Cycling the Ruta de las Cascadas in Baños, Ecuador

Cycling the Ruta de las Cascadas in Baños is a favourite activity of many visitors during their time in the city. By renting a bike, you get to explore multiple waterfalls along Rio Pastaza including one of the most impressive falls in Ecuador: El Pailon del Diablo.

Baños is often referred to as the adventure capital of Ecuador. Whilst renting a bike isn’t going to be as adventurous as rafting or zip-lining, it can be the perfect thrill for the less adrenaline-inclined visitors. You’ll get to see some pretty beautiful waterfalls surrounded by lush scenery as you make your way along Ruta de las Cascadas. Plus, if you really want to spice up your experience, you can always stop to do a few more exciting activities along the way.

In this guide we share everything you need to know about cycling the Ruta de las Cascadas in Baños. This will include bike rental, cost, cycle route description, attractions along the way and return journey options.

If you’d like to see our cycling experience, then check out our dedicated Baños video on our YouTube Channel. For more Ecuador videos check out our Ecuador Playlist.

What is the Ruta de las Cascadas in Baños

Ruta de las Cascadas translates to ‘Route of the Waterfalls’, or simply ‘Waterfall Route’, in English. As the name suggests it is a route that has multiple waterfalls dotted along it. The Baños waterfall route runs along Rio Pastaza, with about six main waterfalls on it. Visitors normally visit Cascada el Pailon del Diablo last, located at the end of the route in Rio Verde. The distance between Baños and Rio Verde is about 16 km (10 mi).

Since it’s a popular route, you will also find some more extreme activity centres around the main waterfalls offering experiences such as zip lining, crazy swings and tarabita rides.

We found this route similar to the waterfall hike in Mindo.

Cycling the Ruta de las Cascadas from Baños: Route Description

The length of the waterfall route between Baños and Pailon del Diablo waterfall is 16 km (10 mi). It’s definitely not a short distance to cover, especially if you don’t cycle regularly. However, luckily the route towards El Pailon del Diablo is mainly flat and downhill.

Whilst the terrain itself is ideal for a long bike ride, it’s worth noting that you’ll be cycling along the very busy E30 road. For this reason, the first part of the ride might feel a bit nerve-racking. Apart from cycling down Cotopaxi Volcano a few days before visiting Baños, we hadn’t been on a bike, let alone cycled along a busy main road, in years.

Our experience was that drivers normally slowed down and gave us enough space when passing us, but you’ll always get a few who don’t care too much about you cycling next to them. Once we got used to the environment and got into a rhythm, it was fine.

There are also a number of tunnels between Baños and Rio Verde. Luckily, you only have to go through one short one and can avoid the rest. The tunnels will have clear signs that bikes aren’t allowed in them. There will be a road to the right of the tunnel entrance, so it should be pretty straight forward to see which way you have to go.

These diverted routes are the best, because you’ll be separated from the main traffic and can get fantastic views of the scenery. Honestly, these sections reminded us so much of the roads we’d driven along in Madeira.

Have a look at Google Maps here for the route and waterfall locations.

Waterfalls Along Ruta de las Cascadas

As mentioned above there are about six main waterfalls you can visit between Baños and Rio Verde.

As you leave Baños, the first two are Ulba and El Silencio waterfalls. You would have to get off the main road at Calle Juan Montalvo to visit these two. The owner of the land will charge you a small entry fee to visit them.

Next along Ruta de las Cascadas is Agoyan Waterfall, located just before the first tunnel. There is a massive car park and some vendors here, so you can’t miss it. The waterfall is visible from the road, but you can take a tarabita across the canyon and the river if you want to get closer to the falls.

Further down the route, the next waterfall visible from the road is called Cascada Manto de la Novia (Bride’s Veil Waterfall). You can get closer to this one on foot, but you’ll have to pay a small entry fee.

The main waterfall that everyone pays a visit to is Cascada el Pailon del Diablo. This is the next big waterfall you’ll visit, located in the small town of Rio Verde. The 80 m tall waterfall is going to be the most impressive waterfall you’ll see around Baños, and probably in the whole of Ecuador too. There are two entrances to the waterfall, each giving you a different experience. Read our detailed guide on how to visit Pailon del Diablo here for more information.

Most visitors (including us) totally miss another beautiful waterfall just a stone’s throw away from El Pailon del Diablo (Okay, maybe another 10-15 minutes’ bike ride away). Cascada El Rocío Machay is also known to be a great swimming spot too.

Renting a Bike in Baños

Since cycling Ruta de las Cascadas is one of the best things to do in Baños, naturally there are plenty of tour offices you can rent bikes from. You can walk around the centre and enquire the cost at a few places before deciding on one. Prices will be around $10 USD per bike, give or take.

