What's on in Baños, Ecuador through the year

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in January.

Busy — Carnaval, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Carnaval

  14–17 FebCarnivalCrowdedBook early

  The four-day national holiday is the busiest weekend of the town's year — the whole highland corridor drives down for it, rooms go weeks ahead, and the foam and water-throwing is fenced into set hours around Parque Juan Montalvo. Source ↗

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Nature

  Waterfalls at full flow

  1 Mar – 30 Jun · usuallyHigh water

  The Pastaza road below town is a run of waterfalls, and after the wettest months the Pailón del Diablo throws enough spray to soak the walkway before you reach the viewpoint. Steps get slick; the cable cars keep running. Source ↗

• Holiday

  Semana Santa

  3–5 AprEaster & Holy WeekCrowdedClosures

  Good Friday is a national holiday and many Ecuadorians travel over the long weekend, so buses fill and beach and mountain towns get busy. Churches hold processions, and fanesca, the grain and salt-cod soup of Holy Week, is served everywhere. Source ↗

Still on: Carnaval (14–17 Feb)

Busy — Semana Santa

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Waterfalls at full flow (1 Mar – 30 Jun (usually)), Semana Santa (3–5 Apr)

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Waterfalls at full flow (1 Mar – 30 Jun (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Waterfalls at full flow (1 Mar – 30 Jun (usually))

Busy — Highland school holidays, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Highland school holidays

  1 Jul – 31 Aug · usuallyCrowdedBook early

  Schools in the highlands break for July and August and families pour into Banos, filling hotels at weekends, especially around the 10 August long weekend; expect queues at the Casa del Arbol swing. Source ↗

Busy — Highland school holidays

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Highland school holidays (1 Jul – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in September.

Busy — Fiestas de la Virgen de Agua Santa

• Festival

  Fiestas de la Virgen de Agua Santa

  1–31 OctReligious feastCrowded

  October belongs to the basilica: a novena, nightly verbenas, chicha handed round the streets and a candle-and-flower parade, with pilgrims arriving from across Ecuador to thank the Virgin for a favour granted. Source ↗

Busy — November long weekend

• Holiday

  November long weekend

  1–4 Nov · usuallyNational holidayCrowdedBook early

  Day of the Dead and Cuenca's independence make one of Ecuador's busiest travel weekends; Banos regularly reports every bed taken, so book well ahead or come the week after. Source ↗

Busy — Fiestas de cantonización, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Fiestas de cantonización

  8–16 DecMajor festivalCrowded

  The canton's own anniversary week, ending with a civic parade through the central blocks on 16 December. It is a local affair rather than a tourist one, and it runs straight into the Christmas fortnight. Source ↗