Travel to El Ángel:

For transport to all major cities in the northern Andes, look for the white and orange buses of the Cooperative Espejo (Tel: 06-2977-216) in the main square of the town. The following is the departure schedule for major destinations:

Quito (5 hours, $3.70) every hour from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
Ibarra (2 hours, $1.25) at 7.30 a.m., 11.30 a.m., 12.30 p.m., 1.30 p.m., 7 p.m.,
Tulcán (1.5 hours, $1.50) at 5.30 a.m., 7 a.m., 8.30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The white and green buses of TransMira also stop in El Ángel on their hourly services to Tulcán and Mira (30 minutes away).

Travel to Tulcán:

The main terminal in Tulcán is located a mile or so outside of the center of town. That said, a taxi to the terminal should only cost around a dollar. Buses run to Quito (5 hours), Ibarra (2.5 hours), Mira (2 hours), Guayaquil (14 hours) and Cuenca (14 hours).

San Cristobal (tel. 2980-273) goes to Quito every hour for $4.80.

Expreso Tulcán has 20 buses to Quito from 1.30 a.m. until 10.15 p.m.

Velotax has 25 buses to Quito from 2.25 a.m. until 10.35 p.m., trip costs $4.80.

Expreso Turismo (tel. 2980-831) goes to Ibarra ($2.50) and Quito ($4.50) every hour from 6 a.m. until 5.30 p.m.

Flota Imbabura (2986-831) goes to Guayaquil ($13) at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., to Cuenca at 4.30 p.m.

Panamericana (2980-339) goes to Guayaquil ($13) at 4 p.m., to Manchala ($13) and Milagro ($12).

Transmira has 9 buses to Mira (2 hours) via El Angel (1.5 hours, $1.50) from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To cross over into neighboring Colombia, catch a colectivo van from the Parque Isidro Ayora. The trips takes about fifteen minutes and costs seventy-five cents. While the border is open from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., for safety reasons it is recommended to make the trip during the day.

Back to "Northern Andes Transportation, part 1"

Visitors looking to explore Imbabura & Carchi in the Ecuadorian northern Andes will find that air travel is unnecessary, because the region is fairly small and the only two airports are those at Ibarra and Tulcán.

Road travel is the best option to take. The Pan-American Highway is a well-paved trail, but the smaller roads in this region aren't quite as smooth – as is often the case in many parts of the world.  Drive safely on the Pan-American Highway because it is extremly curvey and also take medicine for motion sickness if necessary. The most economical and reliable mode of transportation is taking a bus. Tickets generally cost one dollar per hour and can be bought minutes before departure.

Travel to Otavalo:

The best way to Otavalo from Quito is to catch a cab which will cost $4 to $10 to get to the the Carcelén bus station in the north of Quito. From there it is possible to catch a bus. Buses leave every twenty minutes and the two and the half-hour ride costs two dollars. If you’re planning on catching a bus to the weekend market, show up early (6 am Saturday) because seats fill fast. Two major bus carriers that head to Otavalo include the Los Lagos, Trans-Otavalo and Co-op Otavalo lines.

To head back to Quito or further northward along the Pan-American Highway, make your way to the bus station a few blocks past the edge of the Otavalo handicrafts market, where bus drivers and attendants will be yelling out potential destinations.

Travel to Ibarra:

Buses from Quito to Ibarra leave quite frequently and can be caught at the Carcelen bus station in the North of the city. Travelers can also arrange to buy tickets at one of the independent bus stations in Quito, like the Panamericana Internacional station on Avenida Colón and Reina Victoria. The trip takes three hours. There is no main bus station in Ibarra, so visitors have to seek out the individual stations.

The following are a few of the options:
Supertaxis Los Lagos (Flores 924 and Sánchez Cifuentes, Parque La Merced),
Trans Andina (Chica Narváez),
Expreso Turismo (Moncayo, between Flores and Vacas).
Trans Otavalo (Av. F. E. Vacas) also has an Ibarra location, but only operates between Otavalo and Quito.

Travel to Cotacachi

Getting to Cotacachi and the Cotacachi Cayapas National Park to visit Cuicocha Lake or to do some trekking can be organized cheaply.  From Quito it takes approximately 2 and a half hours.  The bus can be taken either in the northern Carcelen bus terminal, or if it is more convenient, from teh Quitumbe bus terminal to the south of the city. The same companies that go to Ibarra and Atuntaqui also go to Cotacachi, The price is an average of $3-4 per person.

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