Banos Hot Baths

There are two "towns" named Banos in Ecuador.  Both are known for their hot mineral baths, the smaller of the two towns is only 8 kilometers outside of Cuenca, so we planned a day trip with our friends.

We were able to get there on a local city bus, the cost for our transporation was 25 cents from the city center.  We walked down the dusty streets of Banos, made a left, and there was this beautiful oasis, Piedre de Agua Day Spa. It appears as though the place was carved out of the mountian, it is beautiful!! For an entrance fee of $10.00 we had access to three pools and the steam room.  The Spa provides lots of other services;  pools, mud baths, massages, those funny little boxes you sit in and only your head sticks out, subterranean baths, etc.,  but the price shot up to $30.00 per person, so we thought we would check out the basic package for our first visit.

                              

The enclosed dining area.

We arrived at 11:00 a.m. on a Thursday, and we basically had the place to ourselves.

The Mud Bath area

One of the assorted pools.

Next to the main hot pool is a smaller, warmer pool, next to that was one that was ICE cold.  None of us ventured into the cold one.  Behind the deck chairs there were two outdoor showers.  One guy must have gone in and out of the showers about ten times.  There were also private showers in the changing area.

The weather cooperated, we had sunshine.
 

After our lovely soak, we ate lunch in the tents rather than the enclosed area.  The meal was delicious, and the setting was spectacular.

Check out my pineapple juice, unbelievably refreshing.

Our view during lunch.

The surrounding gardens were beautiful.  I love these flowers, they grow wild everywhere here. 

There are walkng paths around the facility, and we noticed this hanging on a stone.

Area where the subterranean baths/ pools were located.

We spent an afternoon at Piedre De Agua, the pools were great and relaxing.  The food was fantastic, and the setting was unbelievable.

We will definitely spend many more afternoons there.

COMPLETELY UNRELATED:

It seems that hats are a huge part of the culture here.  A few weeks ago vendors set up stalls to sell items for the Foundation Day Celebration.  We came across these cool hats.