Top Things to Do in Baños, Ecuador

written by local expert Anna Faustino

Anna is a co-founder of Adventure in You and has been traveling the world for the last 9 years. She has spent time living in Thailand, Mexico, Indonesia, and Spain and is our local expert in these areas. Her expertise on travel, gear, and building businesses have been featured on Foundr, Business Insider, Yahoo Travel, and more.

Located in Central Ecuador is a small but unassuming town called Baños de Agua Santa, which is more popularly known as Baños. Located at the foothills of the Tungurahua volcano, Baños is undoubtedly the adventure capital of Ecuador.

It’s one big playground for those that are looking for some heart-thumping, adrenaline-filled activities.

With that being said, Baños is also a place that can be enjoyed by everyone given the wide plethora of activities and things to do.

Enjoy the River and Go Whitewater Rafting

Whitewater rafting is undoubtedly one of the most fun activities that you can do while in Baños!

The rapids in The River Pastaza are a mix of Class III to IV rapids, giving us an adventure-filled couple of hours as we made our way through super fun rapids. We booked our activity with Geo Tours who had various packages to choose from.

By the end of the trip, we were left soaked, pumped, and exhilarated. Definitely one of the best whitewater rafting experiences that we’ve done to date. Between the beautiful scenery, the well-trained guides, and the awesome rapids, we had one of the best afternoons that day.

Definitely, a must-do while in Baños!

Read: Getting Wet and Wild in Baños Review adventure banos ecuador

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Eat at the Local Mercado

Amidst the many different types of restaurants that can be found in Baños, the local Mercado is definitely a place you want to check out. Inside this market, you will find various stalls all serving similar dishes.

The best part? Eating here is cheap! A lunch meal here will cost you no more than $3-4 each. Go and try one of the local cuisines in this part of Ecuador, commonly known as llapingacho. Essentially, llapingacho is Ecuadorian chorizo that is fried, served with these potato pancakes, avocado, an egg, and salsa. You can have it on its own or you can have it served with rice.

Trust me, this dish is AMAZING and is one of our favorite dishes throughout all of Ecuador. Plus, it’s super easy to fit it into any kind of Ecuador itinerary because you can find it all over the country!

Wash it down with some fresh fruit shakes which you can also find in the market. Had a little too much to drink the night before? We’ve found out that an order of llapingacho is actually a delicious hangover cure!

If you want to find out more about the country’s cuisine, check out this post on Ecuadorian food.

Jump off Waterfalls as You Go Canyoning in Baños

Together with whitewater rafting, canyoning is another very popular activity in Baños, and is something that we can highly recommend. We recommend checking out this Canyoning Tour here.

Jumping off waterfalls, rappelling down them, and even ziplining your way down is not a bad way to spend a day in Baños. Between the lush scenery as you make your way through this canyon, the thrill and excitement that each jump and rappel gives you won’t disappoint.

Canyoning was definitely an experience that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Again, we booked this activity with Geo Tours and they too did not disappoint. The whole activity was very rugged but still safe. They had different levels to choose from but all had different difficulty levels.

No previous rappelling experience is required, just an awesome sense of adventure!

Read Review: Extreme Canyoning in Baños Review canyoning banos

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Visit the Swing at the End of the World

Casa del Arbol, more popularly known as the “Swing at the End of the World” is a big tourist attraction but is definitely a sight to see.

We rented a Dune Buggy with some friends that we met and headed up the mountain to see this well-known spot. After paying the $1 entrance fee, we soon spotted the wooden treehouse with two swings attached on each side. The swings had a ramp that you could use to swing off the edge of a canyon.

Although scary at first, the view and the feeling of swinging off it was incredible! Despite being very touristy, we definitely recommend a visit to this place! casa del arbol

Hit the Wall and Go Rock Climbing

As with most of the activities in Baños, the natural scenery of the place makes it an ideal playground for activities.

The rock climbing here is set by a nearby river and together with an instructor, you can scale up this massive basalt wall which is appropriate for different climbing levels.

Tom had a blast trying to climb up this huge basalt wall while being challenged by different climbing techniques that the guide was showing him. Regardless if you’re a big climbing enthusiast or just a beginner, this activity is very enjoyable and challenging.

Read: Rock Climbing up Lava Cliffs in Baños Review rock climbing in banos ecuador

Relax and Unwind at a Thermal Bath

Apart from the many adventurous activities, Baños is also known for its many geothermal pools which are a perfect way to end a long adventure-filled day.

You can choose from the many public thermal baths around the city. If you’re feeling extra splashy, head on over to Luna Runtun Spa to get the best views of Baños while you enjoy some rest and relaxation.

Choose between there 4 pools and Jacuzzi as you enjoy a warm soak overlooking the city of Baños. For $20 a person, you can spend 3 hours soaking in their warm pools. They also have a café which serves great food!

We went here on our third evening in Baños where we soaked our tired muscles from all the activities that we had been doing.

Insider Tip: If you’re traveling through Ecuador and are looking for things to do in Quito, thermal baths make for an awesome day trip!

lunaruntun banos

Hang Upside Down on a Zipline

The zipline in Baños thoroughly surprised us! Half expecting to go on one or two, we were amazed to find out that we were going to zoom down 6 different lines, spanning a total area of about 2000m.

The course created by Puntzalan Canopy was super enjoyable as we took in the scenery around us. We were able to zipline in different positions, sitting down, upside down, and my favorite, the superman!

This activity is perfect for families who are looking for a fun activity.

Read: Adventurous Ziplining through Canopies in Baños Reviewzipline banos puntzalan

Hop on a Bus, See the Tungurahua Volcano and a Great View of Baños

When we first heard that there was a volcano erupting in Baños, we were initially alarmed. Little did we know that this was a regular occurrence (although on some days, it is more active than usual).

To make the most out of this awesome display of nature, we hopped on a Chiva bus which went up to a viewpoint. Although the sighting of the volcano erupting isn’t a guarantee, we got lucky because we saw it spew out lava three times during the course of the evening.

The Chiva bus trip cost $4, and runs at different times of the evening. You can inquire in your hostel and they will point you in the right direction. The viewpoint also has awesome views of Baños at night.

banos view Rent Bikes and Ride Down Ruta de las Cascadas

The Route of the Waterfalls is a fun downhill trail that will take you to various waterfalls.

During the course of the trip, you will also get the chance to do a quick zipline, ride an old rickety cable car, and visit the popular Pailon del Diablo (Devil’s Cauldron Waterfall). Once you get to the end of the route, there are plenty of trucks to take you back up the uphill road. Being that the Pailon del Diablo is the second biggest waterfall in Ecuador, it is definitely worth seeing! ruta de las cascadas

Fly up in the Sky over a Volcano and Go Paragliding

The last activity that we did in Baños was by far my favorite!

Paragliding is very common in Ecuador, but I am glad that I reserved that experience for Baños as the views were incredible. It was honestly the closest thing to flying and I enjoyed every minute of it. (Although I do admit to getting a bit dizzy after the pilot spun around a couple of times!)

The guide was young and energetic and made me feel completely safe during the entire flight. It was a pretty awesome experience flying over an active and erupting volcano. Self-high five!

Read: Paragliding Over a Volcano in Baños Review paragliding ecuador

There you have it! Between jumping off waterfalls to steering your way through fun rapids, there are so many awesome things to do in Baños. We would have stayed for longer if we had more time as we thoroughly enjoyed the cool weather and the range of adventurous activities to do.

Can you recommend anything else to do in Baños? Comment below!


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