Things to do
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Casa del Árbol
A treehouse on a ridge above town carries a rope swing out over the drop, the image that made the place famous. Seats and platforms have multiplied since, and harnesses are standard now. Tungurahua fills the view on a clear morning; the volcano is usually behind cloud after ten, and the ride up takes half an hour.
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Pailón del Diablo
Water from the Río Verde drops through a narrow gorge into a basin the shape of a cauldron, loud enough to drown conversation. Walkways and a tunnel of cut steps lead to platforms within reach of the spray, and waterproofs earn their keep. The descent is short; the climb back out is steep, and midday brings coach groups.
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Ruta de las Cascadas
Sixty-odd kilometres of road run east from Baños towards Puyo, passing a chain of waterfalls that includes Manto de la Novia and Agoyán. Rented bicycles cover the downhill stretch in a few hours, with a bus or pickup bringing riders back. Cable cars cross several of the gorges, and the tunnels are unlit, so lights matter.
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Termas de la Virgen
Thermal pools sit directly beneath a waterfall at the edge of the old town, fed by mineral water heated under Tungurahua and cooled through a series of tiled basins. Locals come in the evening, when the falls are lit. Caps are required, the changing rooms are basic, and the water runs hot enough to need a slow entry.
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Tungurahua
Eruptions from this 5,023 metre volcano emptied Baños more than once in the 2000s, and ash still dusts the town in an active phase. Quiet years allow guided ascents from Pondoa to the refuge and higher, a hard walk on volcanic sand. Access depends on the alert level set by Ecuador's geophysical institute, which changes without much notice.