Baños

Introduction

banos calientes

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Baños is a popular tourist destination on the eastern side of the Andes in Ecuador. What Baños is mainly known for its stunning hot springs and mountain views. Although there is much more to enjoy in Baños, such as biking, hiking and stunning cloud forests. Baños is a great place to spend a couple days relaxing and letting your bones have a rest. Just remember that there are several active volcanos nearby that make the water hot but can also cause earthquakes and eruptions.

Warning: There have been reports in the past about violent robberies in Baños, especially around the mirador (viewing point) on the mountain slopes west of town. According to the reports, a small gang robbed Western tourists of their passports, later to offer them back in return for a finders fee. The current safety situation is unknown, but it is recommended to avoid visiting the mirador in the evening or on your own.

Sights and Activities

• Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water

Events and Festivals

Getting There

By Plane

By Train

By Car

By Bus

Regular buses connect Banos with Riobamba (2 hours), Quito (3.5 hours) and Guayaquil (5.5 hours).

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The centre of most towns, cities and villages have telephone 'shops', advertised in the street as 'cabinas'. Go in, ask for a free phone booth and call. There is usually a digital display giving the cost (per second) of your call, whether local, national or international. Some mobile phone SIM cards of various networks have problems working in Ecuador - you can purchase a local network SIM (for an unlocked phone) for a few dollars in local mobile phone shops.

Post

Correos del Ecuador is the national postal service of Ecuador. It's fairly reliable to send postcards and letters to other countries, though count on at least 5 days up to weeks for it to arrive. In general, postal services to North America are much faster than to other western countries. Prices start at around $1 (up to 20 grams), but rise steeply after that. You can get stamps at post offices or small shops/kiosks. Post offices generally are open from 8:00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday and 8:00am to noon on Saturdays, although there are slight variations throughout the country. If you are going to send heavier post or post which has more value, it might be better to contact private courier companies like DHL, TNT, UPS or FedEx, which are generally about the same price and much faster!