El Paílón del Diablo - National Park Baños - Ecuador

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