One of the most exciting ways to spend an afternoon in the adventure town of Baños (or Baños de Agua Santa), Ecuador is renting a bike. While you can book bus tours, we highly recommend renting some wheels instead and setting out on your own, and it’s super easy to do so!
In this post, we’ll share the best options for renting a bike and seeing some of the beautiful nature that is everywhere around you in this gorgeous place, as well as a list of the waterfalls you can expect to see.
The most popular bike route to take is certainly La Ruta de las Cascadas, which runs from Baños to the town of Puyo, along the Río Pastaza canyon.
What awaits you on this trip is epic views, stunning scenery, and at least seven (!) large waterfalls. At the end of the route is the intense Pailón del Diablo (or Devil’s Cauldron) waterfall, which will certainly impress and astound any visitor!
While biking this route isn’t necessarily for the faint of heart, we can’t recommend it enough. Tegan is a very cautious biker, and while there were a few scary parts, overall it’s very flat and the road is in good shape. The route itself is about 11 miles one-way, and it’s easy to catch a truck ride back into town so you don’t have to worry about biking all the way back, especially if it’s dark by the time you’re finishing up.
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Step 1: Renting Your Bike
There are tons of places in Baños to rent a bike, so if you walk around and scope out some shops you can definitely find a good bike to rent for the day. These shops usually have their prices posted, so you have an idea of how much you will pay. We paid around $10 total. Be prepared to show your driver’s license and/or passport before being allowed to rent, as a theft prevention method.
The bike shop should also provide you with a map that gives you a general idea of what to expect on this route, as well as of course a helmet. Make sure to check your bike really well before leaving, as the last thing you want is to get a flat tire or have the bike break down on you when you are halfway through the route. We were also provided with a tire patch kit and small pump, just in case.
Once you are all set on your bike, you can do a couple of laps around the block to get adjusted and make sure everything is all set, or, if you’re feeling good, hit the road! 
Step 2: Hit the Road!
First, head out onto the main road going east. Be aware that starting now, you are going to be biking on the side of a busy road, with cars and trucks speeding by for a decent portion of your journey, so prepare yourself and take your time getting comfortable if this is something that makes you nervous.
Note: Tegan was a bit afraid of the trucks when we first got started, but once we got into the rhythm things definitely improved. It’s important to be cautious here, but we didn’t feel unsafe.
The route mostly follows the Pastaza river (below you on your right) and the mountains are all around you, so you’ll always know where you’re going. About 1/3 of the route is on the main road, but soon after that, you will veer off into a bikes-only path for the rest of the journey.
This is the part of the Ruta that is really, really special. You will be surrounded by non-stop, gorgeous vistas of the winding river and the beautiful waterfalls here, so be sure to stop and take photos! We loved stopping and taking a few panoramas and selfies to capture the moment. The lush and verdant greenery is stupendous, and the bike path is super smooth and well-maintained, so your bike will glide over the pavement easy-as-pie.
One thing that makes Baños so great is its cool temperatures, and there will even be a nice, cool breeze accompanying you.
While on your biking journey, you will pass up to 12 waterfalls, and lots of opportunities for zip-lining and other adventures.
Be sure not to miss:
- Cascada Agoyan
- Cascada Agollan
- Cascada la Piedra
- Manto de la Novia (Bride’s Veil): a double waterfall
Step 4: Pailón del Diablo Waterfall
Depending on how fast you bike, you will reach the Pailón del Diablo area in an hour or so, maximum two hours. Once you arrive, there is an area to park your bike and pay the entrance fee to this area ($2 USD when we were there.)
We are so glad that we decided to stay a bit longer and enter the park, and you absolutely should, too! There are views of a large gorge for most of the descent down to the waterfall, which made for some great foreshadowing, heightening your anticipation for the waterfall itself.
There is a little staircase almost carved into the rock that allows you to get super close to the waterfall, as you hear the rush of the water surround you and the crash of it hitting the ground far below. It is absolutely incredible, and worth squeezing your way through.
Since you can get so close to the waterfall, there are many great opportunities for photos and sightseeing from different angles. We were there in the late afternoon, and found that we had much of this area around the waterfall to ourselves. It was so fun to climb around the rock face and see the different views of the mighty waterfall, with lush greenery all around us.
Once you have had your fill of admiring the waterfall up close, you can also view the surrounding nature from a nearby suspension bridge. This is another perfect place to take photos. There is not much to do once you cross the bridge, but it’s fun to explore around a bit anyway.
After you’re done hiking around and exploring the waterfall area, getting back to Baños is super easy. The little town that Pailón del Diablo is located in has a truck service for bicyclists wanting to head back into town for a $2 USD fee per person. The truck is supposed to leave every twenty minutes or so, but that varies depending on the time of day and how many people are waiting.
We did not have to wait long, and were loading up our bikes and hopping onto the benches in the back in no time. As you can guess, the drive back was much quicker than biking, and we were certainly grateful to sit down and rest for a bit after our adventurous afternoon!
Once you get back into town, just drop off your bike, and you have officially completed one of the most fun activities in Baños, Ecuador!
Don't miss these other Baños attractions!
In addition to being breathtakingly gorgeous, Baños is a total adventure haven for any activity level. For more details, and how to get from Quito to Baños, check out our Baños post!
Here’s a sneak peek!
- Casa del Arbol
- Thermal baths galore
- Tree-trekking, bungee jumping, kayaking, white-water rafting
- Hiking, biking, swimming
