Swinging At La Casa Del Arbol In Baños, Ecuador
La Casa del Arbol outside of Baños is one of the top Ecuador tourist attractions because of its appeal to adventure seekers. Known as the “Swing at the End of the World,” it offers visitors thrills and spectacular views.
La Casa Del Arbol, Baños
Sometimes you see an image, and it sticks with you. You tell yourself that one day you’ll go there and see it for yourself. We knew that when we went to Baños, we had to go to La Casa del Arbol (The Tree House). We’d seen photos of people swinging over the edge and it always looked so amazing so there was no way we were leaving Ecuador without getting on the swing at the end of the world.
How To Get To La Casa Del Arbol
Earlier that day, we had gone to Lake Quilotoa, a beautiful lake that took our breath away. From there we traveled back south for about three hours, to La Casa del Arbol which is about 30 minutes outside of Baños. The road up to La Casa del Arbol was a little bumpy, but nothing too horrible. We parked the car and followed the signs towards the entrance.
We each paid the $1 entrance fee (yes, you read that right) and walked to the left, uphill, towards the tree house.
There were a few people there when we arrived so we had to wait our turn to get on the swings. To pass the time we chatted with some of the other travelers and watched the thick clouds roll by. We couldn’t even see Tungurahua, the active volcano on the other side of the ravine. The tree house was actually originally built to keep an eye on the volcano.
And then it was finally my turn!
Is The Swing At The End Of The World Safe?
Because of the recent popularity of the swing, the owner has made a few adjustments. There are now 2 swings, one on each side of the tree house (there was originally only one swing). There is now also a wooden ramp to help you get going on the swing a little easier. And a very thin rope that acts somewhat like a seat belt.
I’m not sure if the thin rope would actually do much. But I figure, if you came all this way to swing over the edge of a cliff, you should kinda know what you’re getting yourself into. So… I took a breath, got myself as high on the ramp as I could, and swung.
I LOVED IT!
I felt so free and alive! And maybe it was a good thing that the clouds were so thick because I couldn’t see anything around or below me and I wasn’t scared at all. That feeling of the wind in my hair and the silence of the mountains is something I’ll never forget.
Views From La Casa Del Arbol
After my turn on the swing, I climbed into the tree house to see if I could see down into the ravine that I had just glided over. Nope, not really.
But then the sun burst through the clouds for a few minutes and we were able to admire more of the surrounding scenery before the clouds engulfed us again.
It was starting to get dark and we still had to drive back to Baños so we knew we had to get going. But not before we got on the swing one more time, this time getting even higher…
Final Thoughts On La Casa Del Arbol
If you get a chance to go to La Casa del Arbol, do it! You won’t regret it. We do recommend going during the week. We were told that it gets packed on the weekends and you could be standing in line to swing for awhile.
Once you’ve paid to get in, you can stay and swing as much as you want but you do have to take turns with others there (play nice!). And be respectful of where you are; this is a private property and unfortunately we noticed that people were leaving their trash on the ground.
To watch a short video of my first time on the swing, click below:
So what do you think? Would you get on the swing at the end of the world? We’d love to read your comments below! 🙂
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I freaking love swings, hammocks, basically anything with a rope that you can sit on that moves. Totally addicted, and if I pass one, I am just compelled to give it a go. Saying that I have never swung of the edge of a cliff !
Haha! Then you definitely have to try this swing! 😉
I’m so jealous!! This is on my Bucket List and I’ve been wanting to do it for a while so now I know exactly where to look for tips! Also, I’m obsessed with monkeys so it’s right up my alley! YAY! Thanks for this!
I hope you get to go Bobbi, it was so much fun 🙂
I would definitely love to try that swing and see the volcano! Beautiful pics as well. I wonder what the volcano looks like? Looks like it was an amazing experience for you! xoxoxo
It really was! We wish we could have seen more of the volcano though.
Wow! This looks incredible. Will definitely add this to our list. It must have been such an exhilarating experience.
It was Anna! An amazing experience! 🙂
Wow what an amazing find!! I have to admit though that my heart started pumping just seeing the photos! Now that I have a kid I don’t know if I am such the adventure seeker I used to be. And what scares me even more is i KNOW my 4.5 yr old would LOVE this! he is obsessed with swinging. I would have to tie him on somehow 🙂 This is really cool. Pinning it for if we make it there someday!
Great Karilyn! I hope you and your family are able to go one day. 🙂
Looks like fun! I especially love the thin security line around you in the swing…. lol
Lmao! It was… interesting… 😉
“Sometimes you see an image, and it sticks with you. You tell yourself that one day you’ll go there and see it for yourself.” Yup! This post just did that for me! I really want to go see this swing for myself now! This seems like such an incredible experience!
Yay! I’m so glad! Ihope you get to go one day Carolann 🙂
I’m so jealous! I’m dying (ok, not literally) to do this but I’m terrified of heights and I know I’ll chicken out. Amazing photos and information on the location! I might have to go there and make the hubby do this!
Haha! You can live vicariously through him 😉
It really looks awesome. I would love to try it. It’s too bad that the clouds were obstructing your view, but it makes it look more enchanting with the clouds.
Hi Laura! There were definitely pros and cons to the clouds. 🙂
Every time I see this, I can’t help but think about someone using this as a base jumping stunt. Personally, I don’t want to jump off but I do want to swing on it. And $1 is a steal.
See, base jumping is where I draw the line! lol
Hi, V! This is so cool. I would definitely it. I didn’t even know it existed… !! I’m loving the photos, especially the last two! Is that Will giving the peace sign? 🙂
Haha! Yes it is 😉
Im not sure i could bring myself to do it! I wish i could say i would do it in a second, but ahhhh i would psych myself out I’m sure! you are BRAVE! (my head has too many “what if’s”
Hi Lindsay! The trick is not to think and just go 😉
I loved when I saw this post on Instagram! How did I live in Ecuador for a year and never get to Baños? I’m glad you enjoyed this! Looks awesome!
Thanks Kelsey! I hope you’re able to go back to Ecuador one day and experience it for yourself.
Funny, I’ve always seen those pics too but never really knew where this was – so thanks for sharing! I think I’d have to judge it for myself in person before committing to actually swinging, but I’d probably be game. It just looks so rickety and one little slip and… yikes!
Once you’re there, I doubt you’d miss the opportunity! 🙂
I did NOT know it is in Ecuador. I love learning new things. Now I have to go visit!
You should Charles! It’s so much fun!
If I ever visit Ecuador, I want to swing here. Looks so fun and FREE! 😉
Lots of fun!! 🙂
Looks like fun! I have a thing for swings!
It was a lot of fun Christine!
Very cool, Vicky (and Buddy)! I’ve definitely seen images of this swing and often wondered where it was located. I guess I had heard before that it is in Ecuador, but the swing at the end of the world feels more real to me now that I “know” somebody who has been there. 🙂
Haha! I totally get that! 😉
I was going to ask you if you really swung out over an abyss, but from your video, I can see that there is still some slope below you. So if you did fall, it wouldn’t necessarily be like plummeting to your death 1000 feet below! Still, quite an experience I imagine, and the photos are very instagrammable!