Baños De Agua Santa

Population: 16,000

Elevation: 1820m

Currency: US Dollar

Famous for: Thermal baths, fresh pressed cane juice, Melcocha (handspun sugarcane taffy) and extreme sports

Food and Drink: Big bottle of Pilsner beer $1, Baños' traditional plate - Llapingacho (Rice, tortilla, egg, chorizo and salad)

Accommodations: $6 - $10 per person

Recommendations: Stay at the Hostal Chimenea (Martinez and Viera, 2742725) for excellent service, clean rooms with hot water and free Internet. $6.50 - $8.50 per person

Try the Chaulafan Especial at El Chamaquito Restaurant (Alfaro and Ambato) $3.00

Even the most novice Spanish speaker is well accustomed with the phrase "¿Dónde está el baño?" but fear not - Spanish is not necessary in the tourist haven of Baños de Agua Santa. Located in Ecuador's Central Highlands, just a 3.5-hour bus ride from Quito on the way to Riobamba, there is a fairytale-like feel to this lively town.

Travelling to Baños de Agua Santa, Ecuador

Stepping into the narrow streets of Baños, you're tempted by friendly store owners offering canyoning, horseback riding and rafting packages - to name a few. Walk a little further to the central plaza and the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Agua Santa where you can pose for an instant Polaroid with a wooden horse for $2. If that sounds like a strange diversion, just around the corner from the church you come face to face with a rhinoceros shaped trolley which takes you on a whimsical fifteen minute tour of Baños for $1 adults/$.75 children.

The streets are bustling with Andean women with child slung around their back in a cloth carrier as they wander past the tour operators unbothered. It is as if two worlds are living simultaneously as one in Baños - the world of the Andean people and the world of the visitor. There is a comfortable balance between a tourist trap and a charming Highland getaway that makes visiting this town a must when visiting Ecuador.   

At an elevation of 1820m, Baños sits in the lush valley of the active Tungurahua volcano and hosts thousands of adventure-seeking travellers each year. Ecuadorians and international vacationers flock to Baños to soak in the green, brown and yellow waters of the many thermal baths that surround the town. The waters are known for their medicinal and therapeutic powers and are Baños' claim to fame.

Just a five-minute walk from the main plaza you find the Piscinas de La Virgen which lie at the bottom of a waterfall and are open daily from 4:30am to 10pm with a temporary closure from 5-6pm for a routine cleaning. Bathing suit rental is available for $1 / $.50 along with the $1.60 / $.80 entrance fee.

Natural healing powers of the waters in Baños

Sonia Purplla of Quito makes the trek to Baños once every two months just to wade in the therapeutic waters. She swims up to the edge of the murky green bath with a wide smile on her face - you would never guess she suffered from a constant pain in the joints and muscle of her arms.

"If I could, I would come to Baños every 15 days," says Purplla. "I get a pain in my arms every time I sleep and the pain is gone almost instantaneously when I get in the thermal baths." It has been half and hour since she noticed any stiffness or aching - well worth the ride from Quito.

The waters of the thermal baths are considered blessed because they contain high amounts of medicinal and therapeutic minerals infused from the soil and rock of the volcano. Fanny Mena works at the office at the Piscinas de La Virgen and explains that the elderly as well as people recovering from surgery visit the baths to speed up the healing process. She is a firm believer in the natural powers of the waters and even points to a ramp for wheel chair access, a rare feature in Ecuadorian architecture.

The next pool over is packed with kids playing, laughing and swimming around in inflatable animals. If bathing with splashing children and families doesn't appeal to you, go early in the morning to enjoy the calm waters like Sonia Purplla opts to do. If you're feeling adventurous after your morning soak, pick from the list of extreme sports Baños and surrounding areas have to offer.

Discover your own Ecuadorian adventure: Waterfall swims, rafting, bridge jumping & pueting

Canyoning, rafting, hiking, biking, mountain climbing, horseback riding and three to seven day jungle tours are available on every street corner and offer competitive prices. Llanganates Expediciones (16 de Diciembre and Ambato) is one of many reputable tour companies that offer customized or group packages to fit any budget. They have been in business for over 13 years and know the ins-and-outs of the Ecuadorian landscape. For $6 Llanganates Expediciones offers a four-hour waterfall tour with a ride on a cable car and a swim in the Cascada Machay. Dozens of other companies around the town centre have half-day rafting and lunch trips for $25 or half day horseback riding for $16.

For the best adrenaline rush in Baños take the plunge off one of the many bridges around town. Puenting is the sport of swing jumping off bridges and can be booked through companies such as Adventure Equatorland (Rocafurte and 16 de Diciembre) or Ivagatours (Rocafuerte and 16 de Diciembre).

Puenting in Baños has been a popular sport for about ten years explains Angel Moyota, Adventure Equatorland's tour guide. The equipment is imported from North America and Europe and is routinely inspected and maintained. The sport itself is legal if booked through a tour company, but beware of companies that solicit jumps by waiting on the bridge for potential jumpers. These companies that wait with equipment on site pose a threat to you and passing motorists, so choose the safe option and book your jump in advance.

Of course, falling 70 meters from the Puente San Francisco is not for everyone. If you just want to party and meet other travellers, you've chosen the right place. Baños has well over 100 hostels and inns and two main streets packed with bars, discos and 24-hour food stands. The atmosphere - day or night - is friendly, safe and busy. For solo travelers looking for an adventure or families on a weekend holiday, Baños is the place to be when visiting Ecuador's Central Highlands.

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