Baños Things to See and Do

With striking natural beauty and a range of companies catering to the adventuresome spirit, there's no shortage of things to do in Baños. For $4-5 you can rent a bike for the day and follow the mostly downhill road through spectacular scenery and past several waterfalls, some of which splash onto your path. This can be a half-day or an all-daytrip depending on how fast you go and how far you take the path. To go all the way to Puyo is 60 km. Most travelers stop 17 km (10 miles) down the road at the beautiful Pailón del Diablo waterfall.

Tours to view the naturally illuminated Tungurahua Volcano depart every night at 9 p.m. and return at 11 p.m. and should only be taken on very clear nights. If there are any clouds, you won’t be able to see the volcano at all. There are two basic tours to choose from: a chiva tour and a van tour. The chiva tour is generally a bit cheaper at $3, and while it doesn’t offer the highest lookout, it is more fun as it is an open-air vehicle with music, and a campfire and hot chocolate or coffee at the top. The van tour, $4, gives you a better chance to see the volcano, but if there are clouds the tour offers no alternative to staring at the cloudy horizon while standing on the side of the road. Bring a jacket, as it is cool at night.

Tour agencies fill pretty much every block in Baños offering every variety of adventure sports from bungee jumping off bridges to rafting and everything in between. Tours to the Amazon Basin are also popular.