Baños de Santa Agua: Exclusive Adventure Travel in Ecuador

Bãnos de Santa Agua

Baños de Agua Santa—often simply called Baños—is nestled at 1,820 meters at the foot of the active Tungurahua Volcano. Often referred to as Ecuador’s “Adventure Capital,” Baños stitches together thermal springs, lush cloud forest, and thundering waterfalls. Baños itself is relaxed, friendly, and compact enough to explore on foot or by bicycle.

The Ruta de las Casacadas, a popular mountain biking route stretching 58 miles, begins in Baños, passing spectacular falls along the way. A ride down this route rewards travelers with amazing views of waterfalls such as Agoyan, The Bride’s Cloak, The Devil’s Cauldron, Machay, and San Pedro.

Even the land is active in Baños. The Tungurahua Volcano, rising south of the city, entered an eruptive phase in 1999, after 80 years of slumber. In addition to heating the area’s springs, this volcano regularly spews smoke and ash. Plans to visit Baños should be coordinated with recommendations from the national geophysics organization.

Sangay National Park

Sangay National Park, 43 miles southeast of Baños, protects ecosystems ranging from glaciers to tropical rainforest. Sangay’s 1.3 million-acre territory includes a network of 324 lakes and lagoons, three volcanoes, and vast expanses of highland and lowland ecosystems. Sangay is vital habitat for rare species such as:

Mountain Tapirs
Spectacled Bears
Giant Otters
Jaguars
Condors
Giant Hummingbirds

Sangay and Galapagos are the only two parks in Ecuador to be declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

What to do in Baños

LANDED arranges privately guided experiences that showcase Baños’s dramatic setting. Here, guests can:

Ride horses in the Andes
Hike and bike trails along the Ruta de las Cascadas
Raft and kayak the roaring Pastaza River
Rappel and canyoneer down waterfalls
Bungee jump
Zipline
Hike ice-clad volcanoes
Nighttime volcano viewing touris during periods of light to moderate eruptive activity
Wildlife watching and birding in Sangay
Visit artisans. Baños handcraft stores are famous for their brightly painted wooden parrots.

After a full day of activity in the countryside, you can relax with a massage and a soothing soak in the town’s mineral-rich thermal baths. Additional pick-me-ups present themselves in the forms of traditional sugarcane taffy (melcocha), insulin-spiking sugarcane juice (jugo de caña), and nightly performances of traditional music at the city’s peñas.

Baños also serves as an excellent base for short explorations of the Amazon Basin. Day trips and multi-day excursions to the Puyo, Rio Napo, and Cuyabeno are possible. Visitors to Baños can canoe on the Rio Napo, stay with Quichuas indigenous communities, and observe charismatic wildlife.

What is the Weather Like?

Baños has a mild, subtropical highland climate with average temperatures between 59°F and 64°F throughout the year. Rain is possible year-round, with heavier showers from October through May. Mornings are often clear, with rain more likely in the afternoon.

These averages are changing. Please check extended weather forecasts using your favorite weather app prior to departure.

Getting There

Baños is located about three and a half hours south of Quito by road, and roughly 1.5 hours from Riobamba, a key stop along the Avenue of the Volcanoes. It also serves as a natural connection point between the highlands and the Amazon Basin. LANDED arranges private overland transfers and charter flights throughout Ecuador, ensuring seamless travel between regions.

Start your journey today

LANDED delivers the finest in custom, private travel to Central America, South America, and Antarctica. These regions are our passion; we know them first-hand and by heart. Speak with one of our travel designers and let us create a tailored itinerary for you in Baños.