Papallacta's attractions divide neatly into hot and cold: you soak in the thermal pools and you hike the cold páramo above the village. The combination is ideal — a long walk in the thin Andean air followed by a long soak in hot mineral water. The Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve at the village's doorstep offers trails ranging from a short walk around the lagoons to full-day hikes toward the higher ridges.