter the greatest waterfall around Baños: Pailón del Diablo (Spanish for “Devil’s Cauldron”). It’s a popular tourist spot for its spectacular views and for the natural beauty of the waterfall itself. The waterfall is located on a tributary of the Pastaza River and is about 80 meters high. Visitors can take a scenic walk along a trail that leads to several viewing platforms, where they can get a close-up view of the waterfall. The trail is well-maintained and can be accessed by foot or by bike. The entrance fee is around $2 per person. You don’t even have to cycle back because there will be taxis waiting for you that are prepared to haul your bike on the car and bring you back to Baños. Since this is usually a shared service, the cost is very low at just 2-3 $ per person.
Hiking to Casa de Arbol
Another must-see attraction in Baños is the Casa del Arbol, a treehouse located on a hill overlooking the town. You can swing on the famous “End of the World Swing” and enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. The entrance fee is around 1 $ per person. While it is possible to take a cab to get there, I highly recommend just hiking there, which will take about an hour. There are multiple possible paths you can take. Every accommodation in Baños offers maps and can describe you all the possible paths you can take better than I can do here.
Take a (Multi-)Day Trip to the Amazon Rainforest
Baños is very close to the Amazon rainforest that commences in Puyo, just 60 km west of the town. Due to this proximity it is possible to have inexpensive daytrips to the rainforest. You can also do multi-day trips to the Amazon, which I didn’t do because I was planning on going to a 5-day Amazon trip later on in Peru anyways, but after I’ve been there I would recommend you to seize any opportunity to visit the rainforest! I regret to dodge it because it would’ve been great to visit this magical place at least twice. Prices for the trips vary drastically from operator to operator which is why I can’t give you a precise estimate here, but I reckon It’d be around 40 – 60 $.
And Finally: Hot Springs!
Baños is home to several public and private hot springs, each with different temperatures and mineral compositions. You can relax in the hot waters, which are said to have healing properties for various ailments. Most public hot springs in Baños charge around 3-5 $ for an adult and 2-3 $ for children. Private hot springs often have different pricing. The only hot spring I’ve been to is “Termas de la Virgen”, which sits right next to a waterfall, just a few minutes’ walk from the center. The hot springs themselves aren’t really beautiful, but the water is truly hot. There is a pool I wasn’t even able to dip my feet in due to the high temperature. If you are not a huge fan of hot springs, I don’t see a need to go there. However, if you just want to relax your muscles from all the cycling, hiking and adrenaline, go for it!
DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY
Of course it is totally up to you how you combine these activities and is dependent on which of these you want to do and what the weather looks like in the respective days. However, as I always do, I want to suggest you an itinerary on a day-to-day basis.
DAY 1: Hiking & Organizing
Assuming you just arrived, you will need some time to check-in and rest. Then you can use the day to have a look around the city and hike to Casa de Arbol in the afternoon. Enjoy the “End of the World” Swing and end your day with some Arepas at “Arepas To Go”. Book all the activities for the upcoming day and get some godly amount of sleep, tomorrow will be packed with adventures!
DAY 2: Medium Adrenalin Day
The rafting tour (18 $) will take up most of your day. Don’t forget to bring your GoPro (if you have one) and enjoy the one hour ride on the Pastaza River. After returning, you can instantly join a Canyoning Tour (15 – 40 $), which are offered both in the mornings and afternoons. I was told It’d be too exhausting to do both activities in a day, but honestly I don’t think so, because the rafting isn’t as demanding and I’ve seen many people combining that. Ideally you book both activities with the same operator, so that they’ll wait for you in case there are any delays. By the end of the day go and visit the hot springs to relax yourself and build some contrast into your day 😊. If you want to do paragliding tomorrow, book it at your accommodation or the tour offices today.
DAY 3: High Adrenalin Day
Today you can rent bicycles (5-10 $) and cycle the “Ruta de las Cascadas”, the Road of Waterfalls, which ends up at the infamous Pailon del Diablo. If you start around 8 AM you should be back by 12 PM and get some lunch. If you are brave enough, walk over to the Puente San Francisco to jump of the bridge and get the ultimate kick (20 $). Afterwards you should get ready to go paragliding (60 $) and enjoy the fantastic views of the landscape around Baños.
DAY 4: Amazon Forest Daytrip
As I mentioned, the Amazon Rainforest is extremely close to Baños and you should seize the opportunity to go on an inexpensive daytrip to the area around Puyo. Also, you can decide to take a multi-day tour here, but in case you are going to travel to Peru, I’d recommend you doing the multiday tour there because it is much cheaper in Peru than in Ecuador.
That’s it with my guide for Baños! I wish I would’ve had more luck with the weather and could’ve done all of the activities, which is why I would return there if I ever end up again in Ecuador. Be aware however, that you end up paying around 190 $ if you really do ALL of them. No matter if you are a real Adrenaline junkie or not, there are some indispensable activities in Baños, like Hiking to Casa de Arbol and biking Ruta de Cascadas (And of course trying those delicious Arepas 😉). The rest is up to you 😊 Have Fun!
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