Banos Tourist Places to Visit in Banos, Ecuador, America

Banos Tourist Places to Visit in Banos, Ecuador, America

Banos (fully Banos de Agua Santa) is a city belonging to the Tungurahua province of Ecuador positioned 1815 meters above sea level. Banos is home to a stunning central park surrounded by many spectacular waterfalls including l Manto de la Novia and Virgen de Agua Santa and is also a gateway to the Llanganates National Park.

Banos is popularly called as ‘the adventure capital of Ecuador’ because of its different outdoor activities including rafting, kayaking, bridge jumping and jungle tours.

 

Geography of Banos:

Banos is commonly called as the ‘Gateway to the Amazon’ due to its position on the River Pastaza in the Amazon River basin. Banos is located around 40 km southeast of the provincial capital, Ambato and 170 km south of the national capital, Quito.

 

History of Banos:

The literal meaning of Banos in local language is ‘spiral baths’, it may be derived from the hydrothermal springs that are situated around the city. Banos houses a historical Roman Catholic Church with the sculpture of Virgen de Agua Santa.

 

Getting Banos:

The major bus terminal of Banos is placed on the north edge of town receiving buses from Quito, Guayaquil, Riobamba and Ambato. Buses are regular and comfortable. Taxi or car can be hired at any of the local travel agencies of Banos.

Banos is located around 85 km away from its closest airport, Cotopaxi International Airport in Latacunga with scheduled flights to Coca and Guayaquil, operated by TAME.

 

Where to eat in Banos?

A Variety of sugar cane juices are very special in Banos and also city offers plenty of standard food corners with mouthwatering crispy and crunchy traditional cuisine. Here is the list of best food corners in Banos:

  • Pancho’s Snack Bar
  • Arte Cafe y Te
  • Casa Hood
  • Bar Cafe Jack Rock

 

Where to shop in Banos?

Banos houses all the sorts of shops including sovereign, handicraft, adventure sport dresses and shoes and typical shops placed in front of the church.

 

What to do in Banos?

  • Imagine Ecuador – Tour Operator Banos
  • Team Ecuador
  • Horseback riding
  • Hiking
  • Rafting
  • Jungle Tours
  • Bungee Jumping

 

What to see in Banos?

Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water:

The church of Banos was constructed with numerous volcanic rocks and designed by neo-Gothic style architecture. This church was named after the appearance of Virgin Mary in the nearby waterfall, due to this there was the sculpture of Virgin Mary placed in the church. Nice interior.

 

Cascada de La Virgen:

Banos boasts around 60 spectacular waterfalls, Cascada de La Virgen is the major one located in the proximity of the city.

 

Manto de la novia:

Manto de la novia also called Ruta de las Cascadas is a beautiful waterfall which surely impresses tourists with its amazing natural beauty and also supports cable car ride. It is located 12 km from the city centre.

 

List of other places of interest in Banos is:

  • Pailon de diablo
  • Inés María
  • El Manto de la Novia
  • Agoyán
  • Llanganates National Park
  • Cerro Hermoso
  • Zoologico de San Martin

 

When to visit Banos?

Probably summer months are ideal to explore waterfalls and enjoy different outdoor activities in Banos.

 

Where to stay in Banos?

Hostels are budget options in Banos charging around $10USD per night with all the basic facilities and high end hotels charge $20USD+. The major hotels in Banos are listed below:

  • La Casa Verde Eco Guesthousel
  • Hosteria Miramelindo
  • Luna Runtun
  • Samaro Resort
  • Flatshare Banos
  • Mayra’s House
  • La Floresta Hospedaje
  • La Chimenea
  • El Marques Posada
  • Plantas y Blanco
  • Hostería Spa Miramelindo
  • Hostel Transilvania
  • CharVic Hostel
  • Hostel Backpackers
  • Hostal Restaurant Erupcion

Places to Visit in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador, America

Places to Visit in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador, America

Bahia de Caraquez is a city situated in the Sucre County of Manabi province in Ecuador between 0°36′0″ S latitude and 80°25′0″ W longitude. Bahia de Caraquez is a great vacation point for tourists from Quito and Guayaquil as it is home to many natural attractions, the 1st certified-organic shrimp farm of the globe, numerous well facilitated condominiums and hotels and various archeological sites.

 

Geography of Bahia de Caraquez:

Bahia de Caraquez is located at the opening of Río Chone on the western coast of the country, around 340 km southwest of the national capital, Quito.

 

History of Bahia de Caraquez:

Bahia de Caraquez was founded in the year 1624 by José de Larrazábal as Villa de San Antonio de la Bahía de Caráquez during the Spanish colonial era. With one of the major ports of the country, Bahia de Caraquez served as the main trade point between Pacific South America and Central America from the late 16th century to the middle of the 17th century.

 

Connectivity to Bahia de Caraquez:

Eloy Alfaro International Airport in Manta is the nearest major airport to Bahia de Caraquez situated around 80 km away from the downtown Bahia de Caraquez with connection to Quito, served by 3 different airlines such as AeroGal, LAN Ecuador and TAME.

