One thing we cannot deny about Ecuador is that it is one of the main tourist destinations in Latin America. If you visit this beautiful country, you cannot miss seeing Baños de Agua Santa.

If this is the first time you hear that name, then stay and read on to discover a new tourist stop that will undoubtedly become part of your travel itinerary!

What you should know about the city of Baños

The city of Baños de Agua Santa, or Baños as it is popularly known, located in the province of Tungurahua, is the perfect destination for nature lovers. While Ecuador is generally a country intrinsically linked to the Pachamama, Baños boasts some of the nation’s most exuberant collections of scenery and outdoor adventures. 

Beginning with the imposing Mama Tungurahua volcano, this town’s tours and natural attractions are memorable and make the perfect combination for a relaxing and exciting vacation. You can witness the volcano’s activity, enjoy thrilling adventure activities, get baffled in front of huge waterfalls, and more!

You can even visit one of Yahoo’s “World’s Most Fascinating Staircases,” located in a beautiful Baños setting! -We’ll tell you more about the best things to do in Baños here.

The best part is that Baños has much more to offer besides its natural beauty!

With a gastronomic tradition, famous for achieving a combination of tradition and international modernity, you can eat from the most typical dishes – roasted guinea pig, hornado, and fritada. We recommend you don’t leave without doing some gastronomic tourism and discovering these ancient flavors of mountain food.

In addition to this, the wide range of accommodation for all budgets and the countless hot springs and spas make Baños a perfect place to relax and renew your energies. You can’t leave without having a traditional spiritual cleansing!

What is indisputable about this city is that it is the perfect place to renew energies. But to understand a little better where this characteristic comes from, let’s check a bit of its fascinating history.

A bit of history about Baños

Baños is a city that was never founded and had no founder figure at all. The place was the settling of isolated groups of Panzaloe and Puruhae aborigines. It later became a hideout for Indians running from the Spaniards and Spaniards who didn’t want to live in their society. This is perhaps what gives Baños that sense of a peaceful and relaxing escapade, where people can be free and enjoy a connection with nature. Of course, It couldn’t escape modernization.

Through the commerce these Spaniards brought and the idea of a silver mine in the place, it later became a more populated town. Passing through one owner to the other, Baños became a set of farms in which people tell there was a miracle. The city’s church, entirely made of wood, burned to the ground, leaving the image of the Virgin Mary – also made of wood – intact. 

Even so,

The city invariably returned to its sparsely populated condition on different occasions due to natural disasters in the area, including several Tungurahua volcano eruptions and the Ambato earthquake. But it also became the first access to the Amazonian region of Ecuador in 1928, after the Ambato – Baños road was built. This road kept the city alive, even after being evacuated several times.

Today, Baños rises as one of the most visited destinations in Ecuador. It shows off its active volcano as a top attraction for tourists in the country. Many of the touristic packages you can find will offer a visit to the volcano! 

Would you dare to get that close to this giant lava explosive? If you’re into photography, this is something you damn sure can’t miss!

What’s the best time to visit Baños, and what should you pack?

Baños is active and ready to receive tourists all year-round. The temperature is most of the year around 18°C to 22°C (65°F to 71°F). However, I would recommend you pack warm enough clothes (think of a fleece jacket and a pair of jeans). 

If you want to make sure you visit in warm weather, you will enjoy the city’s magic from January to May or from September through November. By then, temperatures are between 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F). You may still want to bring a sweater as the nights can be chilly.

During spring, the weather is most pleasant, but there is also the most rainfall in these months. Mainly April is known as a wet month. Don’t forget to bring a waterproof jacket, so you don’t have to miss some of the best tourist attractions!

If you plan on staying inside, relaxing, and forgetting about the world, the rainy season could be the perfect match for you.

In the end, there’s not much of a condition for visiting Baños. As long as you pack some clothes for different weather conditions, you’re ready to go any time you want!

How is being a tourist in Baños?

Being a sacred and spiritual town for their people, Baños offers a peace-filling sense to anyone that steps into its land. People there are full of well-intended energies, and they devote themselves to creating a serene and pleasant atmosphere.

Even so,

That doesn’t mean there’s no room for excitement and a bit of adrenaline, as the location offers the opportunity for many hectic outdoors activities like:

• Parachuting
• Rafting
• Canopy
• Puenting
• Bungee
• Suspension bridges
• Climbing
• Volcano gazing

So, if you’re an adventurer, this is a place you would want to visit!

One thing to consider is that Baños is also one of Ecuadorians favorite destinations, and it is more crowded during Christmas, carnival, and other public holidays. If you’re looking for a less crowded period stance at Baños, we recommend you visit outside public holidays.

Is Baños friendly for backpackers?

As a place minded to be around nature and engage in outdoor activities, Baños receives thousands of backpackers every year. The city offers many affordable hostels, including the community hostel, where the goal is to meet people like you. You can even find a small Couchsurfing community in the town!

The best part is that tons of tours and attractions are on a low budget, allowing you to make the most out of your trip, even when backpacking.

Arriving in Baños as a backpacker is also easy and affordable. The town is quite centric, and many buses get there from the surrounding cities. 

Unfortunately, 

You must be attentive to your belongings at all moments as it’s not rare to see people trying to take advantage of unaware foreigners. If you’re traveling on any public transportation, make sure to be patient, as buses in this area can be considerably infrequent.

Visiting Baños with children: is it family-friendly?

Baños has many thrilling activities, and unique places for kids like La Casa del Árbol. Baños can provide an unforgettable experience for your little ones.

We recommend you book a comfortable hotel and be aware not accidentally book a hostel full of backpackers. It may be a little more expensive it will be worth it.

Finally, you may consider waiting a little bit to visit Baños if your kids are under five, as the wild nature of the place may be too much for toddlers.

Nightlife

While you may think Baños is only for getting in contact with nature, you can also find more than one place to soothe your party spirit. If you’re hungry for some traditional or urban music, head down to Calle Eloy Alfaro, and you’ll find all kinds of pubs and dance clubs.

In your hostel, you may find several other backpackers who are down for an evening full of fan and Latin music!

What makes Baños a unique destination?

Without a doubt, you can recharge your energy in a soothing experience and receive the most honest and naïve hospitality. The fact that you are in the middle of nature makes people in Baños welcoming and tender. 

The aura of the ambiance, protected by the volcano, also brings a sense of being fostered that has the name of “Mama” well earned for the giant smoky mountain… 

A place to visit at least once in your life!