Beyond El Chaco you’ll pass thick patches of cloud forest harboring strange species of birds and plants. San Rafael Falls and a sash of Río Quijos can be glimpsed from the road. The entrance fee is steep, but visitors earn bragging rights to witnessing Ecuador’s largest falls. To visit the falls, ask the bus driver to let you off just before the puente (bridge) crossing Río Reventador (not the community of the same name). You’ll see a concrete-block hut on the right side of the road. From the hut, it’s about 2.5km down a steep trail to the falls. Back on the main road, flag down a bus when you want to move on.
