Lowri Baños de Agua Santa is a definite must for travellers backpacking through Ecuador looking for budget-friendly activities.
Said to be the ‘Adventure Capital of Ecuador’, and perhaps South America, Baños is an adrenaline-junkies dream. There’s zip-lining, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, canyoning (abseiling), paragliding and more.
Even if adventure sports aren’t your thing, a trip to Baños is a great way to check out the country’s more rural mainland. We discovered plenty to explore here and it was a great way for us to unwind after a busy few days in Quito.
The town reminded us very much of San Gil in Colombia, except slightly bigger and more touristy – note that we chose to visit a resort town on a busy bank holiday… Not normally our thing as we prefer to avoid crowds but we found they brought a fun and lively energy to the streets which added to our trip.
So we have put together this “Ultimate Guide to Baños, Ecuador” to share the best activities this exciting town has to offer budgeting backpackers in South America!
What to do in Baños
Visit Casa Del Arbol
Arguably one of the most well-known attractions in South America is Baños’ famed “Swing at the End of the World”. It certainly is the ultimate swing ride!
Plus the insane photo opportunity is hard for travellers to pass up.
Since it was pretty busy on our visit we were grateful to find there are in fact two swings, one each side of the tree house. We still had to queue around 20 minutes, which did nothing to help my nerves. Neither did the people’s screams.
I think the anticipation is always more nerve-wracking. The swing-ride itself was completely exhilarating!
Obviously the swing is awesome because of the surrounding mountainous landscape and death-defying drop below, but we have to give credit to the swing pushers. Two guys (each pushing a swing) were relentless in their efforts to make each push/launch the highest! Kudos to them.
What makes this memorable ride even better is it costs just $1 USD. Surely any budget backpacker can afford this?! Aside from the ride itself, there isn’t a whole let else within the park. Maybe bring a picnic and enjoy the views!
To physically get to La Casa del Arbol, the majority of travellers take the bus. It’s a 45 minute ride costing just one more dollar. Bargain.
If you want to be even cheaper again you can hike there. Since the swing is at the top of a mountain though, be prepared for a pretty strenuous hike there. We were told it take around 3 hours.
I was happy to take the bus. Rhys insisted on renting a bike. It was a great way to explore the countryside in fairness, although not super budget friendly. Sometimes you just have to treat yourselves.
Tip: If renting any bikes or ATVs be sure to negotiate. We got the bike down from $30 to $25 for 2 hours. It really was worth it.
Tip 2: Maybe don’t rent a vehicle to visit La Casa del Arbol as we did. We spent 40 minutes of our 2 hours in the park instead of making use of the bike. Hindsight.
Cycle the Rutas de las Cascadas
A trip to Baños would not be complete without cycling down the Rutas de las Cascadas (Route of the waterfalls). This 4-5 hour (thankfully downhill) cycle is a great way to spend the day exploring some of Baños’ outskirts.
We were able to rent bikes directly from our hostel for just $6 USD each. A bargain for a whole days activity if you look at it that way!
Our first stop, barely a 15 minute cycle away, was near the village Ulba. Here we parked our bikes for the 10 minute walk to see our first two waterfalls, which we were grateful to enjoy all to ourselves.
Back on the bikes, the majority of other waterfalls are viewed on route, from the road. Along with the dramatic cliffs and gorges, they make for some beautiful scenery.
While it’s hardly a workout cruising down the road, the bike seat still takes its toll. Breaks were essential. Which is why we recommend setting off early enough to allow this.
Along the route are various spots to go ziplining! Or less intense, cyclists can take a walk to stretch the legs.
We didn’t think we had given ourselves enough time for either sadly however we did enjoy a picnic while watching terrified travellers launch themselves down the ziplines.
Tip: Locations to purchase food and water along the route are fairly limited, so we recommend bringing a packed lunch, snacks and plenty of water.
Rather than miss out entirely, we still managed to cross the canyon at least. We paid just a dollar to board this rickety, metal contraption which was motored by an old car engine. While slightly terrifying, the views from over the canyon were awesome.
Our cycle ended 16km from Baños, in Rio Verde at the main attraction, Pailon del Diablo) (the Devil’s Cauldron).
The trek to Pailon del Diablo certainly made us appreciate we hadn’t exerted our legs on the cycle. There are a lot of steps to get down to this waterfall, which means coming back up!
