Baños was our favorite city in Ecuador! The city is tucked away in between lush green mountains surrounded by waterfalls. The scenery is spectacular! There are plenty of activities for all ages, and of course, there are the steam baths. After all, it is what the city is named after- the full name is Baños de Agua Santa. Below are our top 6 activities to experience in Baños on a budget.
1. The Thermal Baths
This is a given and a must! After the long bus ride to get here, you deserve a nice steamy bath to relax. We stayed at Hostal Chiminea, which was located a short 3 minute walk to the baths. The baths that we visited were the ones in town right at the base of the the largest waterfall. Entrance fee is $3.00 USD at night after 6pm, and $2.00 USD during the day before 4pm. This location closes from 4-6pm to drain the baths and clean them. We went twice, and if you want to avoid the local crowd, we suggest you go during the day on a weekday. Sunday was super crowded and we were rubbing up next to strangers. It was a little invasive at times.
Tip: Start in the bath on the top next to the cold springs, as the one bath on the left as you enter is HOT! I mean hot, like 108 degrees fahrenheit. Plus, the one at the top is near the cold water spring to close those pores.
Also, at the front counter where you purchase a shower cap, tell them you want to rent one and you will be charged $0.50 USD instead of a dollar.
2. Go Canyoning
Who doesn’t want to jump off waterfalls, float down a river backwards, repel down cliffs, and zip-line? This was a rad experience for both of us! We had the opportunity to jump off a 26 ft. waterfall, zip-line 20 ft. above the river, and repel down two different cliffs. There are options all over the city, but we recommend booking through Ivaga Tours and doing the 3 hour tour for $70 USD/person. Even with this expenditure, we made our budget the four days we were there, and we highly recommend this experience. We had two guides all to ourselves, they took amazing photos and videos with their GoPro, and made us feel safe throughout the experience. Check out one of the photos from the day!
3. Go See the Waterfall Pailon Del Diablo
This waterfall outside of Baños is a must see- it was jaw-dropping! There are tour companies all over Baños that will take you here and to a few more waterfalls outside of town, but if you are on a budget like us, take the bus. You can catch it right outside of the Mercado for $0.25 USD/person and get dropped off right in front of the entrance. Remember there are two sides of the waterfall to explore. The bus will drop you off at the entrance closer to town. You can walk down and take photos of the gushing water. Then, walk out the entrance and across the bridge to walk down to the bottom of Pailon Del Diablo – the Devil’s Cauldron. Trust me, the views are well worth it and only costs $4.00 USD for each entrance fee.
4. Drink Some Hot Chocolate
The chilling temperatures and the high altitude of Baños create a perfect climate for a hot chocolate. We recommend going to Aromi Cafe Y Chocolate. They have chocolate truffles, chocolate bars of different varieties and flavors, and of course hot chocolate. For $3.00 USD they will make you a hot chocolate out of any chocolate bar of your choosing, or for $1.50 USD they have their house chocolate. We opted for this and we can tell you it was simply divine!
5. Try Hornado Inside the Mercado
This is by far my favorite Ecuadorian dish! Hornado is a whole roasted pig with crispy skin, served with hominy, tomato and red onion salad, and Lapingachos. Lapingachos are mashed potatoes stuffed with cheese, fried, and covered with a sauce. My mouth is watering as I write this. It is so delicious! The best place to try hornado is inside the Mercado in the center of town. It is located right across from the grocery store, and also where you catch the bus to Pailon Del Diablo. You can get hornado for $4.00 USD.
6. Get a Massage
Just like the canyoning tours, there are plenty of options for massages in town to choose from. Some actually cover you with chocolate. We booked ours through Hostal Chiminea, where we stayed in Baños. For $25.00 USD, we received a 1 1/2 hour hot rock massage inside our hotel. It was finished off with a cleansing tea and the whole experience was much needed. After 4 days exploring Baños, it was the perfect way to decompress, relax, and prepare ourselves for the bus ride out of town to our next adventure.
Like it, Pin it for later!
