Updated in September 2026, this Cascada El Pailón del Diablo guide covers ticket prices, opening hours, transport, accessibility and what to see.
Pailón del Diablo is an 80-metre waterfall in Río Verde, Tungurahua Province, Ecuador, and is now the country’s largest waterfall since San Rafael Falls collapsed in 2020. Night-time entry, priced separately and open later on Fridays to Sundays, is often missing from older guides.
Quick facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Monday–Thursday, 09:00–22:30; Friday–Sunday, 08:00–23:00 (extended on some holiday weekends) |
| Ticket prices | $3.00 adults by day (before 18:00), $4.00 adults by night, $2.00 children and over-65s, free under 4 |
| Address | 11 de Septiembre, Río Verde, Baños de Agua Santa, Tungurahua Province, Ecuador |
| Nearest transport | Local bus from Baños (around $0.50, every 15–30 minutes) or taxi (roughly $8–12) |
| Typical time needed | 1 to 2 hours |
Pailón del Diablo opening hours
Pailón del Diablo opens daily, with slightly longer hours at the weekend. Monday to Thursday, it is open from 09:00 to 22:30, and Friday to Sunday from 08:00 to 23:00.
Hours are occasionally extended on holiday weekends. Night visits after 18:00 include a coloured light display over the falls, and carry a higher entrance fee than daytime visits.
Pailón del Diablo ticket prices
Adult entry costs $3.00 by day, before 18:00, and $4.00 at night. Children and adults over 65 pay $2.00 at any time. Children under 4 enter free of charge.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in September 2026. Ecuador does not operate a bundled city-pass scheme covering Pailón del Diablo; the entrance fee is paid directly at the park gate.
How to get to Pailón del Diablo
The falls are about 20 minutes by road from Baños, in the town of Río Verde, on the road to Puyo. From Baños’s bus terminal, local buses run every 15 to 30 minutes and cost around $0.50; ask the driver to stop at Río Verde or Pailón del Diablo.
A taxi from Baños costs roughly $8 to $12 each way and takes about 20 minutes. Cycling the Ruta de las Cascadas from Baños is also popular, since the route runs mostly downhill; pickup trucks in Río Verde carry cyclists and bikes back to Baños for a small fee. Look for the entrance with the hummingbird logo near the football pitch in Río Verde; a second, older entrance exists nearby, so confirm which one your ticket or guide uses.
Many Baños tour operators combine Pailón del Diablo with other stops on the Ruta de las Cascadas, using a converted truck or minibus. This suits visitors who prefer not to arrange local buses or a bicycle themselves, though it generally allows less time at each individual waterfall.
Parking at Pailón del Diablo
Cars and taxis park in a lot near the ticket office in Río Verde, close to the entrance signposted with the hummingbird logo. Space is informal and can fill up on weekends and holidays.
How long to spend at Pailón del Diablo
Most visitors spend 1 to 2 hours at the falls. Reaching the upper viewing platform by the shorter route takes about 15 minutes; the full circuit, including the lower tunnel viewpoint and hanging bridges, adds 30 to 45 minutes more.
Accessibility at Pailón del Diablo
The main trail to the waterfall involves a steep descent of roughly 150 steps on concrete and wooden stairways, which are frequently wet from spray. The site is not wheelchair accessible. Visitors with limited mobility should check with staff about the shorter upper route before setting out, as it still involves some uneven ground.
At Pailón del Diablo: what to see
The short route begins near Cascada San Miguel, an 18-metre waterfall reached within the first few minutes of walking. Continuing downhill leads visitors roughly halfway to the main falls within about ten minutes.
Pailón del Diablo itself drops 80 metres into a narrow rocky canyon, throwing up large columns of mist and, in good light, rainbows. Multiple viewpoints along the trail show the falls from different angles.
The rock formations at the base, said to resemble a devil’s face, gave the waterfall its name, recorded since at least the 1940s. The surrounding pool is often described as a cauldron because of the turbulence of the water.
A suspension bridge crosses the gorge nearby. Unlike most such bridges, it slopes downhill at around 20 degrees and holds up to 50 people, giving views over the forest canopy and the falls.
A lower tunnel route leads through a passage that passes close behind part of the waterfall, where visitors are likely to get wet. This path is separate from the main upper viewpoints and takes extra time.
After dark on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, coloured lighting is added to the falls and surrounding walkways as part of a paid night tour.
The park lies within an Ecuadorian cloud forest ecosystem, an area noted for unusually high biodiversity. According to the site operator, the wider cloud forest region holds around 15 to 17 percent of the world’s plant species and close to a fifth of its bird species, so visitors may spot hummingbirds and other birdlife along the trail.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Timing | Visit early morning or after 16:00 for smaller crowds, particularly on weekends. |
| Crowds | Weekends and Ecuadorian holidays bring more visitors and longer queues at the ticket booth. |
| Layout | Two entrances serve the site; ask locally or check your tour details to avoid confusion. |
| Entry process | Pay the entrance fee at the ticket booth before starting the descent to the falls. |
| On-site logistics | Wear shoes with good grip, since the stairs are often wet, and expect to get splashed near the falls. |
Frequently asked questions about Pailón del Diablo
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Pailón del Diablo suitable for children? | Older children who can manage steep, wet stairs safely can visit; the descent is not suitable for very young children or strollers. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for Pailón del Diablo? | No. Tickets are bought on arrival at the entrance gate. |
| Is Pailón del Diablo open on Sundays? | Yes. Sunday hours run from 08:00 to 23:00. |
| Are bags allowed at Pailón del Diablo? | Small bags are fine; consider a waterproof cover, since the trail gets wet from spray. |
| Should I bring a change of clothes to Pailón del Diablo? | Many visitors do, especially if taking the lower tunnel route close to the falls. |
| Can you swim at Pailón del Diablo? | No designated swimming area exists at the main falls; nearby Cascada Rocío Machay is the better option for swimming. |
Things to do near Pailón del Diablo
- Río Verde village: the small town at the entrance, with restaurants and craft stalls.
- Cascada Rocío Machay: a swimming-friendly waterfall about 15 minutes further along the same road.
- Baños de Agua Santa town centre: thermal baths, a basilica and the main tourist hub, about 20 minutes away.
- Casa del Árbol: a hillside lookout near Baños known for its swing over the Tungurahua valley.
- Puyo: the nearest Amazon gateway town, roughly 45 to 60 minutes further along the same road.
Alternative attractions
- Cascada Manto de la Novia: a wide, wispy waterfall about 11 km from Baños, with a cable-car crossing over the gorge.
- Cascada de Agoyán: reportedly the highest waterfall in the Ecuadorian Andes, near the Agoyán hydroelectric dam.
- Cascadas Ulba and Silencio: the falls closest to Baños town, a short walk from the main road.
- Cascada Hola Vida: an Amazon rainforest waterfall and swimming lagoon near Puyo, about 2 hours from Baños.
- Cascada de Chamana: a quieter waterfall on the same road, roughly 7 km from Baños.
