I Almost Died Solo Biking in Baños
Have you ever heard of Baños de Agua Santa?
It's a small town in Ecuador known for its hot springs, endless waterfalls, and adrenaline-pumping adventure sports. I ended up there on a whim. While in Quito, someone mentioned it to me, and it sounded like the perfect place for a solo traveler to explore. So I booked a ride, made my way to this vibrant little town — and it did not disappoint.
Baños was colorful and alive, tucked into the mountains right where the Andes meet the Amazon. Even the drive in was stunning: lush greenery, deep valleys, waterfalls spilling off cliffs. Once there, I packed my days with white-water rafting, canyoning, the famous "Swing at the End of the World," thermal baths, and, of course, waterfall chasing.
And in true Avanti fashion, I almost died chasing those waterfalls.
This is that story.
Baños is famous for many things, but one of the big ones is its waterfalls. The town is surrounded by them, and the most popular are strung along a stretch of highway called the Ruta de las Cascadas.
You can experience the route in a bunch of ways: ATV, car, or bike.
I chose bike.
It sounded like a fun day activity — plus, I'd get a workout in. Two birds, one stone. The hostel I stayed at, Great Hostels (yes, that's actually its name), made it an easy choice too. They had bikes for $10/day, complete with a helmet, a map, and some advice (which, spoiler: I definitely misheard).
The hostel itself was a vibe — colorful, social, and full of cats and dogs wandering the property. There was this black cat I completely fell in love with. 🐈 Anyway, the bikes were cheap, so the decision was made.
The route is simple enough: follow the road in one direction, make stops at the waterfalls, and enjoy the ride. One way, it's about 11 miles — not too crazy for a day trip.
My goal was to visit these waterfalls:
- Cascada de Agoyán
- Cascada Manto de la Novia
- Paílón del Diablo
- Cascada Machay
And so, off I went.
The ride started off smooth. Not too many cars, mostly empty streets, and a lot of downhill cruising. Honestly, I was thriving. The scenery was gorgeous — mountains, rivers, greenery everywhere. Baños is ridiculously beautiful.
My first stop was Cascada de Agoyán.
I only checked it out from a viewpoint, but it was still impressive. You can zipline right across the gorge toward the waterfall, which looked epic, but I decided to save my energy for later stops. Watching strangers scream their way across the canyon was enough entertainment for me.
From there, I pedaled on toward my next stop: Cascada Manto de la Novia. And this is where things… got dicey.
When I rented my bike, I'd been told there might be a tunnel or two on the route, but not to worry because most had clear bike bypasses. Easy.
Or so I thought.
I'd already gone through one short tunnel earlier in the ride where I could see the exit the whole time — no problem. But then I rolled up to this tunnel.
And in my defense: I didn't see a bypass sign anywhere.
In my offense: I'm an idiot who looked at a pitch-black hole in the mountain and thought, "Yep, that's my route."
Reader, it was not my route.
The tunnel was pitch black. I couldn't see a thing in front of me. And it wasn't just dark — it was active two-way traffic. Cars were flying past, headlights blinding me, and I was hugging the side of the wall for dear life. At one point, I tried pulling over to wait it out, but cars just kept coming.
So I came up with a plan: use my phone flashlight to see.
Spoiler: it did nothing. Absolutely useless.
So I just had to pedal. Hard. Hoping I wouldn't get hit. I ended up using the headlights of oncoming cars to guide me forward. After what felt like forever, I literally saw the light at the end of the tunnel — and sprinted my ass out of there.
My genuine reaction: pure relief. Also, pure regret.
Even after I made it out, I was still confused because I hadn't seen another path. So I convinced myself, "Maybe that's just the way?" (It wasn't. But we'll get to that later.)
I finally rolled up to Cascada Manto de la Novia.
Like Agoyán, I just viewed it from a distance — mostly because I knew I had a long day ahead of me. From the viewpoint, it was still stunning. Most people either take a little cable car across the gorge to get closer to the falls, or zipline for a shot of adrenaline. Both looked fun, but I was saving my time (and energy) for later stops. Instead, I grabbed a snack from a nearby stand, enjoyed the view, and hopped back on my bike.
A few kilometers later, I ran into another tunnel. And this time? I actually saw the bike bypass.
Cue lightbulb moment. 💡 And of course, I had to vlog:
I pulled over, stared at the clearly marked path, and realized: I had 100% messed up at the last tunnel. I could have avoided my near-death biking experience entirely.
My next big stop was Paílón del Diablo
It was located in the small town of Río Verde. It's a cute place with plenty of roadside restaurants and shops, so I parked and locked my bike, then walked over to the entrance.
There are actually two entrances to see Paílón del Diablo — an upper and a lower. I didn't realize this until later, but I ended up taking the lower entrance, which I thought was the cooler one.
From the gate, it's about a 15-minute downhill walk with lots of stairs. At the park entrance, I paid the $2 fee and headed in. The trail itself was beautiful — stone paths, lush greenery, and then finally, the waterfall itself.
And wow. Paílón del Diablo is massive. The sheer force of the water is incredible, but what really got me was the architecture of the park. The stone staircases and pathways carved into the landscape made the whole thing feel magical.
One of the highlights was a narrow tunnel path called La Grieta al Cielo. It winds its way under the falls, and some parts are so tight you have to crawl through. You will definitely get wet.
Of course, I thought this tunnel would connect me to the upper viewpoint. Spoiler: it did not. Instead, it led me directly under the waterfall — where I got absolutely drenched. Not mad about it though. It was cold, chaotic, and hilarious.
After my unexpected shower, I crossed the suspension bridge to a little café with a perfect view of the falls. I ordered an Ecuadorian hot chocolate, warmed up, and just sat there soaking it all in (pun intended). Honestly? One of my favorite moments of the entire day.
My last stop was Cascada Machay.
By this point, I wasn't totally gassed, but I was definitely feeling the wear of the day. The last stretch was uphill, and I eventually gave in and started walking my bike. No shame.
At the entrance, there was no fee, but there were so many stairs down to the falls. Going down wasn't too bad — but I knew coming back up was going to be brutal.
The waterfall itself was worth it. It's also a popular swimming spot, so I waded into the (freezing) water, which felt amazing after biking in the sun. I even stretched out on some rocks and took a little nap. When I first arrived, I had the place completely to myself — which made it even more special.
As I was getting ready to leave, I ran into some friends from the hostel who told me about an important life hack: you can actually arrange transport back to Baños instead of biking the 11 miles uphill. They were planning to grab a ride, and I happily joined their plan.
So after soaking in a bit more waterfall time, we hiked back up those endless stairs and asked the women running the snack shop to call us a ride. A pickup truck showed up, we loaded our bikes in the back, and off we went — wind in our hair, mountains all around us. Honestly, the perfect way to end the day.
Back in Baños, I couldn't stop smiling. This bike ride was hands down my favorite day in Baños — maybe even in all of Ecuador. It had everything: adventure, chaos, beauty, a near-death experience, and friendly strangers who made the journey feel safe and fun.
As a solo, female traveler, I had debated whether I should even attempt this ride. But I'm a big believer in doing the things that scare you — responsibly, of course. And this day proved why.
Baños was a town I hadn't even heard of before Ecuador, but now it holds a permanent place in my heart. It's always those unexpected places — the ones you never planned for — that end up surprising you the most.
The beauty of looking where you never thought to look.
