I actually had to look this up to see if Canyoning means “rappelling down a waterfall” all over the world or only in Latin America. It seems that the English word is a more general term for things you might do in a canyon whereas in Ecuador it always involves going over an 80 foot waterfall backwards.

Like this

But first you have to get to the waterfall, which involves a lot of hiking and scrambling over a bridge made of rope.

That’s only slightly terrifying, which is good because canyoning is super terrifying and the bridge gets you all prepped and ready.

Again, going backwards.

Into water

It’s scary town but really fun.

While special gear might help, we wore shorts and trail runners and it worked out ok. I would recommend a hat though, it helps keep water out of your face.

There are a ton of places to go canyoning in Ecuador but Mindo and Banos specialize in outdoor activities, so I’d try it there. And if I had to choose between Mindo and Banos, I’d go with Mindo.