Baños, Ecuador: Why does a little research bring a lot

Veröffentlicht:

Aktualisiert:

Von:

There is a certain romance that is connected to the travel style "just come over and see". It adheres to the world's carefree, relaxed, mich-mich-alexander supertramp art; The journey that is advertised by inspiring posters and idealized Instagram accounts, surfboard in one arm, slim woman in the other.

only "appearing and looking" does not always work so well in reality. On the streets of Baños, Ecuador, we met a group of five friends with whom we had shared some meals in Cotopaxi. We asked if they were on the way to the hot springs, a series of bathrooms that are heated by the nearby Tungurahua volcano (Baños means "baths").

Anja wrapped the nose. "No. Someone from our hostel was visiting yesterday and said the water was dirty." She looked around and lowered her voice: "As in yellow, dirty."

Peter and I shared a look. The water in the bathrooms is indeed yellow, but not because of dirt or waste, but because of natural minerals in the water (trust us, we checked it). When we told them so, they just nodded politely and began to slowly withdraw. I wanted to put a travel guide in my hand, but instead we politely nodded back and wished you all the best for your trip. We found it amusing that this group had traveled to Baños and did not want to try the city's main attraction because someone in their hostel told them that the water was dirty.

  • Alt = "">
  • Alt = "">
  • Alt = "">
  • Alt = "">
  • Alt = "">
  • Alt = "">
  • Alt = "">
  • Alt = "">

A little research would have encouraged her to visit one of the six thermal baths in the city, the most attractive Las Piscinas de la Virgen. These baths are located next to a falling waterfall and consist of three separate pools: a warm, a practically burning and an ice -cold. The idea is to swell in the warm and then switch between the very cold and very hot. Peter bravely tried all three while I stayed with the warm. Of course there was a lot of silly.

The pools have a happy, sociable atmosphere and are mainly populated by locals. (Probably a considerable part of the gringos in front of the dirt is scared ...) Apart from the baths, the city of Baños itself is unfortunately rather disappointing. Filled with prosaic architecture and an abundance of tour operators who offer excursions to the area, it feels a bit soulless. There is a beautiful landscape in the area and a number of interesting excursions (mountain biking, hiking and rafting), but our advice is not more than two overnight stays. If you don't want to try the bathrooms, there is of course hardly any reason to come at all.

The essentials

was: a stay in Baños, Ecuador.

Where: Baños is located in the Andean highlands of Ecuador in the shadow of the volcano Tungurahua. We stayed in the Santa Cruz Backpackers Hostel, but we had the worst night's sleep, thanks to a particularly disgusting American and a common area that remains open beyond the announced time. Instead, try the Hostel Chimenea, which has excellent reviews.

When: In the highlands, the dry season lasts from June to September and returns for Christmas.

like: There are frequent connections to Baños from Quito (4 hours, 4 $), Riobamba (2 hours, $ 2) and Guayaquil (5.5 hours, $ 7.00) - check the latest times at ANBE. The bus station in Baños is only a few minutes' walk from the center and most hostels. A taxi should cost about $ 1. The city itself can be visited on foot.

It is useful to be aware of some logistics at Las Piscinas de la Virgen:

  • Optionally you can put on your bathing suits at the top, as the cabins are cleaner and better equipped there.
  • You have to wear a bathing cap. These are not included in the admission price of USD 3.50, but can be rented on site ($ 0.50, is refunded when the cap returns).
  • Try to keep everything you have because there is no way to leave things by the pool. You can store objects in boxes on the upper floor, which you hand in at a switch for a fee (1 USD).
  • Finally, make sure that you shower before and after getting in.

Further information on visiting Baños can be found in the Lonely Planet Guide to Ecuador.

Mission statement: Dreamstime 
 .