This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Baños.
Baños de Agua Santa is an extremely touristic Andean town, both popular with international and Ecuadorian tourists. Built around the Tungurahua volcano, Baños has developed around touristic needs, so there are plenty of hotels, hostels, restaurants, and tour agencies populating the streets. Baños' accommodation options are amazingly vast, concentrating mainly on budget options all around the center of the town -- it's such a small place that the moment you arrive you will realize that every two buildings, one is probably a Baños de Agua Santa hostel!
Sugar cane products are all around -- sugar cane juice is a local favorite, and you will also see plenty of candy shops selling taffy (sugar cane chewy candy) and actually preparing the taffy right in their entrances. Watching this process is rather entertaining as taffy loads can easily be two meters long and candy makers will beat the paste against the door and walls to make is soft.
One of the most popular touristic activities for people visiting Baños is the "Ruta de las Cascadas" (Cascades Route). Usually done by bicycle, which can be rented at any tour or travel agency in town, this is a route where you can appreciate the beautiful mountain landscape and come across cascades of different dimensions. Several options are available along the route, such as cable cars to get an aerial view of the cascades, zip-lining, or even bungee jumping on a couple of bridges over the river.
Baños is also used as a gateway town for the Ecuadorian Amazon, less than a hundred kilometers away. Using Baños' tour agencies, you can plan for day tours and longer expeditions into the jungle.
Written by local enthusiast for Baños hostels
zararock
