Getting tired of going from city to city in South America? Looking for a break from backpacking to experience something exciting and at the same time relaxing? You definitely cannot miss Baños. Perfectly located in the middle of Ecuador, the backpacker hub of Baños is easily reached if you are travelling either north to south or east to west in this fairly small country.

Surrounded by volcanoes, Baños is a pretty well-developed spot for travelers. The mountains, rivers and waterfalls provide many opportunities for outdoor adventure and travellers can enjoy themselves with rafting, canopy, canoying, hiking, biking and much more! For those who would like to chill out rather than get active, you could spend a whole afternoon in one of the quirky book cafes or treat yourself to a fancy dinner in one of the excellent but great-value-for-money restaurants with all different types of cuisines available. And, not-to-be-missed is relaxing every inch of your muscles by soaking in the local hot springs – the hot water is naturally generated by the volcanic activity surrounding Baños.

Places to stay

• Hostal Plantas y Blanco: Located in the centre with a great rooftop and amazing views. Breakfast served with homemade bread. Clean and neat rooms – worth the cost.
• Hostal D’Mathias: Just a few minutes walk from the bus station, it is a homely and clean place to stay with a great kitchen.

Things to do

• Rafting: Rafting in Rio Negra is available daily in Baños, usually it’s a half day tour (US25 in total for 1.5 hours in water, 1.5 hours transportation and 1 hour lunch included). It could be a good start for beginners as it’s not hard to manage with difficulty of level 3 (I would say it’s actually not really level 3, just a bit more advanced than level 2).

• Canopy Adventures: Getting tired of the old traditional way (i.e. walking and hiking) to explore your surroundings? There’s an option! You can fly over the tops of the canopies to witness the most breath-taking scenery if you are dare to! (US10 for round trip.) Or you want something milder, you could take one of the cable cars to ride between the jungle-clad mountains (around US1.5 for round trip).

• Biking: If you don’t want to pay for a tour package and just want to explore on your own, you can! There are a lot of waterfalls you can visit on your own by a mountain bike and a map. You can rent a bike for US5 for a day.

• Hiking: Tree House (Casa de Arbol) is almost the most symbolic spot in Baños. You can either wake up early to hike all the way up to Tree House or you could pay US1 for the colectivos (shared bus) which departs at 2pm in Baños. The entrance fee is US1 and every bit worth it – make sure you try the high swing and feel the mountains far beneath your feet!

• Hot bath: Gifted by the surrounding volcanos, many locals and tourists will enjoy and relax in the hot pool after a long-day work or activities (one of the popular pools is “La Piscina de la Virgen”, US3 for entrance at night and US2 for day). With 40°C water temperature generated naturally by the volcanoes, you will find yourself inevitably satisfied and your batteries recharged when stepping out of the pool.

• Massage and spa: There are loads of massage and spa shop in Baños. Packages with different price levels refresh your body and spirit before starting the next long haul journey.

How to get there

Baños is easily accessible from different cities and towns in Ecuador by bus. From Quito (6 hours, US6), Tena (2 hours, US2) or Riobamba (1.5 hours, US2).

Where to go next?

• Quito: Heading north to the capital city, Quito for a metropolitan life and visiting Spanish colonial old towns and rock at the night clubbing.

• Tena: Experiencing the traditional life with locals, learning the use of the medicinal plants by walking in the Amazon jungle and rafting in one of the most challenging rivers in South America.

• Riobamba: Climb up the Chimborazo Volcano (6,300m), visit the local markets, take a train to enjoy the original sceneries around Riobamba and its surroundings.

About the writer: Fascinated to explore different cultures and people, Lily is an independent solo traveller from Hong Kong. In 2012, she travelled around Europe for 1.5 years after taking the Siberian train across Asia. After 2 years working in PR, she is now back on the road again exploring the mysteries of South America, volunteering in different places along the way to help local communities achieve a better standard of living. Check out her personal blog, Here is My Next Chapter.