We heard the raging water of these falls long before we saw it. The sheer power of it is immense! To get up close and personal with the beast there are some steep steps leading to a small viewing platform. Just make sure your camera is waterproof!
Having made our way 16 or so kilometers downhill there was no way I was cycling back up. Thankfully there’s a cheat for the less athletic backpackers like us.
There are trucks that regularly depart Rio Verde making the journey back to Baños specifically for visitors cycling the Rutas de las Cascadas. It cost us just $2 USD each to get back to town with our bikes. Another bargain in our eyes.
Note: The trucks back to Baños only run until around 5pm. It might be worth double-checking with your hostel but this is why we recommend setting off early in the morning.
Test your limits
You really don’t have to look hard for ways to get your heart racing in Baños (there’s a reason it’s called Ecuador’s adventure capital). Just taking a stroll through town we found countless tour operators all vying for our attention to sell us an excursion.
Having not yet ziplined, that was top of our list!
We shopped around, trying to suss out the best deal before deciding on a 3-in-1 adventure hour. It included ziplining, climbing and a suspension bridge crossing. All for just $25 USD each. Perfect.
We had to hang out for a bit while the operator tried to sell more tours but with no one else joining we were sent off into the mountains in a taxi alone. It was around 15 minutes out of town to Parque Aventura San Martin, where they operated all the activities.
Things moved much quicker here as we were quickly checked-in, geared-up and good to go!
After bungee jumping in San Gil, you might think ziplining would be a breeze! Think again.
While initially giddy with excitement, once I was gazing down from the top of the zipline I could feel my nerves firing up again. Rhys was also a little nervous but he hides it so much better than me. I swear it makes me panic more for the both of us, ha!
Luckily my fear gave way to pure elation as I was racing head-first down the line, feeling like I was flying. Reunited at the bottom both Rhys and I were grinning ear to ear.
On Cloud 9, my never-ending emotional rollercoaster took yet another nose-dive as we then made our way to the suspension bridge…
I had seriously misjudged the zipline being the scariest part of this adventure trio.
The old, thin, wobbling-all-over-the-place suspension bridge seriously tested my limits. Maybe 100ft high, suspended above rocks and raging water and secured by a measly single carabiner. I’m amazed I wasn’t sick!
However after some deep breathing and motivation pep-talks, I finally made it across. I think the guide who was following behind me thought I was insane. I guess he wouldn’t be entirely wrong.
Feeling victorious after the crossing, we were both excited for the climbing portion. Again, that was until we were aware of what it actually entailed.
I normally have an issue with heights when climbing, and that’s starting from the ground! Being strapped to the cliff via two carabiners and being left to it by the guide made it even more scary.
I reckon I climbed that mountain in record speed! I completely abandoned poor Rhys! It felt very good to get my feet back on solid, safe ground.
In my adrenaline-induced haze, I hadn’t really thought about being the wrong side of the canyon. How would we get back? Another zipline it seemed!
I genuinely welcomed the final zipline as a great way to end on a high. Plus we got to do it in tandem which made it even better.
When our taxi returned us to town we made a beeline for the nearest bar. I swear mojitos have never tasted so good!
Watch the sunset from Mirador La Virgen
This was a spontaneous hike we hadn’t been aware was even a thing until we got invited by a few other backpackers from our hostel. It was in fact the hostel’s staff that had recommended it as a great spot for a beer at sunset.
We were told that it was an easy 10 minute walk to the top. I would argue that this was not totally the most accurate description, although that could have something to do with our fitness. Or the altitude. We blamed the altitude a lot.
We climbed over 650 steps to reach the dizzying heights of the Virgen de Santa Agua statue. The views over the town and beyond were definitely worth the effort.
Of the best things about this attraction? It’s completely free!
Enjoy the nightlife
There is such an array of bars and nightclubs in Baños, it would be rude not to visit at least one of them. Plus you’ve got to use these opportunities to socialise when you’re backpacking.
Given that we visited during the ‘Independence of Guayaquil’ Public Holiday, despite it being slow season, the town was bordering on maximum capacity. During the nights the streets were filled with young Ecuadorians who had come to escape the city for a heavy weekend in the mountains.
The lights, the noise, the people everywhere! It was definitely a fun time.
One of our favourites in Baños was The Leprechuan bar. They housed a massive fire-pit and served flaming rainbow-coloured shots. One of the girls in our group even managed to swing us a free round somehow!
