Baños de Agua Santa, often referred to as just Baños, is a vibrant town in Ecuador known for its natural beauty and fun adventure activities. It’s located in between the Andes mountains and the Amazon Rainforest, making for a unique landscape with stunning mountains, lush green valleys, waterfalls and volcano hot springs. The mix of nature and cultural things to do in Baños makes it an essential stop on any Ecuador roadtrip!
The best thing about Banos is that there is something for everyone to do. If you’re an adreneline junkie, Baños offers white-water rafting, canyoning, and zip-lining tours. If you want to relax, you can visit some of the famous hot springs, heated by the geothermal energy of the nearby Tungurhua Volcano. And if you just want to enjoy the beauty of nature and get some Insta-worthy pics, there are a few parks with amazing viewpoints and photo-ops.
This blog post includes the 5 best things to do in Baños, Ecuador, along with how to get there, where to stay and how long to stay. If you want to learn more about visiting the beautiful country of Ecuador, including a detailed 10-day Ecuador roadtrip itinerary, check out some of my other blog posts!
- Epic 10-day Ecuador Roadtrip Itinerary
- 10-day Ecuador Solo Travel Itinerary (No Car Needed!)
- Honest Review of The Secret Garden Cotopaxi
- 8 Essential Ecuador Travel Tips
- 8 Unforgettable Things to do in Quito, Ecuador!
- White Water Rafting in Baños Ecuador
Getting to Baños, Ecuador
We visited Baños during a 10-day Ecuador roadtrip around the Andes region of the country. If you rent a car like we did, Banos is easily accessible from Quito, being about a 3 hour drive. If you are making the drive, I highly recommend you make stops on the way to see Cotopaxi and Quilotoa.
If you are not renting a car, there is a bus that will take you from the Terrestre Quito bus station to Baños for about $10. I have not personally taken buses in Ecuador so I’m not sure how safe they are. From what I have heard, the buses are reliable, but there are quite a lot of pickpockets so you should travel light and keep your things close to you at all times.
The easiest option, especially if you are traveling solo in Ecuador, is to visit Baños on a guided tour from Quito. Here are some great, highly-rated tours on GetYourGuide. I think the 2-Day Baños tour is particularly great because it stops in Cotopaxi and Quilotoa on the way to Baños, goes to a few of the must-see places on this list and gives you a bit of free time to explore the city of Baños.
If you’re traveling solo and want to visit Baños for more than just a day, I have explained how to safely get to there, where to stay and what to do in my 10-day Ecuador Solo Travel Itinerary.
How long should you stay in Baños, Ecuador?
Although a guided tour is great if you have limited time in Ecuador, I highly recommend staying overnight in Baños to experience everything there is to do and see.
We stayed in Baños for 2 nights which was enough time to do everything on this list. However, I think 3 days would have been ideal to be able to slow down and experience everything the town has to offer.
Where to stay in Baños, Ecuador
Banos offers many different accommodation options, from secluded hotels with incredible river views, to affordable hostels close to the city center.
Hotels outside of the city
Aldea Real Eco Friendly
We stayed at this beautiful hotel that was about a 10 minute drive outside of Baños. Our room had a balcony, a hammock, and a stunning view of the river. There was a delicious breakfast included as well.
La Casa Verde Eco Guest House
Another hotel about a 10-minute drive outside of Banos, with rooms featuring balconies and river views.
Hotels in the City
Rústic Quinta La Aurora or La Floresta Hotel
These hotels are great options if you don’t have a rental car and want to stay in the city of Baños. They are within walking distance to restaurants and a some of the attractions. Both hotels also include breakfast.
Budget Friendly Hostels
Great Hostels or Erupcion Art Hotel & Hostel
If you’re traveling to Ecuador on a budget, these two hostels both cost about $10 per night, are located right in the city center, and have great reviews on HostelWorld!
