The Nariz del Diablo (en.: Devil’s nose) is one of the most marvellous and technically challenging train tracks of this world. A masterpiece of engineering, a lot of people had to lose their lives during construction between 1899 and 1908. This 12 km short railway is to be found in the beautiful country of Ecuador. More precisely between Alausí and Sibambe. These days, the railway is exclusively used for tourism purposes, whereas in former times it connected the capital Quito in the Andes with the harbour town Guayaquil on the Pacific coast. If you have a chance to embark on this astonishing train trip, I can only recommend doing so. In the following lines, you will learn why. Have fun reading!
Alausí
Alausí is a small, neat town, nestled in the Andean mountains. Usually, there is not much going on here. Luckily, it is located right next to the Panamericana, which makes the trip there really easy. If you’re coming from Quito in the North, all buses should pass by here and can drop you off if needed; Travelling time: around 7 hours. If you’re travelling on the “Gringo trail”, like most of us, the closest town up North should be Ba ñ os/Riobamba. From there, the journey will take around 2 hours. If you’re coming from down South (Cuenca), like me, you’ll have to take a 4-hour bus including beautiful mountain views (EXPRESS SUCRE Cooperativa de Transportes or Cooperativa De Transporte Union Yantzaza).
As already mentioned, there is not much going on in Alausí, unless you’re as lucky – or unlucky– as I am and arrive during the last weekend of June, where the biggest festival this town has ever seen is being celebrated. Traditional bullfighting. I keep away from the crowds and climb on a viewpoint to have a look at the spectacle from above. Later, it will turn out that I should have booked my bus back to Cuenca a few days in advance … (After all, there are plenty of buses passing by Alausí on the Panamericana, where I tactically positioned myself and was able to hail down a bus to Cuenca after few minutes of waiting) Altogether, Alausí is a nice place, but you won’t have to spend more time there than the one night before your train trip (except if you love bullfighting).
Tickets and prices
A regular return ticket costs $33, one-way tickets are not available for obvious reasons. Senior citizens and children under the age of 11 are eligible for a reduced fare of $22. Unfortunately, there are no early bird discounts. Tickets for this trip can be bought online or at the ticket office in Alausí. It is advisable to book your ticket a few days in advance – especially on weekends or bank holidays – because they can sell out quickly. The online booking procedure is very easy and can be done in English as well. You can choose your seat (I recommend reserving a seat on the right hand side of the train to get the best views). During my booking, I actually had a small issue, because, after a successful payment, I got a notification that the seats I reserved weren’t available. I contacted the customer service live chat and got help instantly (in English!). The problem was solved sovereignly and quickly and I got the seats I had chosen after all. Great service! You will receive your tickets via email and will be asked to print them out. You can save yourself the hassle and simply show up at the station with your phone (while embarking, all passengers will be checked with a list of names).
Timetables and train stations
The train operates from Tuesday till Sunday, as well as on public holidays at 8 am and 11am, respectively. The journey is from Alausí to Sibambe. There is no service on Mondays. For timetable changes or especially operating times on holidays, please check TrenEcuador’s website. Just a little tip: Try to take the morning train at 8 am, since the weather conditions in the mountains are usually better in the morning hours (for a nice, cloudless view).
Where to stay in Alausí
I would recommend staying in Alausí the night before your trip, travelling on the next day after you’re back. Since I – as mentioned before – travelled during a weekend of festivities, I didn’t have much choice in terms of where to stay. I opted for an Airbnb, the Killa Wasi. A small organic farm on the outskirts of town. The owner was very friendly and the private room very neat and high standard for Ecuadorian circumstances (almost posh!).
However, my first choice would have been the Community Hostel Alausí, since it’s more centrally located, cheaper and has amazing reviews. Actually, a friend of mine had recommended it to me before, but as I said, everything was fully booked.
The train
Alausí’s train station is very central and easy to find. If you got some spare time before departure, you can have a little snack in the Café del Tren. They offer coffee, a lunch menu and á la Carte menus with a great value for money.
In the waiting hall, you can find countless little souvenir shops, that’ll make shopping hearts leap. However, you should bring a little snack and something to drink, since there are no food or drinks being sold on the train.
The train offers double and single seats that are facing each other with a fold-out table in between (easily recognizable on the online seating plan). The seats are spacious and are very comfortable; there is even a luggage rack for smaller bags. At the end of every carriage, there is a bathroom and you can find several rubbish bins in the aisle. There are neither power sockets nor Wi-Fi, but you should look out the window and enjoy the ride anyway. The interior is unpretentious and classy, with wood panelling. Altogether, the train is very clean and functional.
In every waggon, there is a train attendant who will tell you everything about the railway, the (natural) sights and the audacious construction during your ride. All of that via speakers in Spanish and English.
The view from the window
We start our journey at 8 am sharp. The main reason to take this train is – without a doubt – the view. Firstly, we snake through the small town of Alausí, the Andes already surrounding us. We quickly leave civilization behind and find ourselves close to steep slopes on the mountainside. During our trip, we will loose 500 m in altitude (pretty impressive for an only 12 km long railway!). Thus, we descent along the serpentines, close to a river, framed by steep cliffs.
Once we ride along the infamous Devil’s Nose, we can already spot Sibambe’s train station. And something more. Train tracks. In fact, they are only a few meters below us. No way, a train can conquer such a sharp turn! But the answer will follow immediately.
Our train attendant explains, that a special railway construction method had been applied here, to make the overcoming of the altitude difference possible. Hence, the train descends in zig-zag-lines down the mountain while changing the direction of travel a couple of times to conquer the height difference. In technical jargon, this is called a switchback. To me, it was really impressive to witness this art of engineering. First time for me!
Swiftly, we descended a few dozen meters; amazing. Altogether, the landscape is absolutely stunning. Personally, I can’t get enough of the mountains and yawning abysses – this trip is not recommended for people with a fear of heights ;)
At the destination
Firstly, we pass our destination station and have a 5-minute photography stop, not far from it. There, all passengers get out and can take pictures of the famous Devil’s Nose on a whim.
A sirene chimes and everybody goes back to their designated seat. The train chuffs towards the other direction and finally comes to a stop at Sibambe’s train station. Not a real village per se, because an open-air museum has been built here for tourism purposes only. You will also find a reception hall, including a café, as well as an open space outside for dance performances. Thus, while leaving the train, we are greeted by an adorable llama and a dance group for traditional dance performances.
Everybody gathers – after a quick photo session with the llama – to the open space to enjoy a traditional dance performance accompanied by local music.
After the performance, you can get familiar with the open-air museum, which is only a few meters down the (rail) road. There, you have the opportunity to buy local, handmade souvenirs and some snacks (I especially recommend the cheese empanadas from the clay oven. For only $0,5 a real bargain!). Once you finished looking around the small clay huts, you still have time to take a couple of pictures of the railway and have a coffee.
In the station’s café, you will also find a couple of information boards in Spanish about the track and its construction. After about an hour in Sibambe, the train takes you back to Alausí. On the way, you can enjoy the route once more – this time with traditional music from the Andes coming out of the speakers.
Verdict
Admittedly, with a price tag of $33, the 3-hour trip is not super cheap. At least, the price not only includes the trip itself, but also the museum and dance performance. Everything was very well organized and a felicitous change to all the long bus rides. The route itself is extremely scenic and not only interesting for train enthusiasts. So if you’re on the way from Baños to Cuenca, you shouldn’t miss this little adventure. I, personally, really enjoyed this trip; the pictures speak for themselves.
👁 9205
