There are a number of activities and tourist sites within the vicinity of Baños but a must-see is the Pailón del Diablo; a deafeningly powerful waterfall that literally takes your breath away. The waterfall is only 30 minutes away from Baños by car. There is also the option of a bike tour, however, I don’t really recommend this as there is no dedicated bike lane on the roads which can get quite narrow. The Chivas tours include this spot as one of the destinations and are a fun way to get around. There are two options for visiting the Pailón del Diablo, one is ‘La Isla del Pailón’ that is privately owned, and the other is ‘La Grieta al Cielo’ which is run by the locals. The former has a 2 USD1 entrance fee and is a trail to a wooden bridge near the top of the waterfall yielding a panoramic view from above. The latter costs 1.50 USD and is a trail that goes right down to the waterfall with viewing balconies, a wooden bridge with a panoramic view, and a cave that leads up to the waterfall. Both times that I hace gone, I’ve gone to ‘La Grieta del Cielo’ and did not regret it.
It takes about 25 minutes to walk down the trail. The entrance fee is charged at the bottom and they sell water ponchos so you can assume you will get wet. The weather is nice and warm so I opted not to get one. Although wet is an understatement, you will get soaked from head to toe. Once you’ve paid and walked up a cobbled path, you will arrive at the main balcony and into a mist of water. Then you have the option of either walking down some steps to the lower balcony or walking up through a cave towards the balconies near the top of the waterfall. You’ll notice that there are not many people that go to the lower balcony, and this is because it can be rather terrifying. As you walk down the steps, the mist gradually becomes a strong spray of water. Once at the bottom of the balcony, you will find yourself gasping for air as the water crashes against the balcony. When this happens, many people run back up the stairs (myself included) as you get the sensation that the force of the water will pull you into the river. Although initially frightening, it’s an exhilarating experience and somewhat refreshing once you’ve gathered the courage to make it all the way down.
Now traversing the cave is a little easier. The cave is quite low so you’ll have to crouch and watch your head. A lot of people hit their head and no helmets are available for rental at the site. A lamp is not necessary since sunlight comes in from the sides. It takes about 5-10 minutes to crawl through the cave, depending on how many people there are. The balconies near the top are smaller so you may have to wait for people to come down first. It’s also slippery so you have to be cautious as you make your way. Once you reach the balcony, you can feel the vibrations generated by the immense power of the thunderous waterfall. The waterfall itself is not even an arm’s length away and you can touch it if you dare. It’s also possible to head up a couple more stairs to a balcony which goes behind the waterfall. Walking up these stairs is like walking through a shower with mighty water pressure. Once you get through, you’ll encounter the roaring sound of massive amounts of water pounding down all around you. A surreal experience of nature which can be violent yet peaceful at the same time. When done with admiring the waterfall at such a close distance, you can return back down to the entrance and then use your ticket to access the wooden bridge. This structure crosses the river where you’ll be able to appreciate the magnitude of the waterfall from afar.