We also visited Goobar and Volcan which were great for dancing and enjoying some classic reggaeton (a mandatory experience when backpacking through South America). However I don’t think you could go wrong wherever you end up if you’re looking for a good atmosphere.
The only thing we will make a point of is staying together as a group. In a small town like Baños it can be really easy to get too comfortable and let your guard down. Especially after a few drinks. Take basic precautions and never walk anywhere alone at night.
Try Cuy
Pronounced “koy”, this South American specialty is in fact barbecued guinea pig. It is typically eaten on special occasions which might explain its popularity over that bank holiday weekend.
It’s rare appearance on a local’s dinner table could also be due to it’s surprisingly high price tag. It cost up to $20 USD for just one of these flame-grilled rodents!
If you want to try cuy but not break your budget, then they are available in halves or quarters. We sadly decided to give it a miss on this occasion.
Have a Spa Day
Baños de Santa Agua is so named after the thermal baths in this region.
Termas de la Virgen is a popular spot located right in town, near the Cascada de la Virgen waterfall, and is just $2 USD (note this does not include towels and lockers).
Unfortunately for us, weekends and public holidays (when we were there) are mega busy. The prospect of a communal bath didn’t carry much appeal however we were later told you can avoid the crowds by visiting early morning on a weekday.
In addition to the baths, there are a large number of massage parlours around town. You seriously cannot miss them. Whether we were lugging backpacks or pushing bikes, it wouldn’t stop the local ladies popping their head’s out shouting, “Massage! Massage!“.
Most parlours seemed to offer 30 minute massages for ~$15, or one hour for $25. Even a backpacker on a budget can indulge with these prices! Unfortunately Rhys hates them so I couldn’t convince him to have one.
Drink Canelazo
This was a wonderful new discovery for me: a boozey, spiced, passion-fruit-flavoured hot drink! Anything passion fruit, I’m there. Apparently it’s a popular beverage throughout the Andean highlands.
Recommended by a server in a Baños bar, the hot sweet juice was served alongside a bottle (yes, I said bottle) of clear spirit which is to be added. The spirit was similar to Aguardiente which we had tried in Colombia. I think they gave me the bottle, confident I wouldn’t be adding very much. They were right, ha.
I totally recommend keeping a look-out for this drink to give it a go. Sadly I didn’t take a picture of mine…
Check out the bins
Bit of a random one, but it really is a thing here. The weird-looking, creepy-clown-bins, I mean. You can’t ignore them!
Most were just funny but some were very disturbing. Especially if, like me, you don’t like clowns.
I have tried researching, but I cannot find the reason why these bins are a thing in Baños. Please feel free to share if you know.
Where to stay in Baños
Because Baños was a last minute addition to our Ecuador itinerary, and it was a public holiday weekend, we had fairly slim-pickings left on the hostel front.
However I feel like we got pretty lucky where we stayed. La Casa del Molino Blanco was a 10 minute walk up the hill from town which meant it was very quiet and peaceful.
The hostel itself was small, clean and had a nice outside seating area; a great way to meet other travellers.
There was also access to a kitchen (from midday onward) and a decent breakfast was included each morning. Their pancakes were awesome!
While we did love our hostel, it had not been our first choice. Had we not come on a busy weekend we would have loved to check out Hostal Chimenea. This hostel boasted a pool, had awesome reviews and was the same cost at around $8 USD for a dorm bed.
How to get to Baños
Baños was easy enough to get to from Quito. We simply made our way to Terminal Quitumbe, the south bus terminal, and hopped on a bus to Banos! They run every 30 minutes or so during the day. The one-way journey cost us $4 USD each and took a-less-than-expected 3 hours to get there.
Being a popular tourist destination, buses run to Baños from many other large cities in Ecuador including Guayaquil and Cuenca. If you’re struggling to find anything direct, you can take a bus to Ambato and change for the remaining hour to Baños.
Tip: Be sure when travelling to always keep your valuables on your lap. We heard several stories of bags being slashed or even in one sneaky instance where a backpack was opened and then closed after money and passports were removed. Not a fun issue to resolve.
So to reiterate, for backpackers who find themselves in Ecuador, we definitely recommend taking a trip into the Andes to experience the country’s adventure capital. We hope our Ultimate Guide to Baños will help you on your way. Happy travels!
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