Banos: History

Pre-20th-Century History

Towering more than 3km (1.9mi) above its northern base, Volcán Tugurahua is one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes. Three major volcanic edifices have been constructed over a rock base since the mid-Pleistocene era. Following the collapse of the first edifice, Tungurahua II evolved over the next 14,000 years. This collapsed around 3000 years ago, creating a caldera inside which Tungurahua III was constructed.

Around the 1300s, the Puruhá of the central highlands (the area around present-day Baños) became more powerful. The Incas reached Ecuador in the early 15th century and were met with fierce resistance. It was some years before Tupac Yupanqui, the Inca ruler, was able to subdue the Cañari of the south and turn his attention towards the central highlands and beyond. Before long, Tupac Yupanqui fathered a son, Huayna Capac. After succeeding his father, Huayna Capac produced two sons of his own. When he died, however, he left the empire to both of them. Being divided for the first time, the nation soon broke into civil war. Meanwhile, Francisco Pizzaro arrived from Spain into a weakened Ecuador. His advance was rapid and, in 1534, the Spanish conquered Ecuador. Awash with rivers and natural hot springs, Baños, meaning 'baths', was named and quickly became a popular place to live and visit.

In 1873, two German geologists, Alfons Stübel and Wilhelm Reiss, were the first people to ascend Volcán Tungurahua and to study its volcanism at close range.

Baños developed as a Roman Catholic religious center - some believers say that the Virgin Mary appeared at a nearby waterfall, and many believe she has performed miracles (mainly saving people from disasters such as exploding volcanoes, burning hotels and transit accidents) in the area. Consequently, a sculpture of the virgin, La Virgen de Agua Santa, was placed in the church, Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Agua Santa.

Modern History

On December 16, 1944, Baños became the seat of its canton (county/division). Every year on this day (and the preceding days), a fiesta is held to celebrate the anniversary of this event - it's all about drinking, fireworks and dancing.

Volcán Tungurahua's first major eruption of the 20th century occurred between 1916 and 1918, and minor seismic activity continued until 1925. The city's reputation for relaxation suddenly changed in 1998, when increased seismic activity from Tungurahua was detected. The volcano was placed on yellow alert, that is, its activity was being monitored but dangers of a major eruption were not deemed imminent. Seismologists then changed this to an orange alert after an Australian climber and his Ecuadorian guide were burned by a gaseous eruption on October 5, 1999. Over the next two weeks, Tungurahua, which means 'little hell' in Quichua, pumped columns of steam and ash sky-high. At night, streams of glowing lava cascaded down the volcano's flanks. By October 17, authorities had ordered the evacuation of more than 20,000 residents from Baños and nearby villages. With the volcano erupting daily, tour operators in Quito and Ambato began offering trips to see the volcanic wonders from a safe distance. By January 2000, there had still not been an eruption large enough to cause substantial damage to Baños. Residents, desperate to reach their homes, defied government orders and clashed with troops at a military checkpoint; one woman died and many were injured. Soon after, 3000 people were allowed back into Baños. Slowly, tourists trickled in and residents returned to reopen tourism businesses. Baños was kept on orange alert until September 5, 2002, when it was demoted to a yellow alert. While tourism and daily life is entirely back to normal, Tungurahua is still active, happily burping ash, smoke and steam from above.

Recent History

Over the past few years, Volcán Tungurahua has produced nothing but steam from a few insignificant fumaroles - the town is well and truly back to its buzzing best.

A Baños tradition, which is still popular today, is milcocha (taffy) sold by friendly family-run stores. It's made entirely from cane sugar and is worth breaking a molar for.

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