El Chorro & Giron, Ecuador

Located in Southern Ecuador, Giron is a beautiful little place to visit for 1-3 days.  I visited for the afternoon on a day trip while staying in the nearby city, Cuenca.  It’s a great place where you can easily spend several days camping and enjoying the mountains.  The main reason to visit Giron is the famous waterfall, El Chorro.

El Chorro is a 3 level waterfall.  The first level is a popular spot for people of all ages to enjoy the naturaleza and swim in the water on a hot day.  The 2nd level takes 1.5-2 hours to reach.  The trek takes you on a journey through the mountains, countryside, farmland, and forest.  The 3rd level takes around 5 hours to reach (according to locals).

There is a restaurant (not vegetarian friendly) at the entrance to the falls.  But if you plan to do a trek to the 2nd and/or 3rd levels, I recommend bringing an adequate water supply and food to keep you energized.  And of course, a good pair of walking shoes.

If you only plan to visit the first level, you won’t need to plan too much in advance.  But remember your bathing suit!giron

17signsm

 

TRANSPORTATION TO/FROM CUENCA

If you are staying in Cuenca, you can reach Giron by taxi for $25-30 USD.  It takes around an hour.  For $50, the cab driver will wait 3 hours at the entrance to the falls, and then drive you back.  Or for just $2-3 you can take a bus.  This option takes longer, and is also a semi-long (40 mins-ish) walk from El Chorro to the bus terminal.

I did a combination and took a taxi to arrive, and the bus to get home.  I didn’t want to pay $50, feel rushed on my trek, and not have time to stop and enjoy the waterfall.  So to save money and stress, and to give myself the full afternoon I opted for a bus back to Cuenca in the evening.

!!!WATERFALL!!!

A GLIMPSE OF GIRON

Leave a Reply