It takes around eight hours from Quito (catered by Reina del Camino) and six hours from Guayaquil (by Reina del Camino and Coactur) to Bahia de Caraquez by bus.

Bahia de Caraquez is also served by local bus and taxi.

 

Food and Shopping in Bahia de Caraquez:

Bahia de Caraquez is an ideal place to taste variety of Ecuadorian seafood items and drinks and buy traditional handicrafts at affordable prices. Here is the list of the major restaurants in Bahia de Caraquez:

  • Arena Bar Pizzeria
  • El Rey del Burrito
  • D`Camaron
  • El Rey del Burrito

 

Things to do in Bahia de Caraquez:

  • Archeological sites
  • Boat rides
  • Organic farm

 

Places of interest in Bahia de Caraquez:

Archeological Museum:

Located in the old Banco Central building, the archeological museum of Bahia de Caraquez showcases a nice collection of artifacts and statues from the Valdivia culture and many other historical communities. Admission fee is $1.

 

Rio Muchacho Organic Farm:

A typical site located in Canoa around 22 km from Bahia de Caraquez, Rio Muchacho Organic Farm is a nature farm offering 1 to 3 day tour for visitors with different activities including horseback riding and leads tourists to forests and waterfalls.

 

Chirije Park:

An ecological and archaeological park of Chirije is located along the coast of the country, 15 km from Bahia and was opened in 1996. It has lots to offer for tourists including pre-Columbian archeological sites, an ancient seaport and Chirije on-site museum, reachable by boat.

 

Other places of interest near Bahia de Caraquez include:

  • Mangrove Reserve
  • Isla Corazon
  • Bahia de Caraquez beaches
  • Playa de los Frailes
  • Silver Island
  • Narwell Cia Ltda
  • Museo Ciudad Alfaro
  • Agua Blanca
  • Lalo Loor Dry Forest Reserve
  • Machalilla National Park
  • Estadio Reales Tamarindos

 

Best time to visit Bahia de Caraquez:

Throughout the year is best, especially from January to May will be best to trip Bahia de Caraquez.

 

Accommodation options in Bahia de Caraquez:

There are many nice hotels and hostels placed in Bahia de Caraquez with upgraded facilities such as AC, TV, Wi-Fi, Pool, doctor on call, food on request and arrangement of the vehicle. A list of prominent hotels in Bahia de Caraquez is:

  • La Piedra Hotel
  • Casa Ceibo
  • Saiananda
  • Casa Grande
  • CasaGrande Oceanfront Boutique Hotel
  • Bahia Bed & Breakfast
  • Chirije Ecolodge
  • Hotel Herradura
  • Ecohostal Bahia
  • Hostel Coco Bongo
  • Hotel Italia

Ambato Tourist Places to Visit in Ambato, Ecuador, America

Ambato Tourist Places to Visit in Ambato, Ecuador, America

Ambato is a city located in the Tunguruhua province of Ecuador at an altitude of 2,500 meters, around 130 km south of the capital of Ecuador, Quito and 270 km northeast of the largest city of Ecuador, Guayaquil. With a population of 180,000 (as of the 2010 National Census), Ambato is the 10th most populous city in Ecuador. Ambato is popularly called by different names such as ‘Garden of Ecuador’, ‘Cradle of the Three Juans’ and ‘City of Flowers and Fruit’.

 

Geography of Ambato:

Ambato coordinates with 1°14′30″ S latitude and 78°37′11″ W longitude and covers an area of 48.3 sq. km. Ambato is situated in the central Andean valley on the banks of the River Ambato.

 

History of Ambato:

Ambato city was formed on 6 December 1698, once it was completely destroyed on 5 August 1949 by an earthquake. Ambato was the home town of the three national icons of Ecuador, Juan Montalvo, Juan León Mera and Juan Benigno Vela.

 

How to reach Ambato?

Chachoan Airport is the nearest airport to Ambato but it is not used for commercial service. So the closest major airport to Ambato is Cotopaxi International Airport situated around 45 km away from the heart of Ambato.

There are regular buses running between Ambato and other major Ecuadorian cities like Quito (2.5 hours) and Cuenca (6 hours). From Banos, it takes 1 hour to reach Ambato by bus.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Ambato:

Ambato is especially known for the celebration Festival of Fruits and Flowers which is one of the major festivals of Ecuador.

Other than parks and museums, Ambato is also famous for traditional and modern shopping centres and the list of major food corners in Ambato include:

  • Saxon Grill
  • Parrilladas el Gaucho
  • la Fornace
  • Cuatemoc Tex Mex Restaurante

 

Things to do in Ambato:

  • Parks
  • Museums
  • Colonial houses
  • Cathedral
  • Regional events

 

Tourist Attractions in Ambato:

 

Parque Juan Montalvo:

Parque Juan Montalvo is the major landmark as well as a tourist attraction of Ambato situated in the heart of the city. It was established in 1905, designed by Pedro Durini (local artist) and named in the honor of Juan Montalvo who was a renowned local writer.

 

Quinta Juan León Mera:

Quinta Juan León Mera is the residence of writer, Juan León Mera constructed in the year 1874. Tourists can spot more than 257 species of flowers in the garden of the house and also can come across well preserved colonial furniture and paintings in the house.

