Hostal Posada del Arte is tucked off the main square but the colorful entrance is impossible to miss

Inside is a cozy common room with a fireplace and a rotating gallery of artwork on the walls, mostly local artists and all for sale.

We stopped in to eat in the restaurant and I got my (by now) favorite Ecuadorian meal, llapingachos

Eggs. chorizo, potato pancakes, avocado and tomato salad. Awesome.

I loved Posada del Arte. The food was great, the atmosphere is gorgeous and it’s right in the center of town. As much as I really liked staying at La Casa Verde, it’s a 2km walk out of town, which makes it tricky after midnight when the cabs stop running. If I were to come back to Banos, I’d stay at Posada del Arte.