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| Termas de Papallacta Spa |
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| A drive into the mountains |
I was so, so looking forward to Papallacta because, #1: I do love a soak in a thermal spa, especially one that you can just walk to from your room and #2: my pre-trip research talked about mountain trails and forests, which would provide opportunities to see plants, animals and, especially, birds completely different from what we had seen in Galápagos and would see in La Amazonía.
I had assumed when I read the itinerary that, between two days, we would have the equivalent of a full day in Papallacta. So, it was frustrating to watch time tick by while we were in Quito.
But, finally, we were on the road, winding through beautiful scenery as clouds drifted over the mountain peaks (not, however, stopping at overlooks).
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| On our way; Photo: Scott Stevens |
We finally pulled over at one point and got out to look at the scenery. Well, I thought it was a scenic stop.
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| Ancient trees and tall mountains |
But, actually, our bus was experiencing some sort of mechanical problem.
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| Something went wrong |
While our driver and Wilson attempted to get a phone signal to call for help, we looked around, scouring the sky looking of Andean Condors, which live in this area and are the largest birds in the world. We didn’t see any. At one point, a car stopped to check on us. Scott said it was some people who were looking for Andean Spectacled Bears, which also live in the area. That would be cool! We didn’t see those either!
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| Andean Condor photo: eBird; Spectacled Bear photo: National Zoo |
Since it was getting late, I was thinking that we could hit the spa that afternoon and look for birds and critters the next morning. But, we had that bus problem.
After a short time, we reboarded the bus and drove a little way down the mountain to a small roadside stand/store where we were to wait for a replacement bus.
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| Back downhill |
Roadside Stop
It turned out to be a nice stop.
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| Just a small vegetable stand |
First, the views were pretty …
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| A fairly dramatic mountain |
… including a sweet little shrine to the Virgin Mary with oddly large hands …
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| Is that a thing or had they just cobbled together two statues? |
Second, the granddaughter of the proprietress, a cute little nine-year-old in her school uniform, gave us a tour of the stand, explaining the various vegetables for sale, even showing us where some grow …
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| Wilson interpreted and provided additional information |
But, best of all, I got two new birds! I saw a Great Thrush …
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| A large bird |
… that was very cooperative for photos …
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| A curious bird |
And a Tyrian Metaltail Hummingbird that came out of nowhere and disappeared almost as quickly …
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| Not a good shot; I didn't see it coming |
I had been expecting lots and lots of Hummingbirds on this trip and this was the first I had seen …
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| Taking a quick break |
… so I was quite excited …
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| My first Ecuadorian Hummingbird |
After it disappeared, I looked and looked for it, but it never came back.
In addition to these new birds, I also got some great photos of a Rufous-collared Sparrow perched out in the open …
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| A cute little bird |
... and singing its heart out …
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| They are enthusiastic singers |
These cute little birds are quite common throughout South America. I mentioned I had seen one in Quito and I saw some more when we returned to Quito at the end of our trip.
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| This is why they are "rufous-collared" |
As I was looking in the hedge behind the store where I had seen my three birds, I also saw some pretty flowers and a Crane Fly. But, unfortunately, no more birds.
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| Much different than Galápagos |
And, even though I frequently scanned the sky, no Condors.
Finally, a new bus arrived and we continued on to Papallacta.
Termas de Papallacta
We stayed at Termas de Papallacta, a hot springs, spa and convention center located on the "Cinnamon Trail," the same route that the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana took in 1542 when he crossed the Andean mountain range searching for gold and other treasures, and which unexpectedly led him to "discover" the Amazon River.
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| Termas de Papallacta |
Papallacta sits at an altitude of 10,827 feet and has an average daytime temperature of only 57°F. When we arrived, it was late afternoon and a bit misty and rainy. Light was fading fast.
I very quickly walked around the grounds to take some photos.
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| It's easy to get lost |
Then, I changed into my bathing suit (and a very, very unattractive bathing cap) so that I could take advantage of the hot pools before dinner.
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| The bathing caps are required |
The resort has three different sets of pools: private pools for guests dotted around the cabins and lodge ...
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| Hotel pools |
... public thermal baths and the Papallacta Spa pools. The Spa pools are separate and more expensive.
