Baños

V!VA User‘s Description

Baños is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Ecuadorian Sierra. The town's full name, Baños de Agua Santa (literally, "baths of the holy waters"), comes from the natural hot springs that run off of neighboring Volcán Tungurahua (5,023 m, 16,480 ft). The town is surrounded by a curtain of bright green mountains, and is an area rich in waterfalls, flora and fauna.

There are natural hot springs under the waterfall splashing into town which, unlike the clean hot springs in Papallacta, are a chocolate brown color and are almost always packed to capacity. The town is full of hostels, restaurants and cafes.

With plenty of hiking, bike paths, spas and tours, there are plenty of activities to keep you entertained. Tourism in Baños hit a pretty serious bump when, in 1999, the Tungurahua Volcano burst to life and the city was evacuated. For almost two years, tourism was brought to an almost complete stand-still as residents and travelers alike held their breath and waited for the inevitable explosion. Luckily, disaster never struck, and life slowly trickled back to this small mountain town.

However, a threat of volcanic activity still remains. Heightened activity was reported in May 2006, followed shortly afterwards in July and August 2006 with eruptions that required evacuation of the surrounding villages. The residents of Baños were reluctant to leave. Though the volcano has since been emitting ominous gurgles and ashy plumes of smoke, activity has been limited to such displays.

Check for news on volcanic activity before visiting Baños. The Smithsonian keeps a running watch on activity worldwide on their website: www.volcano.si.edu. As much of Ecuador lives under the threat of volcanic eruption, you may be surprised at the relaxed attitude locals have toward their fiery neighbor.