Chasing Waterfalls

Baños, Ecuador

I mentioned in my first post about Baños how it’s a city known for its natural beauty and numerous adventure opportunities. We combined the two traits on our second day in Baños by hiring bikes and going on a self-guided waterfall tour. We went through Imagine Ecuador again and they provided us with a map, repair kit and awesome bikes! To the end of waterfall route is 21km total, and is mostly downhill (!!!).

The first of 4 waterfalls was called Cascada de Agoyan. From the pit stop on the side of the road we got a great view of the falls across the valley.

On our way to the second falls, we rode across a seemingly normal bridge. And then we saw a couple of guys all harnessed up & preparing to jump off the side! It wasn’t bungee jumping, but more of a swing. We pulled over and cheered on the guys who were looking more and more apprehensive as time went on. Eventually, the first guy stepped down and took off his harness. Not too long after, his friend did the same. Gutted that we missed out on seeing others hurl themselves off a bridge with only the rushing river below, Ben bravely volunteered to go! Watching his free fall made me 100% sure that it wasn’t something I’d be signing up to do anytime soon, but it was fun to watch nonetheless.

The second cascade was Manto de la Novia and we actually took a cable car (not the smoothest ride I’ve ever experienced!!!) down to the falls where a super rickety bridge stood waiting for photo-ops.

Even though the waterfall was pretty cool, the most entertaining sight at this location was the parrot we found just as we were leaving. He was so talkative and so eager to repeat our endless choruses of “Hola!”s.

Our third waterfall of the day involved biking uphill (until now, most of the route had been downhill), in the rain to try and find our destination. After that, it was a 15 minute hike downhill on slippery rock steps. The less than ideal conditions to get to the Machay Waterfall were soon forgotten after we got a glimpse of the cascade.

The tour outline mentioned that you could swim at the base of the falls, but because it’s rainy season, the water was SO turbulent that swimming would definitely NOT be an option. In addition to the wild waters, it was also SO misty! What little we had managed to dry off from our rainy bike ride was quickly replaced in the form of mist!

Our last waterfall of the day was without a doubt, the most impressive. Just past Rio Verde (where the water is actually a tinge of green!), is Pailon del Diablo (Cauldron of the Devil). For a small entrance fee, we made our way to the viewing platform balconies. There are 4 balconies that have various degrees of exposure to the waterfall mist. The lowest one received the most mist!

In addition to the viewing platforms, guests can make their way through a small, crawling space only cave carved out of the rock facade. Emerging from the tiny crevasse puts you within mere feet of the hugely powerful waterfall! If we thought we were wet before, we were severely mistaken!!

Once we had had enough of the waterfall close-up, we went across the bridge nearby and admired the falls from afar.

By this point, it was beginning to get dark so we caught a ride with one of the many trucks waiting at the entrance to Diablo to take bikers (and their bikes!) back down to the town of Baños.

Practical Information

Time

The route is about 21km in total and Imagine Ecuador suggests a total time of 4-5 hours. Due to the fact that we took our time admiring the waterfalls, and we stopped for lunch, we actually took close to 7 hours.

Cost

The company we chose (Imagine Ecuador) charges $10 per person for a day long bike rental. This includes a really great quality bike, helmet, locks, bike repair kit for the group, and a map for the group. In addition to the bike rental fee, we incurred some extra costs along the way (per person):

Manto de la Novia cable car: $1.50 Machay Waterfall entrance fee: $1.00 Pailon del Diablo entrance fee: $1.50 Truck back to Baños: $2.00

Other

Though the majority of the route IS downhill, it’s also along a major highway. The road is fully paved and the drivers generally gave us enough room while they drove by. In addition to the road, portions of the bike route also follow a tourism-only side trail (big enough for some tour buses) that runs along the side of the valley. It’s main purpose is to by-pass the 4-5 tunnels through which all other traffic travels. The path was fully paved and really well maintained.