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| Public pools; Photo: Wandering Carol |
Water temperature ranges from 96.8°F to 104°F.
The hotel pools, while close and in a lovely garden setting, are small, shallow and not quite as hot as I like. I soaked awhile until Scott (who had been exploring on his own) came by.
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| The hotel pools weren't hot enough |
We then found out that the Spa pools were hotter, so we headed that way.
Papallacta has ten public pools that we did not try. According to what I read, some are larger and cooler and some are more like Jacuzzis. You can also dunk yourself into a cold plunge pool. But that ain’t my thing. The public pools are open to the public daily from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for a fee of $9.00 for adults, $4.50 for children and $1.00 for a locker. The hotel pools are just for guests. For hotel guests, entrance is free for the public and hotel pools.
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| The Spa pools were great; Photo: Scott Stevens |
The Spa has five outdoor pools with jets, bubbles and waterfall spouts that you can follow in a “hydromassage circuit.” There’s also another cold plunge pool, an indoor relaxation area, a restaurant, treatment rooms and a steam grotto. It is $23 for the public and $15 for hotel guests.
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| Spa pool; Photo: Scott Stevens |
The final pool we went to was a little too warm for me to stay in very long.
The magma-heated springs come out of the ground at temperatures ranging from 86°F to 158°F.
The water is rich in calcium, sulfates, chloride and has traces of magnesium said to be helpful for rheumatism, inflammation and relaxation among other things.
Since we were soaking, I did not have my camera with me, so, when Scott saw a Hummingbird, I didn’t even explore. I would do that the next morning.
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| I suspect there are lots of birds in the lush foliage in the daytime |
Scott decided to get a massage – he had never had one before but, after being sick for a few days, he thought it might make him feel better. I had had a bad experience with a massage years ago (it aggravated a herniated disk) and my cold was starting to feel worse. So, I opted just to relax.
We had a nice dinner (although I can’t recall what) where Wilson told us that our departure the next morning would be before sunrise! All my plans to explore the Andes were dashed. This was my biggest disappointment of the trip. I would have liked much more time in the mountains. Maybe that’s just another trip.
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| Dining room |
We even asked if, maybe, when we returned to Quito at the end of the trip, could we skip the rose plantation tour and hire a private guide to take us back to the Andes. Wilson said there wouldn’t be time and then Scott said he didn’t want to miss going to the public market, which was now scheduled for after the rose plantation. So, nope on that.
According to what I read in advance, Termas de Papallacta has a research center called the Exploratorium on the grounds that provides information on the different species of flora and fauna found around the spa, some unique to the area. It even offers guided nature hikes. It was closed the day we got there and, of course, we didn’t get a chance to visit the next day.
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| Nearby stream; Photo: Wandering Carol |
The Spa is near Lake Papallacta. It and its surrounding watershed used to provide much of the drinking water for Quito, but landslides in 2003 caused an oil pipeline leak that contaminated the water.
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| Lake Papallacta; Photo: Landed Travel |
On to La Amazonía
The reason we had to leave so early was that we needed to drive back to Quito to catch a plane to Coca, where we would then take a boat down the Napo River to the Sacha Lodge.
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| We departed before dawn |
When we got to the bus out front, we discovered that it had snowed on the nearby mountain peaks. It’s too bad it was still dark when we left.
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| We saw this mountain from the parking lot |
I do not know why (and I never did ask) we were flying. There is a highway from Papallacta to Coca and, I think driving would have been far more interesting.
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| Possible route |
Yes, it is a four-plus-hour drive, but we were already driving an hour back to Quito, waiting at an airport and doing all those things associated with flying that take up time. I suspect we could have arrived close to the same time had we driven.
But, maybe the road is slower than advertised, maybe there are bandits, maybe a volcano or earthquake has damaged the road, maybe most travelers don’t like long bus trips, maybe gas is too expensive. Whatever. Still, I feel like we didn’t get any time in the Andes. And, they looked like they are worth a visit. Plus, they were blissfully cool after hot, hot Guayaquil and Galápagos.
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| The distant mountains from the bus |
But, we had the Amazon (or close to it) to see. And, I was hoping for a real adventure.
Trip date: March 7 - 19, 2023
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