Well, that is a great question. And while this is not a story about our bathroom emergencies, it is a tale of our visit to the town of ‘baths’. Baños de Aqua Santa, commonly referred to as Baños, is located in the mountain highlands of Ecuador. The town gets its name for the many hot springs located in the city and rests at the foot of the volcano Turgurahua. The Pastaza River flows in the valley which is harnessed for hydroelectricity before it heads down to the Amazon basin. The city sits in a narrow valley at around 6000ft and the relief of the surrounding mountain volcanos is stunning. The high angle slopes that buttress the city rise up to 16,000ft. The high terrace cultivation on these steep slopes boggles the mind.
Baños is hands-down a tourist town! Tourists from everywhere flock to Baños for whitewater rafting, mountain biking, kayaking, zip-lines, and relaxing in the hot springs, to name just a few of the available activities. It was quite the scene. Touristy “Chivas” buses with loud music and colorful murals were filled with tourists. The buses bustled down a narrow highway as they leap-frogged each other at road side attractions. Picture the scene in the movie “Caddy Shack” where the club pool was open for the “Caddies” from 12pm-12:15pm. Sounds like fun, right!? This is when I introduce you all to Fredy.
Fredy was our chauffeur, historian, guide, hotel owner, photographer and amigo. He picked us up in Tena and drove us to his hotel in Baños. Along with the ride he provided us a valuable history lesson about Ecuador, its leaders, politics and his love of Baños. This guy goes non-stop. He would pivot from handling an issue at his hotel to a transportation problem of an employee all the while driving and picking up at the very next plot twist in Ecuador’s history. His energy was so bright we jumped at an opening in his schedule for a private tour of Baños. The girls will have to wait for the party bus tour until they can drink!
Fredy gave us an unforgettable tour of the sights in Baños. We saw a myriad of waterfalls called Rio Blanca, Verde, Negro and Pilon de Diablo, to name just a few. Avery and I walked across a suspension bridge while watching Kandra and Zoe navigate a parallel, narrower swinging bridge, complete with obstacles. We ate delicious, fresh-caught local trout for lunch and shortly thereafter, found ourselves zipping across a canyon in an open-air cable car with stunning views of yet another waterfall. In the afternoon, we drove up to the shoulder of Tugurahua and gazed at the surrounding mountains and Baños whilst playing on a giant swing. Lastly, we enjoyed a relaxing evening soak in a hot spring.
Baños started as just a stop to break the long trek between Tena and Cuenca, but ended up being so much more. Thank you Fredy for the rides, showing us your city, the wonderful photos, and making our trip to Baños a great one!
Amazing! A beautiful place. Where are the hot springs pics?
no cameras allowed in the hot springs 😉
Loving your adventures, adding to my bucket list. You all look great! Miss chatting with you.
I’m excited for you to start your own new adventures, Joanne!