Things to do in Baños, Ecuador
Termas de la Virgen
Baños gets it’s name from the natural hot springs in the area, which are heated by the Tungurahua Volcano. Therefore, you must visit the famous Termas de la Virgen, which is located right in the heart of the city. It has a few pools that vary in temperature, from warm to hot.
What makes this place extra special is its location right next to the Cascada de la Virgen, a waterfall that is illuminated at night. Our favorite part of the Termas was the showers that spray ice cold water directly from the waterfall, so you can switch from the ice cold shower to the warm hot springs.
Tips: Termas de la Virgen costs $4 to enter and there are lockers available to secure your belongings. Swimming caps that cover your hair are required to enter the pools, and you can buy them right outside the entrance if you don’t have one. And don’t forget your bathing suit and towel!
Read More: 8 Essential Ecuador Travel Tips
Paillon del Diablo
Paillon del Diablo, which translates to Devil’s Cauldron, is Ecuador’s most famous waterfall and a must-visit while in Baños. It’s a tall and powerful waterfall, and when you get up close you can really feel and hear the incredible force of the water.
There’s a network of bridges, walkways and staircases that allow you to view the waterfall from multiple angles and get close, with one walkway bringing you behind the waterfall.
Tips: Bring a poncho if you want to get close to the waterfall but stay dry, because the spray is unavoidable. And definitely visit early in the morning to avoid the mid-day crowds that arrive on day-trips from Quito.
Casa del Arbol
Located high in the mountains surrounding Baños, Casa de Arbol is a small adventure park offering stunning views and some fun activities. It’s main attraction is the swing, which throws you right over the mountains and makes it feel like you’re flying over the Andes. You’ll also find some smaller swings and a zip line, along with lots of Insta-worthy photo opportunities.
Tips: It cost a few dollars to enter and it’s small so you only need about an hour to explore. To get there without a car, you can take a taxi from town.
White Water Rafting
The Pastaza River, which runs near Baños, is a great spot for white water rafting and offers a thrilling way to experience the area’s natural beauty. The river’s rapids range from Class III to Class IV, which make for an exciting yet doable rafting adventure, even for beginners.
We did this white water rafting tour and it was one of my favorite experiences ever! My boyfriend and I had never been white water rafting before, but it was so fun and exhilarating. We were put with a great group of people around our age, and the guide took us through some crazy rough rapids that he knew we could handle. I have a full review and description of this tour here, including what’s included, what to bring, and the full itinerary. Overall it was a great introduction to rafting and the best thing we did in Baños!
Tips: Wear quick-dry clothing or a bathing suit to wear under your wetsuit. And bring a change of clothes for after the rafting, since you won’t want to be wet while eating lunch and traveling about 1 hour back to Baños.
El Bosque Encantado
This “Enchanted Forest” in Banos is a whimsical walk through experience with displays and photo ops set up for different fantasy worlds. The forest includes themed areas for elves, fairies, witches and Harry Potter. Along the way you’ll also find a tarot card reader, a spiritual cleanser, and opportunities to buy snacks and souvenirs.
Tips: Visit El Bosque Encantado as the sun is setting so you can see the displays as they are lighting up at night. It’s a fun evening activity to do before or after dinner, after a day of exploring in nature.
Other Tours and Activities in Baños
With Baños being the adventure capital of Ecuador, you’ll find other fun activities like zip lining and canyoning. Check out these tours on GetYourGuide!
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Baños looks like so much fun for the whole family! Love the look of the waterfalls.
Love the waterfall and would also like to visit the Termas de la Virgen. Baños sounds like an interesting place to visit.
Baños sounds like an amazing place to visit, with many adventurous options for everyone. Visiting a treehouse and waterfalls, would be incredible.
Banos looks like an amazing place to visit in Ecuador! I would definitely try the hot springs with cool mist – that sounds so relaxing.
I think I might have altitude problems tho – I experienced something like the symptoms you mentioned in Switzerland recently. I would love to try it out though, just to see this beautiful landscape!