A Complete Guide to the Mindo Waterfall Hike, Ecuador

Deep inside the lush Mindo Cloud Forest there is a popular hiking trail that takes you to seven beautiful waterfalls. In this guide we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Mindo waterfall hike, also known as the Ruta de las Cascadas.

Completing this hiking trail is considered one of the best things to do in Mindo. After visiting the cloud forests of Costa Rica, we knew that we would enjoy being back in this environment. Hiking in the cloud forest is definitely a different experience to the hikes we normally go on. Plus, the opportunity to see so many waterfalls in just a few hours was too great to pass up.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in Mindo, then check out our dedicated Mindo video on our YouTube Channel. For more Ecuador videos check out our Ecuador Playlist.

Introducing Mindo

The small village of Mindo sits at 1,250 m (4,100 ft) above sea level in a lush valley to the northwest of Quito.

The valley is home to the Mindo-Nambillo Ecological Reserve, and within the reserve is the beautiful Mindo-Nambillo Cloud Forest, covering over 19,000 hectares. The cloud forest and reserve are known for their biological diversity and countless natural attractions.

Did you know? – Cloud forests are wet tropical mountain forests. They are located at much higher altitudes (between 1,000m and 2,500m) and for this reason they’re also much cooler. As the name suggests, these forests have constant cloud cover, usually at canopy level.

Within the Mindo Cloud Forest, there’s a place called Tarabita y Santuario de Cascadas Mindo where you can visit several waterfalls of different sizes by following a well-trodden trail.

Mindo Waterfall Hike Trail Details

Before we jump into the details, it’s probably worth highlighting that the waterfalls are split between either two or three separate trails. It depends on how you look at it. This is because some people would – rightfully – say that there are two trails: one that has six waterfalls and the other that has only one.

Now, the map you’ll see upon arrival actually splits the routes into three. Which also makes sense because to visit all six waterfalls on one of the paths, you would need to backtrack on yourself. So, for this reason we’ll go with the three routes and will provide some more details on each of them below.

1. Nambillo Waterfall Trail (Ruta 1)

Once you get off the Tarabita you can go either left or right. If you’re facing the Tarabita, to your right is the trail that leads to Ruta 1 and Ruta 3. These two routes will have a total of six waterfalls between them.

Now, the trail splits after a few minutes of walking. You can go right and follow Ruta 1 which ends at Nambillo Waterfall. The path is mainly downhill, and also includes a bunch of stairs. Unfortunately, this means that you’ll need to walk uphill on the way back.

It’s totally worth heading down to see Nambillo Waterfall though. The waterfall is really beautiful, plus you can go for a swim in the water too.

2. Waterfall Sanctuary Trail (Ruta 3)

Once you’ve climbed back up from Nambillo Waterfall, you can just carry on straight instead of heading back to the Tarabita station.

This trail is known as the waterfall sanctuary trail because you’ll find five of the seven waterfalls along it. Obviously, this makes Ruta 3 the most popular trail in the sanctuary.

Luckily, the length of the trail isn’t too long, although you’ll need to return the same way you came. Along Ruta 3 you’ll see the following waterfalls: Cascada Ondinas, Cascada Guarumos, Cascada Colibries, Cascada Madre and Cascada de los Maderos.

Most of the falls are slightly off the main path, but don’t worry, you won’t have to walk super far. It’s good to know that if you want to see Cascada Colibries, then you’ll need to get into the river and walk up to it. Also, you’ll have to cross the river at Cascada Madre, although there are ways to avoid getting wet especially if the river is low. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that the levels can increase quickly after heavy downpours and in the rainy season. Make sure to only cross the river if you believe that it’s safe to do so.

Once you’ve reached the fifth waterfall, you’ll have to retrace your steps and go back to the Tarabita station.

