Last night I joined about thirty or forty others for a luxurious mineral bath in the the thermal pools in Baños. It was a lovely night and for a time the moon was directly overhead. Most of the foreign visitors were freom Europe and appeared to be with a tour group. This was the first time I had visited the thermal baths at night for a very long time. The city has done a lot of work on the facility over the past year and although the price has gone up some it is still a great bargain. $1.80 during the day and $2.00 at night. If you are over 60 the price is cut in half.
The facility has two levals. The upper leval has three pools, cold, warm and hot. Most people use the warm pool which is the sise of a swimming pool. The water is a dirty yellow color and you can only see a few inches below the surface...but there is no odor. They have underwater benches around the sides so that you can relax with just your neck out of the water. The hot water pool is about half the sise but there are fewer users....especially in the early morning hours (4:30 AM) it is just too hot for most people.
My favorite time to go is around 5:30 AM, it is dark but a great place to greet a new day. Daylight is from 6;00 to 6:30 depending on the time of year but sunrise is delayed for a couple of hours because of the montains. The hours of operation are from 4:30 AM to 5:00 in the afternoon. They close for an hour to clean and drain the pools and open again at 6:00 and closes at 10:00.
In the evening they only use the hot upper pool and the lower level circular pool. It is about 20 feet in diameter and will comfortably handle 50 people. There is a snack bar and tables where you can enjoy a snack or a drink. Bathing suits are required as well as a shower before entering the pools. Bathing suits and towells are available for rent should you arrive unprepared.
They do not allow drunks or drinking in the pools and as the sign says..."if you want to drink the bars are only a mile away"....or something like that.
It was a great evening....I think I will indulge myself more often.
Roberto
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great info. My boyfriend and I will be in Ecuador 12/27/06 -1/24/07. I have heard a lot about Banos and Papallacta as well. Which do you think is the better place to visit for a day or two? Can you recommend any cheap but clean hostels?
Gracias, Bumble
Bumble....I have never been to Papallacta...although your comment prompts me to plan a trip....soon.
ReplyDeleteBaños however is a destination in itself. There are many things to do to keep you busy for a couple of days or a couple of months. The thermal pools are just one of the attractions.
Threre are many hostals and a few hotels. The rate per night ranges from $5.00 up. One of the best is the La Floresta. The room rate is less than $20 and the service is great. If you would like more information just let me know.
If you decide on Baños, I would love to have a cup of coffee with you and your friend.
Roberto