Provincia del Guayas Travel Forum

I will be visiting a friend in Guayaquil for two weeks, but after that I want to take a leisurely trip up the coast for another 4 weeks, hang out in different cities, towns and villages. Does anyone know if this is possible by bus and are the buses ok. I don't expect luxury but are they safe, etc? Option B is rental car, anyone know what that might cost for a month - sub compact, econo model of course. Thanks John

I recently rode the buses to just about every corner of that country--as well as into Colombia nad Peru--over a three month period with no toubles. I also had a laptop and a bunch of camera equpment on me. The buses are safe and the bus crews usually look out for the foriegners onboard. I've heard plenty of stories, but no first-hand accounts. If you want leisure, you're not gonna wanna drive in Ecuador unless your idea of relaxing involves dodging buses and trucks driving at break-neck speeds. The price difference between bus fare and rental costs over 4 weeks is likely a two-digit difference anyway.

You can easily bus it from Guayaquil, out to Salinas, and then all the way up the coast to Esmeraldas. Car rental for a month will cost you an arm and a leg - probably only 600 for the car, but another 2400 or more for insurance. You would be better off hiring taxis or cars and driver for full day trips. Anyways, the bus system here has an okay safety record. Incidents do happen, but really do tend to occur only at night. I have some friends who have been robbed during the day on Guayaquil city buses, but only at night on intercity buses. Definately avoid the night buses if you can, no matter where you might be. Considering the towns along the coast are such short trips, there would really be no need (you could travel the entire coastal trip in about 12 hours if you did it all in one go.) For most of the trip, once you hit the "ruta del sol", there is only one road so you won't have to worry much about getting lost! The bus stations are easy to figure out.

You are smart to not expect luxury - luxury is definately NOT a word I would use to describe intercity buses along the coast.

Thanks for the info - Especially about the camera and laptop cause I was worried about that bussing and back packing

Sounds great, short hops on the bus from town to town - cool
Thanks

Well I must admit I got my camera stolen on a bus in Ecuador, but having said that, I must also admit that I didn't watch it properly.

Just take care, and never ever put your handbag in the room above your head or other places where you can't see it.

Most of the times in the 3 months I stayed in Ecuador I felt safe in the busses (except for one day in the mist in Andes, where the visibility was near zero).

I would definatly travel by bus, I wouldn't dare to drive a car in Ecuador. I think the busdrivers (most of them) are better drivers in Ecuadors traffic than me.


For places to visit I can recoment the town Playas near Guayaquil.
If you travel that far north and inland, I can strongly reocoment Mindo, a great village in the cloud-rainforest.