Baños
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Baños (full form Baños de Agua Santa, Spanish for Baths of Holy Water) is a city in eastern Tungurahua Province, in central Ecuador. It is the seat of the namesake canton. Baños is the second most populous city in Tungurahua, after Ambato, and a major touristic center. It is known as the "Gateway to the Amazon", as it is located on the Pastaza River in the Amazon River Basin, and has a newly paved road to Puyo.
Baños is located on the northern foothills of the Tungurahua volcano. It is named after the hydrothermal springs of mineral water located around the city. The city is also a Roman Catholic religious center, as some Catholic believers say that the Virgin Mary appeared nearby a waterfall. A sculpture of the virgin, called Virgen de Agua Santa, was placed in the cathedral.
Baños is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ecuador and is well known for the mom-and-pop stores where they sell taffy (Spanish: melcocha [mel.ˈko.ʧa]) made from cane sugar, and for the excellent small arts and crafts shops, a favorite of tourists.
