Top 10 Waterfalls in Ecuador
Ecuador is small but vertically dramatic: the Andes run down its spine, and on their eastern flank the land drops sharply toward the Amazon, creating a corridor of powerful waterfalls. The town of Baños sits at the gateway to this zone, on the famous Ruta de las Cascadas, and the Amazon foothills hold falls fed by near-constant rain. Most run year round, fullest in the wetter months, which vary by region. All ten below are on the map.
1. Cascada de San Rafael, Sucumbíos/Napo
San Rafael was long Ecuador's tallest waterfall, where the Río Coca dropped about 150 metres in the Amazon foothills. In 2020 a sinkhole upstream diverted the river and the fall largely collapsed — a stark example of how dynamic waterfalls can be, linked to upstream geology and to the controversial Coca Codo Sinclair dam. The site remains a landmark of the region's river history.
2. Pailón del Diablo, Tungurahua
The Pailón del Diablo (Devil's Cauldron) near Baños is Ecuador's most famous waterfall, where the Río Pastaza thunders about 80 metres through a narrow gorge into a churning basin. Walkways and a suspension bridge bring visitors right up to the spray, and a path leads behind part of the fall. Powerful year round; the centrepiece of the Ruta de las Cascadas.
3. Manto de la Novia, Tungurahua
The Manto de la Novia (Bride's Veil) on the Ruta de las Cascadas near Baños drops in a delicate veil across the Pastaza gorge. A cable car (tarabita) and a footbridge cross the canyon for views. It is one of several falls strung along the road between Baños and Puyo, easily combined in a day by bike or bus.
4. Cascada de Agoyán, Tungurahua
Agoyán near Baños is a powerful fall on the Río Pastaza, though its flow is affected by the Agoyán hydroelectric dam upstream. It remains a striking sight on the cascades route, illustrating how the Pastaza's energy has been harnessed. Best seen when dam releases and rain combine for full flow.
5. Cascada El Chorro de Girón, Azuay
El Chorro de Girón near Cuenca drops about 70 metres in the southern Andes, reached by a trail through páramo and cloud forest. A protected area surrounds it, and longer trails climb to higher falls and lagoons. Fed by highland rain and páramo, it runs year round and pairs well with a visit to Cuenca.
6. Cascada de Peguche, Imbabura
Peguche near Otavalo in the northern Andes drops about 18 metres through a sacred eucalyptus forest, a site of Kichwa ritual cleansing especially during the Inti Raymi festival. A short, easy trail from Otavalo reaches it. The cultural significance and accessibility make it a popular stop on the Otavalo market circuit.
7. Cascadas de Las Latas, Napo
Near Misahuallí in the Amazon, the Cascadas Las Latas are a series of jungle cascades and pools on a rainforest stream, reached by a walk along (and through) the river. Popular for swimming and a refreshing jungle outing, they run strongly in the wet Amazon climate and suit families and adventurous hikers alike.
8. Cascada Hola Vida, Pastaza
Hola Vida near Puyo in the Amazon drops about 30 metres into a rainforest pool where swimming is popular, within a community-run reserve. A jungle trail reaches it, often combined with visits to indigenous Kichwa communities. Fed by Amazon rain, it runs year round and is a highlight of the Puyo eco-tourism area.
9. Cascada Cóndor Machay, Pichincha
Cóndor Machay in the Andes near Quito drops through a canyon reached by a scenic hiking trail with river crossings, in the Río Pita valley below the Cotopaxi and Sincholagua volcanoes. The day hike past several cascades makes it a favourite escape from the capital. Fed by snowmelt and rain.
10. Cascada Cashca Totoras, Bolívar
Cashca Totoras in a protected forest in Bolívar province drops through cloud forest in the central Andes, reached by a trail through one of the region's last stands of native montane forest. Quieter than the Baños falls, it rewards visitors with biodiversity and solitude, running fullest in the wet season.
Planning an Ecuador waterfall trip
Baños is the essential base: the Ruta de las Cascadas (Pailón del Diablo, Manto de la Novia, Agoyán) can be ridden by bike or bus in a day. The Amazon foothills (Las Latas, Hola Vida) centre on Misahuallí and Puyo. The Andes around Quito (Cóndor Machay), Cuenca (El Chorro de Girón), and Otavalo (Peguche) offer falls within day-trip range of major towns. Because Ecuador straddles the equator, there is no single dry or wet season nationwide; flow peaks vary by region, so check local conditions.
A waterfall that vanished
The collapse of San Rafael in 2020 is a sobering reminder that waterfalls are not permanent. A waterfall exists only where a river meets a sudden drop in hard-enough rock, and both the river's course and the rock can change. At San Rafael, a sinkhole opened upstream and rerouted the Río Coca underground, starving the fall. Debate continues over whether upstream dam construction played a role. The episode underlines a wider truth covered elsewhere on this site: falls migrate upstream over time as their lips erode, and human interventions — dams, diversions, and changing river loads — can accelerate or reverse natural processes. Ecuador's most dramatic fall is now a lesson in river dynamics.
Explore on the map
Every waterfall above is plotted on the interactive map — filter to plan a Baños cascades route, an Amazon foothills trip from Puyo, or Andean day hikes from Quito and Cuenca.