Swinging at 2,600m in Baños
It’s all swings and waterfalls in the little town of Baños. Not something many towns can lay claim to. You can float high above the world, swinging your heart out then pop down the road and marvel at the cascadas.
This town brought out my inner-adventurer - and my inner-child. In espanol, Baños means toilet. I giggled like a 4 year old every time I told people I was in a really beautiful toilet. For the sophisticated out there, Baños takes its name from the local mineral rich hot springs surrounding the the region but to me, it will always be toilet-town.
I don’t want to crap all over Baños, it is in fact a place of great beauty. You can hike the immense lush hills, mountain bike through valleys explore countless waterfalls, zipline, abseil down waterfalls or rest your body in the healing hot springs. For the tastebuds, Ecuador makes tasty chocolate which needs to be sampled at every opportunity.
From behind the falls
Extreme waterfalling
Baños is renowned for its waterfalls. And there’s plenty of ways to experience them - ziplining, canyoning, walking under them or simply stare at them. For me, I hired a mountain bike and hit the 26km road to see them all. The most impressive is Pailon del Diablo - the Devil’s Cauldron which is an impressive 80m high. The stairway leading to its raging water pit is exhilarating as is immersing yourself under its force. Did somebody say wet t-shirt competition?
Sunday draws a big local crowd
Swing at the End of the World
Swings are fun but swinging at 2,600m overlooking Volcano Tungurahua takes it to another level. Feeling adventurous I decided to hike up from Baños - a gruelling 1.5 hour hike up one of the steepest hills of my life. A never ending torturous hill that left me gasping desperately for air and burned my eyes raw from the torrents of sweat. But it made the swing all the sweeter.
Getting to this point was the easy part - the steep mountain awaits - patiently
There’s plenty to do in toilet town - while it doesn’t sound like much, it is very worth of your time. So take in a magazine and sit for a while.
The ever-helpful tourist information centre
DO
Bike the routa de la cascades- hire mountain bikes through Wonderful Ecuador
Hike to the Mirador Virgen and then up to Casa del Arbol (it’s quite the hike)
Stare at Volcan Tungurahua
Devils cauldron
Hold onto your stomach on the Swing at the End of the World, Casa Arbol
Take a dip in the thermal springs
Whitewater rafting, canyoning waterfalls and zip lining with Wonderful Ecuador tours.
Christian, my biking buddy for the day who'd I'd been fortunate to meet in Peru #smallworld
EAT & DRINK
Honey Cafe makes a mean baked eggs for breakfast and good coffee
Amore hot chocolate is where you'll find the best local chocolate
Hostal Plantas y Blanco has a rooftop terrace for a delicious healthy breakfast and a resturant downstairs serving up a great local and contemporary menu
Cafe Hood for hearty western meals
If you can find it, there's a quality but shop across from the mercado. Stock up!
SLEEP
Hostal Cordillera de Los Andes was central and cheap. But I scored a private room for $8.
Instagram: @thelisaphillips #somedaysherpa