3. Reina Waterfall Trail (Ruta 2)

Located at the end of Ruta 2 is the impressive Cascada La Reina. This is the tallest waterfall along the Mindo waterfall hike. The trail is the longest one out of the three but it can be relatively quiet for the same reason. Many people only opt for completing Ruta 3 because it has the most waterfalls.

We completed this trail last, and actually nearly skipped it, because we were already tired from hiking the other two routes. At the end we flipped a coin and went for it. And we were very glad we did! The waterfall was definitely the most impressive one of the seven.

Useful Information About Mindo Waterfall Hiking Trail

How to Get to the Mindo Waterfall Hike Trailhead

To reach the Mindo waterfall hike trailhead you’ll first need to get to the Tarabita cable car station.

It’s located about 3 km from the centre of Mindo. You can get there via taxi or on foot. We recommend getting a taxi at least on the way there, since it can take between 45 minutes to an hour to walk to the Tarabita station. The way is mostly uphill too, and you might want to conserve some of your energy for the actual waterfall hike.

At least one taxi is normally waiting around the main square in Mindo. A one way ride costs around $6 USD. You can also arrange a pick up time with the driver. If you do that, make sure to only pay half the fare, otherwise the driver might not turn up.

Once at the Tarabita station, you’ll have to buy a return ticket for the cable car ride which costs $5 USD per person. This old looking yellow basket will zip you across the river valley and take you to the trailhead. You’ll have to come back the same way, so keep your ticket safe during your hike.

If you didn’t arrange a taxi ride for the way back, you might get lucky and be able to hop in one that’s dropping somebody off. If not, you can also just walk back to Mindo. The way is all downhill, but bear in mind that you would’ve done quite a lot of hiking already.

Can You Get to the Mindo Waterfall Hike Trailhead Without the Tarabita?

Based on the AllTrails map you don’t actually have to get the Tarabita across the valley if you don’t want to. At the Tarabita station there should be a walking trail that drops down to Rio Nambillo. By following this trail you’d end up at Nambillo Waterfall located at the end of Ruta 1.

Based on the fact that you’d be heading down to the river, it’s safe to assume that it would be a relatively steep path. The trail was closed during our visit. We’re not sure if this is a permanent closure or if it was only temporary. So, if you have visited recently, let us know what the current situation is.

Since we wanted to save some time and energy, we were planning on taking the Tarabita to the other side anyway, so this wasn’t an issue for us.

Length of the Mindo Waterfall Hike Trail

There’s some positives and negatives in terms of trail lengths. One positive is that there are basically three different hiking routes. So, you can either do them all or just pick and choose if you want to make your overall hike shorter.

Now, the downside is that all three are out-and-back trails. This means that you’ll basically have to retrace your steps before heading out again.

• Ruta 1 to Cascada Nambillo only takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete, but of course you’ll have to walk back. Starting from the Tarabita station, this trail is around 0.8 km (0.5 mi) long there and back.
• Ruta 2 goes to the main waterfall called La Reina. It takes around 50 minutes to an hour to reach this one making it the longest of the three routes. Starting from the Tarabita station this trail is 4.6 km (2.8 mi) long in total.
• Ruta 3 is the most popular path people go on. This is because it only takes about 45 minutes to reach the end and you’ll be able to see five different waterfalls along the way. This trail is just over 3 km (1.9 mi) long there and back.

You’ll also need to add on some extra time for taking breaks, photos and enjoying the environment. For this reason, many people only do Ruta 3 and possibly add on Nambillo Waterfall too, but skip Cascada La Reina. If you want to do all three routes then we recommend getting there at opening time to make the most of your day.

Level of Difficulty

We would rate the Mindo waterfall hike as moderate. Some might say it’s easy, but there’s a lot of ups and downs that can be quite tiring. Not to mention the fact that you always have to backtrack on yourself.

The path itself can vary between being quite wide or pretty narrow in places and you’ll be very close to nature which is amazing. However, the trail can get pretty muddy, especially after heavy downpours. It also won’t be even, so you need to mind your step. There are also some stairs leading down to Nambillo Waterfall and at the end of Cascada La Reina.

