From Quito, it can take between 1 hour and 1 hour 30 minutes depending on where you’re staying to get to Papallacta. Public transport is an option but it’s best to go by car or organized tour. The weather varies but normally when it’s winter in Quito between October and May, it tends to be summer in Papallacta. As you approach Papallacta, if the skies are clear you’ll get to see the snow-topped Volcano Antisana in the background. It’s a great sight and the highway is in good condition for a comfortable journey to Papallacta.
Once in Papallacta, there are a couple of hot spring pools in the small town. The ones near the bottom are cheaper and have fewer facilities. We went to the one at the top of the hill called Termas de Papallacta which is a resort and spa but has pools open to the public. There’s lots of parking available and a guarded entrance. Tickets cost 9 USD1 each and give you access to several pools, changing rooms, showers, and restroom facilities. You can also rent lockers available from the shop/cafe. There are several indoor changing rooms throughout the site as well as restrooms and showers. This site is quite relaxed with what you wear in the pools. It was very sunny on the day we went, so a lot of people got into the pools with a t-shirt and hat to avoid getting sunburnt.
We got there at around 9.30 AM so it wasn’t that busy. We first headed to the pools on the upper level. There are gazebos with tables and chairs throughout and we managed to grab one of those spots. It’s a nice place to relax in the pools and chill on the chairs. Around the back on the upper level, there is also a polar pool. After getting out of the hot pools, some people would jump in the polar pool since its supposed to be good for your muscles. Later in the afternoon, we went to explore the lower pools. There is a large pool and the temperature here is a little lower than the ones on the upper level. There are then some more pools around the corner and these are very hot. One of them has a warning sign and I could just about dip my toe in it. We also found an indoor area below the large pool which had 2 waterfall-like showers with the hot spring water. We stayed until around 2.30 PM before heading down to the town to get some lunch. Once we were done, we then headed back to Quito.
