Banos

Tucked into a steep gorge carved by the Pastaza River in Tungurahua province, Baños marks the boundary where the Andes plummet toward the Amazon basin. The active cone of Tungurahua volcano looms directly over streets scented with boiled sugarcane syrup and thermal sulfur. Walking through town, mountain mist cools the air while vertical granite cliffs and natural waterfalls frame every intersection. Dominican friars settled the valley in the mid-sixteenth century around its volcanic springs, surviving multiple eruptions, notably in 1999. In town, the neo-Gothic Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Agua Santa displays local paintings of volcanic escapes. Down the gorge, the roaring Pailón del Diablo cascade crashes into a deep stone amphitheater, while on the Runtún ridge above, the Casa del Árbol swing faces the volcano crater. Inside Mercado Central, cooks fry llapingachos on wide griddles, while street artisans rhythmically pull sweet melcocha taffy across wooden door pegs. October brings thousands of walking pilgrims from Ambato for the festival of the Virgin of the Holy Water. The town itself is easily crossed on foot; rent a bicycle to ride downhill along the waterfall road to Río Verde, aiming for the dry months between June and August for the clearest views.