History of tourism in Baños de Agua Santa
Baños de Agua Santa, known simply as Baños or nicknamed "the little piece of heaven", is an emblematic tourist destination in Ecuador. Its name comes from its famous hot springs of volcanic origin, which are one of its main natural attractions. In the city there are three important public hot springs: Termas de la Virgen, Termas El Salado and Termas de Santa Ana, which have always attracted domestic and foreign visitors in search of its healing waters.
Before becoming a canton, Baños was part of the Pelileo canton and, before that, of the Píllaro canton. However, for approximately 80 years, Baños has been recognized as a consolidated tourist destination. Visitors came mainly for three reasons: the hot springs, the church of Baños, which attracted pilgrims, and the possibility of climbing the Tungurahua volcano, which served as acclimatization for mountaineers who then wanted to climb larger mountains such as Chimborazo.
Important milestones
October 16, 1999
The eruptive process of the Tungurahua volcano begins, forcing the evacuation of the entire population of Baños. During October, November and December, the town remained evacuated and depended on humanitarian aid. This situation was especially hard because it coincided with the dollarization of the Ecuadorian economy in 2000, which generated an economic crisis and a massive migration of Ecuadorians to countries such as Spain, France and the United States.
January 2000
After three months of evacuation and without government assistance, the population of Baños organized and forced their way into the city, which was guarded by military and police. In the confrontation there were two deaths among the inhabitants of Baños, but they managed to retake the city and begin the reconstruction of their daily life.
1999 - 2016
Throughout this period, the Tungurahua volcano continued erupting, keeping the summit closed to tourists. However, Baños reinvented itself by offering new tourist alternatives such as canopy, paragliding and visits to viewpoints from where the impressive volcanic activity could be observed, which became part of the daily life of the inhabitants.
2020
Baños closed for six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, the local community innovated and developed new tourist attractions, such as "Las Manos de Dios", the Crystal Bridge, "Las Manos de la Pachamama" and Tarzan's Leap, consolidating Baños as a modern and resilient tourist city.
These milestones reflect how Baños has faced natural and social challenges, transforming itself into a diverse tourist destination that combines nature, adventure and culture, maintaining its nickname of "little piece of heaven" in Ecuador.
Want to know more about any of these attractions or about the local culture? Be part of our walking tour in Baños de Agua Santa
Baños de Agua Santa, Ecuador's “little piece of heaven”, is a unique destination that combines volcanic hot springs, extreme adventure and a resilient history marked by the strength of the Tungurahua volcano.
by Explorsierra Tourism Agency Ecuador