In addition, you will need to do some river crossings in order to reach a few waterfalls such as Cascada Colibries and Cascada de los Maderos. This can become a bit more challenging after heavy rain or in the wet season.

Not to mention that it can be very humid which makes the hike slightly more difficult.

The trail itself is easy to follow, but if you want to track your progress on a map, we recommend downloading an offline map either on Google Maps or Maps.me, as the signal is pretty spotty in the cloud forest.

Best Time to Hike the Mindo Waterfall Trail

You’ll be hiking in the cloud forest which means that it can rain quite often. For this reason you can technically visit Mindo all year round. However, there’s still a dry season between June and September. Although it’ll be humid during this time, you can avoid getting wetter and muddier than you need to. The water levels won’t be too high either, which is a definite pro for safer river crossings, but means that the waterfalls might not be as powerful.

Note – If you’re also into bird watching, then come in the wet season between October and April when the birds are more active.

We visited towards the end of May, so at the tail end of the wet season. This way we could enjoy slightly drier weather conditions, but still see some powerful waterfalls thanks to all the rainfall.

During our short but sweet time in Mindo we noticed that the mornings were normally fine and the clouds rolled in in the afternoon. For this reason, we recommend starting your hike earlier in the day rather than later. If you want to see all seven waterfalls, you would also need to start early because it takes quite a few hours to complete the trails.

We also suggest timing your hike for a weekday, as the weekends can get very busy.

Facilities Along the Mindo Waterfall Trail

Restaurants / Cafes: There’s a small restaurant / cafe at the Tarabita station on the waterfall sanctuary side of the valley. You can buy some refreshments or food here. You can also just bring your own packed lunch with you if you want to save some money.

Toilets: There are toilets at the cafe and at Nambillo Waterfall. You might want to have some toilet paper with you just in case.

Changing Facilities: At Nambillo Waterfall there was also a changing facility in case you wanted to have a swim in the water.

What to Wear and Pack for the Mindo Waterfall Hike

We highly recommend wearing waterproof and supportive hiking boots. The trail can be muddy and slippery, so you would want sturdy shoes.

The temperatures will change throughout the day, so we recommend wearing layers that you can take on and off as needed.

Bringing a waterproof jacket or poncho is also a must. It can rain often in the cloud forest, so you’ll want to stay as dry as possible. If you carry a lot of camera gear then don’t forget to have a waterproof backpack cover too.

If you’re planning on having a dip in the water then pack your swimsuit and towel. A small quick-dry towel can also come in handy if you need to cross the water barefoot and want to dry your feet after.

Whilst you can buy some food and drinks at the restaurant, we recommend packing your own lunch and snacks. Bring enough water with you too. It can be quite humid and you’ll want to stay hydrated.

Have enough small change for your taxi ride and Tarabita ticket. They often struggle to give change out of larger notes.

And of course, don’t forget your phone and camera gear. If you enjoy wildlife spotting, then you can also pack some binoculars.

Final Thoughts on the Mindo Waterfall Hike

Although we read mixed reviews about the Mindo waterfall hike, we really enjoyed our time there. Being back in the cloud forest was an amazing experience in itself. The fact that we could also see seven pretty impressive waterfalls along the way was a fantastic bonus. Probably the last time we completed a dedicated waterfall trail was at the Four Waterfalls Walk in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park in Wales. Which, as the name suggests, only has four waterfalls.

If you enjoy being very close to nature and don’t mind getting a bit muddy and wet, then you’ll have a fantastic time chasing waterfalls at Mindo Waterfall Sanctuary.

Have you ever been to Mindo or hiked the waterfall trail before? If so, did you complete all three trails or did you make your hike shorter? If not, would you want to hike in Mindo Cloud Forest? Let us know in the comments below.