Note. If you’d like to reserve your bike, you will be asked to show ID and in some cases you will also need to leave it there until you drop your bike back off. Our driver’s licenses were fine, but you can also use your national ID or passport.

Bike rentals and the bikes themselves are pretty similar in most places. A good rental company will equip you with helmets, small pumps, a lock and even an emergency patch-up kit.

We highly recommend you check the bike out before you seal the deal and cycle off. They can adjust the height for you – which was very important to someone like me who is very short. They actually had to get a bike from a different shop for me! You should do a few laps around the block to test the brakes and gears. You really want to avoid breaking down at the side of the highway. (Our transport on the way back actually picked up a couple next to the road because they’d had an issue with their bikes.)

How to Return to Baños from Pailon del Diablo

You have two options: either cycle back to Baños or take a ride back on a truck (camioneta).

If you decide to cycle back, just note that the way back is all uphill. In case you cycle regularly that might not be an issue for you. It’s also important to note how long it took you to get to Pailon del Diablo and at what time you need to return your bike. You want to avoid cycling in the dark, unless you have a hi-vis jacket and lamp on your bike.

If you go for the truck ride, they normally wait around the entrance to Pailon del Diablo. You might need to wait a bit until the driver has enough people to make the trip worthwhile. The more people ride with you the less it’s going to cost you. We paid around $6 USD for our return journey, so $3 USD each. The ride is an adventure in itself and reminded us of when we were riding in the back of a small truck to reach Hierve el Agua in Mexico.

Cost of Cycling the Ruta de las Cascadas in Baños

There are a few costs associated with this activity as follows:

Bike Rental: around $10 USD per bike. It should include a helmet, locks and also a pump. Make sure to check and test out your bike at the shop. Since I’m quite short, the rental place had to get a smaller bike from a different place for me.

Waterfall Entries: this can range from $1 USD to $2 USD per waterfall. Some of the falls are on private properties and the owner charges you a small fee if you want to get a closer look. Pailon del Diablo has two entries and each costs $2 USD.

Truck Ride back to Baños: if you decide to return with a truck, then it can cost around $3-5 USD depending on how many people the driver manages to gather.

Additional activities: as mentioned above there are plenty of crazy swings, tarabita rides and zip-lines you can add to your itinerary for a more adventurous experience. The cost of these should be calculated into your budget.

Food: unless you take a packed lunch, you might want to grab something to eat along the way. There are plenty of eateries around Pailon del Diablo, whether you just want something quick or a proper sit down meal.

In total, you can expect to pay anywhere between $15 to $25 USD for cycling along the Ruta de las Cascadas in Baños.

Best Time to Cycle the Ruta de las Cascadas in Baños

You can basically complete this cycling adventure at any time of the year. The rainiest months in Baños are between January and March. The driest months are between June and August.

We visited at the end of May / beginning of June and the first half of our bike trip was a bit gloomy but dry. Then the heavens opened and we’d gotten absolutely soaked by the time we arrived at Pailon del Diablo.

Cycling in the pouring rain wasn’t much fun, not to mention getting all the spray from the lorries and cars passing us on the road. For this reason, we recommend packing a good rain-jacket and waterproof covers for your backpacks.

The rain-jacket will also come in handy if you visit the entrance of Pailon del Diablo that gets you right next to the waterfall.

Other Ways to Reach Pailon del Diablo from Baños

In case you don’t fancy cycling, then you can reach the main waterfall in many other ways. If you still want to stop at other attractions, then we recommend taking a Chiva bus tour.

Do you just want to get to the waterfall as quickly and comfortably as possible? Then take a taxi from Baños.

Lastly, if you want to save some money, you can just take a local bus from Baños bus terminal towards Puyo and get off at Rio Verde.

Final Thoughts on Cycling the Ruta de las Cascadas in Baños

Although we got seriously wet thanks to the pouring rain, cycling the Ruta de las Cascadas was still our favourite experience in Baños. It’s such a beautiful bike ride despite the fact that you’ll be cycling on the main road. The scenery is so lush which on its own makes it worth the effort. The fact that you can stop at multiple waterfalls along the way and do some crazy activities makes this trip one of the best things to do in Baños. Of course, visiting Pailon del Diablo at the end is a great reward after a long bike ride.

Have you ever been to Baños and cycled the Ruta de las Cascadas to reach Pailon del Diablo? If so, how was your experience? If not, would you want to cycle the Ruta de las Cascadas when visiting Baños? Let us know in the comments below!

Now, let your adventure begin,

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