5 Reasons NOT to Bike La Ruta de las Cascadas in Baños, Ecuador

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I hate to sound like a Debbie Downer or a Negative Nancy here since I’m not normally one to recommend taking a tour or bus over doing something yourself. However, in this case, I’m making an exception. If you’re thinking about renting a bike while in Baños de Agua Santa to explore La Ruta de las Cascadas: do yourself a favor and at least read through my reasons not to do it.

During my planning for my trip to Ecuador, I read several blogs and articles about all the fun things to see and do. I was looking forward to Ecuador being an adventurous trip since Baños has so many outdoor adventure activities and I planned to visit the Galápagos Islands as well. Many of the posts I read touted bicycling the road to Puyo, also known as La Ruta de las Cascadas (Route of the Waterfalls), as a great budget activity while in Baños. I, however, would advise you to consider these reasons before renting a bike and pedaling out of Baños.

1. It’s a Helluva Work Out

The route from Baños to the Pailón del Diablo (last waterfall people typically visit) is 18km aka 11 miles. If you’re not already in pretty good shape, this alone is something to consider. I was in decent shape having been planning to do this bike ride and doing some practice rides at home. All the posts I read brushed off the ride as not a big deal since it’s all downhill. 

My friends… it was NOT all downhill. 

Was a good majority of it downhill? Yes, most of it was. However, there are still portions along the way that are also flat or even uphill. If you are an avid biker or in even just in good shape, it’s not going to break you, I just want you to know the whole thing isn’t downhill since that was the impression I had before going.

Lastly, in addition to the ride, visiting the waterfalls along the way (essentially the whole point of doing this) can be strenuous as well. The hike back to Pailón del Diablo was about a mile each way and it’s a very steep path. It wasn’t too bad on the way down, but it’s a tough climb back up when you’re done exploring. By the end of the day, I was sore and utterly exhausted.

2. Traffic and Tunnels

I mentioned above that I did some biking at home to make sure I could handle the ride, but this did not adequately prepare me. You also need to be comfortable sharing this busy road with large trucks who often do not have much room to spare for cyclists. There isn’t a separate bike path along the road to Puyo, or even much of a shoulder to cry ride on. If you’re comfortable biking with traffic, this likely won’t bother you too much.

One of the most heart-stopping moments for me was the first tunnel you enter after leaving Baños. (In case you were unaware, this is a road through the mountains and there are several tunnels.) The narrow shoulder we had been riding on disappeared entirely, forcing us to merge into the lane of traffic and ride through the dimly lit tunnel.

Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, there’s a rather sudden and sharp turn that nearly had me wiping out in front of the truck that was following me through the tunnel. Thankfully, the rest of the tunnels have bypasses for bikers on the ‘old road.’ The views on these bypasses are spectacular and without the stress of the motor traffic on the road, I was able to enjoy the beauty of the Andes Mountains. Alas, nothing is perfect so I should warn you that even these bypasses aren’t all fun and games. Being the ‘old road’ they’re mostly cobblestoned which means you’re in for a very rough and bumpy ride. 

3. Holy Heights

As one might expect with a road that goes through the mountains, there are some very steep cliffs.  Heights aren’t something that usually bother me very much, however, I really would have appreciated more guard rails. There were some present along the way, but much of it was only some rocks along the edge or a drop off. 

I would just caution you to be mindful of how close you get to the edges and to pay attention to where those handlebars are pointed if you’re staring off at the dramatic landscape. Also watch where you put your helmet if you stop to take pictures along the way. If you choose to lean your bike up against a short dirt pile near the edge of a cliff and set your helmet on the seat… it might attempt to escape and tumble off said cliff. Not that such a thing happened to me. Nope, no way. 

I don’t talk about the helmet.

4. Pack Light and Carry a Chain

Most bike rentals include a chain (if you’re doing this, make sure you get one!) for you to use to lock up the rental bike & helmet if you stop. Chances are, if you’re biking La Ruta de Las Cascadas, it’s because you want to see and experience those cascadas! While some of the waterfalls and attractions had bike racks for cyclists to use, others did not. It was a bit inconvenient to chain up my bike and helmet every time I stopped. This was especially true for the spots that didn’t have a bike rack handy, thus forcing me to creatively chain them up to a railing or whatever I could find. Nonetheless, I did it to avoid someone stealing my rental bike which would leave me both stranded and indebted to the rental shop. 

Another thing to keep in mind is what you bring with you.

Per reason 1: it’s a workout, so pack light. Also know that you may be unable to keep things with you if you choose to go on any of the zip lines offered at some of the waterfalls along the way. I chose to bring only a day pack since I didn’t want to be weighed down with too much of my travel gear, basically just some granola bars, water, sunscreen, and my rain jacket. When I did the superman style zip line, I had to leave our bag with the operators since the I couldn’t wear a backpack when strapped into the harness. Once I returned to the start of the zip line I was able to retrieve my bag, but it wasn’t in a well secured area.

5. But Wait, Now How Do I Get Back to Baños?

There are a couple of options for returning to Baños once you’ve finished up your adventure along La Ruta de Las Cascadas. You can ride back (mostly) uphill those eleven miles; not for the faint of heart (or those who skip leg day). Alternatively, you can catch a ride in the back of trucks that wait outside of Pailón del Diablo to take cyclists and their bikes back up. I tried to do this, but wasn’t successful as it was late in the day once I left the waterfall. The drivers wait for their trucks to be full before they make the drive up to Baños.

Since no one else joined me for about twenty minutes, the driver sent me over to a local bus instead. The bus was actually more comfortable than the bench in the back of the truck, but I was unlucky with the traffic on the way back up since there was a traffic collision slowing everyone down. Taking the trucks is a cheap option though (should only be about $2/person), it just didn’t work out for me.

Fool Me Once

I did it.

I biked La Ruta de Las Cascadas and (clearly) lived to tell the tale. There was definitely a strong sense of accomplishment, and I had fun despite everything listed above. Do I regret doing this? Eh, not really, but I do kind of wish I had just taken a tour and I certainly wouldn’t bike it again. This is something I can cross off my bucket list, and be content to never do again. I wanted to write this as a word of caution amongst the many posts I read prior to going that painted this bike ride as sunshine and rainbows. There were absolutely stunning views, but really, I probably would have enjoyed them more on one of the many tours offered from Baños.

Whatever way you choose to take the trip, don’t miss out on La Ruta de Las Cascadas!

Have you biked, or would you bike La Ruta de Las Cascadas?

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