Riding an Accessible Cable Car in Baños, Ecuador

The morning started like any other. I woke up, showered, and was excited to see what my day in Baños, Ecuador had in store. Mind you, this was not a typical day. This was a travel day in one of the most beautiful countries that I have been to so far. A typical day is me in sweatpants with my laptop, cranking out new blog posts and scheduling social media updates at home, so needless to say, I was excited for this adventure.

My tour guide mentioned that we would try riding a cable car, but I didn’t know exactly how accessible it was or if I would even be able to do it. “Since we’re here, might as well give it a shot though!”, I thought. As soon as I rolled out the door of my room at La Floresta Hotel to go meet our guide, it was pouring rain. We had a full day of outdoor adventure planned, so now what?! I was not going to let a bit (or a lot) of rain stop me, so off to the cable car we went!

Joining us for this activity was Alfonso Elicier Morales, the former Vice Mayor of Baños. It was wonderful to meet him, as he is a wheelchair user himself and focuses now on improving accessibility within the city. There’s no better way to improve accessibility within a city than to put someone that is disabled in charge. He has gone above and beyond to ensure that all visitors to his city have a spectacular time, and I was appreciative for all that he has done. He’s also quite the thrill-seeker and has gone zip lining and more, showing that almost anything is possible in Ecuador.

Alfonso Elicier Morales

Once we got to the cable car, I scoped it out and discovered that my powered wheelchair would not be able to roll into it. There was a bit of a gap between the loading platform and the cable car, so it wouldn’t be very bright to risk it, especially considering that the drop down was several hundred feet. Luckily, Alfonso brought a spare manual wheelchair in case I needed it, so I transferred into it and was then lifted into the cable car. This process worked perfectly, despite rain coming down on us the whole time. Everyone was helpful and determined to get me in the cable car, and I was excited for the journey that was about to begin.

The ride was smooth and we had some truly awe-inspiring views. As we went across the valley, we saw waterfalls and some beautiful panoramas of the mountains. I couldn’t believe that I was in Ecuador getting to experience this. I didn’t even care if I was soaked from the rain because it was completely worth it.

The ride lasted for about 30 minutes and when it was over, I really wanted to do it again because it was so much fun. Baños, Ecuador is a city that is famous for adventure and spectacular landscapes, and there is no better way to experience both than on a cable car ride. Even if it’s pouring down rain, you are sure to love every moment just as I did.

To see my experience in action, watch this video –

Want to ride a cable car in Baños just like I did? Check out Ecuador for All and start planning your wheelchair accessible Ecuadorian adventure today!

*A Note from Curb Free with Cory Lee: This post includes affiliate links. When you click on a link, I may receive a small compensation, which will help this blog grow into a better resource for disabled travelers.