Things to do in Baños

8 activities, venues and outings in Baños, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Casa del Arbol
Swing towards the mountains in the famous Casa del Arbol. Entrance costs $1. There are 2 swings with 2 more in construction. To get there, either hike (3 hr) or take a bus ($1 - 30 min). The bus generally comes back 1½ hr after it left you at the Casa del Arbol. In high season, the wait lines for the swings can grow quite big.
Do
Llanganates National Park
Parque nacional Llanganates
In Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Pastaza and Napo provinces. 219707 hectares.
Do
Parque Aventura San Martin
Well-run set of cables with competent guides and good name-brand gear. The zipline trip goes once into a crevasse between two rocks at a mild incline, followed by a climb, a rope bridge, and a zipline back to nearly the start point. It's about 10 minutes out of town, and takes 15-20 min to complete the circuit.
$20+$5 for some photos and a video
Do
Statue of the Virgin Mary
Head up to the statue of the Virgin Mary which overlooks the town for nice views, but be warned, it's a heart-pumping hike! Elevation gain is 250m, the trail is mostly stairs. It starts next to the public cemetery, there is a small shop selling snacks at the beginning of the trail.
Free
Do
Termas de la Virgen
Right next to the waterfalls, this public set of pools holds the heated water bubbling up from inside the earth and is popular among both Ecuadorian and foreign tourists. The water is quite cloudy but it seems it seems pools are completely emptied and cleaned at least daily. The pools have different temperatures, ranging from cold to very hot (signs advise not to stay more than 5 minutes, people alternate between this one and the coldest ones). $2 entry fee and they will keep your stuff behind the counter in an individual plastic bin. It is hygienic: they require you to change and shower before entering the pools, and wear a swimming hat which can be rented at the entrance. Nice view of the waterfall, and they channel some of that water for a rustic cold shower after your hot dip. The best time is to go at the end of the day, when the air is cooler and the sun goes down.
$4
Do
Tungurahua
With its crater at 5023 m (16,480 ft) this active volcano provides strenuous hikes just south of Baños. You can hike up from the center of Baños (1800 m, 5900 ft) or take a taxi to the ranger station of Sangay National Park (2800 m, 9200 ft) and start from there. From the center go towards Termas el Salado. On the road that leads to the baths, take the first right to find the marked start of the trail. The first part of the unmarked but mostly obvious trail takes you up to the hamlet of Pondoa (2400 m, 7900 ft) which has a small restaurant. There follow the paved road that later turns into a dirt track up to the ranger station where you need to register (free). A steep and unmarked but obvious trail goes from there to the refugio at 3800 m (12,500 ft) where you could stay overnight ($5 per person) to enjoy the clearer views in the early morning. This hut has a basic kitchen, water access, and a few thin mats to sleep on. This is where you need to turn around unless you brought a guide. It is forbidden to go any further on your own because of the quickly changing weather conditions and the trail that is hard to follow in foggy conditions. Finally, there are bus tours (around $3) that drive up the mountain opposite the volcano. From there, you can see glowing lava if it isn't cloudy, and the volcano isn't producing too much smoke.
$5 if you stay overnight at the refugio
Do Not mapped
Mayra's Spanish School
Mayra's Spanish School was established in 1998 and is officially recognized by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Ecuador. The school is centrally located in Baños with modern facilities, including comfortable classrooms, a library, bathrooms and kitchen. Lessons are available mornings, afternoons, evenings or weekends. Also rents out rooms and apartments.
$150 for a week with 20 hr of classes
Do Not mapped
City festival
Takes place mid-December.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Baños (CC BY-SA 4.0).