3 Best Sights in The Central Highlands, Ecuador

Baños is Spanish for "baths," and there are several thermal springs in town. The town's official name is Baños de Agua Santa (Baths of the Holy Water), but no miracles have ever been attributed to the springs. The best of the bunch is a series of pools called El Salado. Its six rough-hewn pools, next to a fastmoving stream, overflow with mineral water of various temperatures. The pools are refilled each morning at dawn.

In the heart of town, the twin spires of La Iglesia de la Virgen del Agua Santa rise above the tree-lined plaza. The church, whose black-and-white facade is slightly startling, was built to honor Baños's miracle-working patron saint. The huge paintings inside are testimonials from her many exultant beneficiaries.

A few blocks from the church is the small but interesting Museo Huillancuna, a museum that has exhibits about pre-Columbian ceramics, Andean musical instruments, and local history.