Flights to the Northern Coast

Flights to Esmeraldas arrive at the General Rivadeneira Airport, located outside town in Tachina. It is easy to get a taxi from the recently renovated airport into the city. TAME flights from Quito and Guayaquil are:

Tickets cost approximately $70, one way.

Aerogal has the following flights from Quito to Portoviejo:

Icaro flights from Quito to Manta are:

Northern Coast Bus Routes

Most bus departures to the northern coast depart from Quitumbe south bus terminal in Quito or from the Mariscal neighbourhood. Panamericana (Av. Colón in Quito) and Transportes Ecuador (Juan León Mera and Robles in Quito) have buses to Santo Domingo, Esmeraldas and Atacames. Reina del Camino (18 de Septiembre and Manuel Larrea) has nightly departures to Manta, Bahía de Caraquez and Canoa.

Be smart and travel in the morning to avoid problems and enjoy the best landscapes during the trip from Quito in the Andes down to the Coast. This route takes in mountains, cloud forest and tropical forest flora, and the flora changes in a matter of minutes.

The trips from Guayaquil departs from the brand new bus terminal Jaime Roldos Aguilera at the north of the city near to the International Airport. Departures to Santo Domingo leave hourly, while buses to Manta, Esmeraldas and Atacames leave every night.

The trips from Guayaquil and Quito are not expensive and cost from 8 to 12 Usd per person depending on the final destination.

Northern Coast Rental Cars

Renting a car can be an efficient way to explore the northern coast region, especially if you will be straying from the major cities and the most popular resorts. There are rental agencies in all three provinces comprising the coast region. You will need a valid driver's license, a passport and, usually, a credit card. Prices typically range from $45-120 depending on the type of car.

In Santo Domingo, there is an Avis Rent-a-Car (Avenida Quevedo 384, 593-2-370-3269, open Monday-Saturday). Avis also has an office in Esmeraldas (Malecon and Delgadillo, 593-6-271-1761, open Monday-Saturday).

In Manta, Avis has offices downtown (Flavio Reyes and Avenida 24, 593-5-262-2434 open Monday-Saturday) and at the airport (Eloy Alfaro Airport, 593-5-262-2434, open every day). Budget has a downtown office (Malecón between Calle 16 and 17, 593-5-262-9919 / 4465, open Monday-Saturday) and at the airport (counter located inside the arrivals terminal, 593-9-300-2555, open when flights arrive at the airport).

Driving Times and Distances

Travel times tend to be quicker on the coast than they are in the Sierra, since there are few mountains to navigate around.