 

La Catedral:

La Catedral is the identity of Ambato placed across the street from Parque Juan Montalvo. It was initially constructed in 1689 and was rebuilt several times after the repeated damage by earthquakes and the current structure of the church was built in 1954.

 

Other places of interest near Ambato include:

  • Central Library
  • Parque Cevallos
  • Parque de la Familia
  • Miraflores
  • Atocha
  • Ingahurco
  • Laguna Kilotoa
  • Tierra Zero Tours
  • Mall de los Andes

 

Best time to visit Ambato:

Throughout the year is best, especially the month of February will be ideal to visit Ambato while the Festival of Fruits and Flowers is celebrated grandly.

 

Accommodation options in Ambato:

Ambato is a garden city housing numerous reputed hotels serving guests with lots of love and care with tourist favor facilities and services. The prominent hotels in and around Ambato are as follows:

  • Hotel Acapulco
  • Hotel Casino Emperador
  • Hotel Ambato
  • Hotel Boutique Mary Carmen
  • Roka Plaza
  • Miraflores Hotel
  • Hotel Colony
  • Quinta Loren Hosteria
  • River View Hosteria Spa
  • Estrella del Chimborazo
  • Hotel Novalux
  • Hostel Runa Huasi
  • Villa de Tacvnga
  • Hotel Endamo
  • Huagra Corral Hostel

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Ecuador, America

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Ecuador, America

Ecuador is a country in South America located towards the southwest of Columbia and in the northwest of Peru between 1.4653° S latitude and 78.8167° W longitude. It also comprises the Galápagos Islands which are in the Pacific Ocean, around 1000 km away from the mainland Ecuador.

Quito is the capital city, Guayaquil is the largest city, Spanish is the official langue and USD is the currency of Ecuador. Ecuador is one of the 17th mega diverse nations in the globe with diverse plant and animal species.

 

Geography of Ecuador:

With an area of 283,520 sq. km, Ecuador is the 75th largest country in the world.

The major cities of Ecuador are:

  • Guayaquil
  • Quito
  • Cuenca
  • Santo Domingo
  • Machala
  • Duran

 

History of Ecuador:

The rule of the Spanish started in Ecuador during the beginning of the 16th century and after around 300 years rule of Spanish, Ecuador was declared independent on May 24, 1822. The current constitution of Ecuador is effective from September 28, 2008.

 

How to reach Ecuador?

José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil and Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito are the two most important airports of Ecuador with connection to most of the major South American cities and selected American and European cities.

Ecuador also has well developed bus system and taxis, cars and buses are highly used for local travel.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Ecuador:

Ecuador is the birthplace of many internationally renowned artists and sportsmen including Oswaldo Guayasamin. Spanish is the official and widely spoken language in Ecuador and also natives speak Kichwa, a native language.

Ceviche is the national dish of Ecuador. Most of the major shopping centres and international standard food corners are located in Quito and Guayaquil. El Mercado Artesenal in Quito is an ideal spot for traditional handicraft shopping.

 

Places of interest in Ecuador:

Museo del Banco Central:

Museo del Banco Central is the most famous museum in Ecuador situated in the vicinity of Parque El Ejido in Quito with different sections dedicated to gold works of art, colonial and pre-Columbian era. The entrance fee is $2.

 

The Jardin Botanico:

The Jardin Botanico is a botanical garden featuring a wide range of Ecuador flora. It is placed on the southwest part of Parque La Carolina and taking guided tour will be better for easy exploration.

 

Museo Guayasamin:

Museo Guayasamin showcases the works of Oswaldo Guayasamín who was the most famous painter and sculptor of Ecuador. Another major attraction of Quito, Capilla del Hombre is situated in the vicinity of Museo Guayasamin.

 

Other places of interest near Ecuador include:

  • Conjunto Monumental San Francisco
  • Casa de la Cultura
  • Museo de la Ciudad
  • Teleferico
  • Museo Mindalae
  • Itchimbia cultural complex and park
  • Calle de la Ronda
  • La Vírgen del Panecillo
  • Mitad del Mundo
  • The Intiñan Solar Museum
  • Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesus.
  • Santa Ana & El Carmen hills
  • Parque Histórico

 

Best time to visit Ecuador:

From June to September and December to January is the best time to trip Ecuador.

 

Accommodation options in Ecuador:

Ecuador is home to plenty of internationally recognized hotels and resorts with superior amenities. Here is the list of the prominent hotels in Ecuador (Quito):

  • Hotel Plaza Grande
  • Casa Gangotena
  • Posada Tambuca
  • Jumbo Lodging
  • Cuyabeno Lodge
  • Lugano Suites
  • Hostal de La Rabida
  • Casa Joaquin
  • Boutique Hotel Mansion del Angel
  • JW Marriott Hotel Quito
  • El Crater Hotel
  • Holiday Inn Express Quito
  • Le Parc Hotel
  • Radisson Royal Quito Hotel
  • City Art Hotel Silberstein
  • Swissotel Quito
scroll to top