El Paílón del Diablo

Pailondiablo0001

A beautiful waterfall about 1 km off the main road from Baños to Puyo, El Pailón del Diablo (the Devil's Cauldron) is well worth the day trip from Baños. If you ride a bike from Baños (17 km), you will pass several other waterfalls on your way. Park at the Restaurante las Hortensias just after a small bridge and head downhill on a small footpath which weaves through beautiful cloud forest for less than 1 km until you reach a suspended bridge. You can view the waterfall from the bridge, or, for $0.50, pass through El Otro Lado restaurant and walk on their private path until you are almost close enough to touch the waterfall. There is great birdwatching and you will see a variety of butterflies and orchids along the way.

El Otro Lado and El Pailón Restaurant have a few rooms which are between $10-15 per person per night.

If you biked down and don't relish the idea of biking 17 km back to Baños (mostly uphill), the buses will help you stash your bikes or you can hitch a ride with someone passing through. Large flatbed trucks often park in front of the Hotensias Restaurante offering rides back to Baños (around $1.50 per person). The bus is much cheaper, but you will save the trek to the main road.

Location:
17 km de Baños a Puyo
Baños, Ecuador

National Park

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Reviews

Traveler Reviews of El Paílón del Diablo

Invigorating

I loved the power of this waterfall. It didn´t cascade down the mountain as much as it CUT into the mountain. The mist will soak into your skin and is refreshing after biking to the waterfall. Before you head down the steps to the bottom of the waterfall, look to your right and there is a crevice that is just big enough to crawl through. In the middle, it gets really tight and you´ll have to crawl on your tummy. The crevice takes you nearly to the back of the waterfall and the view is awesome. Its really slick though, so be careful.

Kristi Mohrbacher from Denver, Colorado on May 01, 2007

Great Place!

Beautiful waterfall, and a nice hike.

Traveler from Scottsville, NY USA on Nov 30, 2006

Amazing sights along the way

The bike ride from Banos to Pailon del Diablo was amazing, with awe inspiring sights of several waterfalls. After going through the first tunnel, make sure you take the bypass for the other two, since they are long and completely dark - you could be seriuosly hurt going through. Most of the uphill comes before the first tunnel; after that it is mostly downhill. Allow about 5 hours to make it from Banos to Pailon del Diablo, including stops. You can also rent a 4-wheeler if you aren\'t up to the bike ride.

Traveler from Canada on Dec 16, 2005

What an adventure!!!

What was great about this place is that it brings you up close to the waterfall. The view is amazing. I felt safe even though it looks scary. You cross a bridge right over the waterfall and you see the head of a horse. I was at awe.

Traveler from Philadelphia, Pa on Oct 30, 2005