Adventure Guide to Banos Ecuador
Banos is undeniably the adrenaline junkie capital of Ecuador. It’s a medium-ish sized town in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. It’s as much of a tourist town as it is a popular weekend getaway for Ecuadorians. It’s hard not falling in love with this place and all that it offers. Here is a short guide to the best activities in and around the town.
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Routa de la Cascadas
-Rent a bike from Wonderful Ecuador $5 from 8am-8pm. Take off to see some of the best scenery Banos offers and a series of their most popular waterfalls. Pack a lunch and have at it just after Pillion del Diablo, the crown jewel of Banos’ waterfalls. Nearly all the road will be downhill, the rental shop will provide a detailed map.
-You can also take the same route via 4 wheeler rental, go-cart rental or the open air tour trucks leaving 4 times a day. Tickets sold EVERYWHERE in the town. The public bus is also available to some main stops such as Pailon del Diablo.
-$1.50 Includes the trail to the base of Diablo and $2 for the trail above the fall.
-$2 Return to Banos via truck outside of Diablo. This saves you the uphill ride back.
Ride across the canyon to get a closer view $1
You can also take one of these open air trucks if you’d rather not take the bike, they run the same route 4 times a day.
At the base of Pailon del Diablo
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Casa de Arbol
-If you’re headed to Ecuador then you’ve probably heard about the treehouse at the end of the world? If not where have you been?! It’s a super cool treehouse swing right over the edge of the mountain with awesome views of the volcano and valley below.
-Bus ride $2 round trip.
-Entrance $1, avoid weekends and holidays.
First attempt at the tree house was a fail, zero visibility
Second attempt at the tree house was much better
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Las Antenas
-Hike up to a pair of antennas for one of the best views of the volcano and town on a clear day.
-Cross the San Francisco bridge, follow the road until the trail sign leading you off to a secondary road. A short distance later you’ll see the foot path on the side of the road marked with red. It’s about 2 hours to the top.
-Free.
View of the city from Las Antenas
Can’t see the volcano but it’s there!
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Thermal Pools
-Take a dip in the thermal waters flowing right from the Earth. They are perfect for a relaxing evening. Don’t forget to rinse off afterwards or you’ll walk back to your hostel smelling faintly like rotten eggs. Trust me! I learned this the hard way.
-Las Piscinas de la Virgen is located at the edge of the town.
-El Salado is a newer location 15-20 minutes walk from the main plaza.
-Entrance $3
-Avoid both locations like the plague on the weekends. They are super crowded with visiting Ecuadorian families. I went on a Friday and it was so crowded I never got into the pool. I couldn’t get over the idea of how many children there were, all potentially guilty of pool peeing.
-The pools are said to be emptied and refilled at 0500 & 1700.
TIP: Before you pay your entrance to the hot springs climb the stair case to the right and check out if it’s too crowded or not.
Hair caps are mandatory in the thermal pools. They can be bought on site $1
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Bungee Jumping
-$20 instead of booking in an agency wait until you see the setup along The San Francisco bridge. These seemed to be every two days or so and will save you some money showing up as a walk in.
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Rafting
-$30 for half day is also a good option if you’re not afraid of a little cold water. Don’t forget your helmet!
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Extras
-Zip lining, Hiking Volcano Tungurahua,
Nightlife
-The party starts at Leprechaun or Volcan. They are right across the street from each other and neither has an entrance fee. Check out both of them to see which vibe you like more.
- Leprechaun seems to be more catered towards foreign travelers.
- Volcan seems to be more of the Ecuadorian crowd.
Accomodations
- Don Diego – $9 for a single or $15 for a double room. Clean, simple, friendly staff located across from the bus terminal. Note: Although they did claim to have a kitchen it turned out to be more of a room with a propane fueled burner and not much else. Wifi available in office area.
- Great Hostels Backpackers Los Pinos – If you’re looking for a social backpackers spot then this may be for you. I didn’t stay here but I did meet up for drinks at their bar. From what I could gather I would recommend a stay.
- Camping Illuchi – $4 p/p. A campsite with full amenities and a great view of the town.
Food
- Local Mercado – Almuerzos $3-4
- A Lo Mera Mera – Best Mexican food in all of South America! Try the chicken or veggies burrito. $3.50-$5.00
- Chocolate Empanadas – $1.50. The name doesn’t sound so appealing does it? Don’t worry they have all types of empanadas available. All made fresh at the time of ordering! Try the spinach and cheese or my favorite the chicken and cheese. The family has been there for 3 generations. It’s a simple shop but they know what they are doing! Located just across from the bus terminal.
- Sugar Cane – Start your sugar cane addiction. Banos is flooded with sugar cane. You can buy it in all forms juice, taffy, stalks and more. You name it and Banos will provide when it comes to sugar cane goodies. The shops are literally every 10 feet in and around the town.
Arrival & Departure
- Bus come and go from Quito, Ambato and Guayaquil multiple times throughout the day.
Afterthoughts
I loved Banos!!! It’s amazingly beautiful and comes at a good price vs quality ratio. It’s jam packed with weekend warrior locals from Friday until Sunday but relatively low key during the week. It’s the perfect place to relax for a few days or go nuts if you’d like. In a country that is often skipped out on because of the higher prices respective to its neighbors Banos is a gem.
