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South America / Ecuador

Baños.

Places to go. A little room to wander.

A local view near Baños, Ecuador
A local view near Baños, Ecuador. Photograph by Arabsalam · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized and converted to WebP.

THE SHORTLIST

A few places worth your time.

01Culture · DAY 1 IDEA

Baños

Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water

This neo-Gothic style church is named after the vision of the Virgin Mary seen near the appropriately named waterfalls and is therefore a place of pilgrimage for those who come to thank the Virgin for many miracles and to ask for her blessing. It was built with many volcanic rocks and the inside is lined with paintings depicting the Virgin's miracles, including saving the church from several volcanic eruptions.

Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate

Map Source
02Culture · DAY 1 IDEA

Baños

Puente San Fransisco

The bridge across the deep Pastaza Gorge is just north of downtown and a world class place for bungeejumping.

Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate

Map Source
03Culture · DAY 1 IDEA

Baños

Eco Zoo San Martin

The local zoo is quite large and features animals from various parts of Ecuador; monkeys, Andean bears, tayras (these may poop on visitors!), and jaguars, birds including condors, toucans and parrots, and Galapagos tortoises from but also snakes and tarantulas.

Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate

Map Source
04Culture · DAY 2 IDEA

Regional outing · 14 km from Baños (straight line)

Pailon de diablo

This is the most impressive of the falls in the area with an option to hike to the source for a closer look. You can hike to it from both sides, the shorter one overlooks the falls from the top. The longer and a bit more strenous one (you need to cross the bridge for it) offers you views from the bottom.

Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate

Map Source
05Outdoors · DAY 2 IDEA

Regional outing · 36 km from Baños (straight line)

Llanganates National Park

In Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Pastaza and Napo provinces. 219707 hectares.

Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate

Map Source

A note before you go. Treat Pailon de diablo as a separate regional outing from Baños. Arrange the outward and return journey before adding another visit on that day. The suggested days are an editable grouping, not a timed tour. Visit allowances exclude transfers, meals and queues; confirm the exact entrance and current visiting arrangements for Llanganates National Park before setting off.

Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. Suggested days and time allowances are editorial starting points. Check the linked visitor information for opening hours, access, and reservations.

BEFORE YOU SET OFF

A more practical kind of plan.

Getting your bearings

Easy, just walk. Nowhere is more than a 15-minute walk from where you start and usually even less. It is relatively flat in the city centre. Also check out the mountain biking section should you wish to explore further afield. There are plenty of taxis around should you need one. They will not ask for a license but will hold onto your passport. The agency near Hotel Passiflora has good quality Honda bikes maintained just as well. Be sure to take photos of the bike before you drive it away.

Build a route that makes sense

Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water and Puente San Fransisco are about 0.5 km apart in a straight line. Use the route link to compare the actual streets or transport connections before putting both in the same morning; the measurement is not a walking distance or a transfer estimate.

A LITTLE STRUCTURE. ROOM FOR DISCOVERY.

Your Baños plan.

Add a few stops, choose your days, and leave space between them.

My saved trips
Location, map & reference details

Find your bearings.

Country
Ecuador
Area
Tungurahua Province
Time zone
America/Guayaquil
Coordinates
-1.3970, -78.4229

Geographic reference: GeoNames, CC BY 4.0.

Baños

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Visitor information & sources

Reference credits & reuse

This city guide includes selected, abridged material by Wikivoyage contributors, adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. The adapted guide text is available under the same license; photographs and website design retain their separate terms. Selected and abridged reference descriptions; operational prices and timetables omitted. Elsewhere added the shortlist, geographic grouping and planning notes.

Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. It is community-edited background, not firsthand reporting or a live opening-hours service.

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