The tarabita is an open cable car that crosses 500 meters of cloud forest, suspended over the Nambillo river valley. It exists for a practical reason: the waterfall sanctuary sits on the far side of the valley, and the ride saves you a steep hike down and back up. It is also, honestly, a good ride in its own right — you glide just above the canopy with the valley floor far below.
Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ride length | 500 m across the Río Nambillo valley |
| Adult ticket | $5 (round trip + waterfall sanctuary entry) |
| Children 5-11 / seniors | $3 |
| Hours | 8:30 AM - 4 PM |
| Getting there | Taxi from Mindo town, $3-5 via the Vía a las Cascadas |
| Payment | Cash |
Prices verified January 2026; check current before traveling.
What the ride is like
The car is open-sided and fits a few people plus a bike if you are cycling the route. It moves slowly and steadily. If you are nervous about heights, sit near the middle and look at the forest rather than straight down — the trip takes only a few minutes. The view on the way across is of cloud forest ridgeline and the river below; on a clear morning it is genuinely worth the ticket alone.
Your ticket includes the return trip. Most people ride over, hike to one or more waterfalls, then ride back. Hiking out via the valley road is possible but involves real elevation, and we do not recommend it with wet shoes after a swim.
Queues and timing
Weekends and Ecuadorian holidays bring busloads of local visitors, and the tarabita is a funnel — one car at a time. Expect waits of 20-40 minutes on a sunny Sunday. On a weekday morning you may have the car to yourself. The daily afternoon rain is another reason to go early: the open car in a downpour is no fun.
Combining with the waterfalls
The tarabita and the waterfall sanctuary are one ticket and one visit. The trails on the far side reach seven waterfalls; the Nambillo waterfall is the easiest at about 20 minutes each way, and the five-waterfall circuit takes around two hours. See our full Ruta de las Cascadas guide for trail details and what to bring.
If you want to skip hiking entirely, you can ride over, walk only to the nearest waterfall, and ride back inside an hour.
An alternative cable car
There is a second, smaller cable car in Mindo: the teleférico at Minjoy Park on the Vía al Mariposario. It is a two-person chairlift, about 15 minutes, costing $5 one way or $8 round trip. It is a different ride over a different valley. Our advice: do the tarabita for the waterfalls, and treat the Minjoy teleférico as a bonus if you have extra time.
Related pages
- Mindo waterfalls: the Ruta de las Cascadas
- Zipline and canopy tours in Mindo
- Mariposario: the Mindo butterfly farm
- Mindo 2-day itinerary
- How to get to Mindo from Quito
Facts checked: September 2026