Update on Termas Papallacta-Ecuador

October 14, 2019 SouthAmerica

It has been 6 years since our last visit to Termas de Papallacta. Back then we were working on our book “Hot Springs of The Andes.” This time we wanted to have a more relaxing experience than before.

We rented a car in Quito from Avis office on De los Granados Ave. and we say that the service was slow; It took almost one hour to get the car. I set our reservation for 9:00 a.m. we got there at the established time. There were no clients in front of us and we thought “great” we will be out of here fairly quick.

Every little step, every answer to a certain question took longer. The girl helping us we don’t know if she was in training or didn’t know what to do, but she sure took a very long time. I have noticed that part of her problem was the fact that she couldn’t spell out certain words, and that was surprising and disappointing. The other peculiarity was that they offer insurance but if you read what you are signing off, it specifies that in case of an accident at the end you the customer would pay for everything. Next time we will try Budget and write about it.

We finally got the keys to the car, and to make things easier we used Waze the app. We like it better than google maps. The estimated time is 1 hour and 30 minutes the route is straightforward, following Via Av. Simon Bolivar, Ruta Viva, and E20 to arrive at Papallacta in the Napo Province.

We did this trip on a Saturday morning. Being a weekend helps with the otherwise very congested traffic. We encounter some policemen checking papers such as Driver’s License, car registration, identification. This means you have to always carry your passport along with your driver’s license. After that quick stop we continue our trip.

We enjoyed the change in scenery, and this is something that you can only appreciate while driving. We got to see many signs alerting drivers of by-passing bears (osos de anteojos) although we didn’t see a single one; We heard they are around. Also, the landscape change to what here they know as Paramo, the trees are different, many bromeliads on trees, moss, and other type of bushes we are not familiar with it, yet.

When we got to the Papallacta entrance, it surprised us on how much the place has changed and how much bigger it is now. A man who told us where to park and how to get to the reception desk greeted us. We did what the man showed and after filling out the paperwork they gave us paper bracelets the kind you get in Disneyland, this had bar codes with our hotel room number, and stay very well after several hot springs’ soaks. This is an easy way for the employees to identify who is staying in the hotel and who is using other areas for the day.

Termas Papallacta resort (we are calling it that) has a hotel building, with rooms all around different hot springs pools. There is a bar, restaurant and a Spa center. Also, there are cabins for rent, ideal for big families with direct access to the pools. We used as many pools as we could, if you stay in the hotel you have access to the pools 24 hours. If you come for a day, they have a separate area for day users; they call this El Balneario.

Termas Papallacta comprises areas such Hotel, cabins, balneario, exploration center, convention center, medical center, and Spa.

If you stay in the hotel, you get a 15% discount on all Spa services. These include thermal hydrotherapy, wraps, massages, Ayurveda therapy, reflexology, and facial treatment. We recommend visitors to make a reservation in advance at the Spa to assure service. We think it’s easier to plan soaking times in the Hot Springs around the Spa schedule.

The pools vary in temperature and sizes but all of them are enjoyable; the place is spotless, and we couldn’t help to think about the Incas enjoying a hot bath surrounded by mountains and if you are lucky to get a glimpse of the Antisana volcano.

This place has a variety of plants, trees, and roses. I couldn’t get enough of the variety of roses they had. Ecuador is the main exporter of roses. This place also has its own vegetable garden making of everything they use in the restaurant fresh from the ground.

There is also a trekking area. Termas Papallacta area comprises 200 hectares of Andean Territory called Canyon Ranch. The hotel offers some guided tours or you can venture on your own. For more check their web page Termas Papallacta.

We relaxed and enjoy the pools; we might venture the Andean trails another time. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with a good size menu. The rooms are comfortable, the employees helpful.

To learn more about Termas Papallacta check this post: Papallacta Hot Spring-Ecuador.

We hope you visit Quito, and take a trip to Papallacta, it is worth it.

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