What is happening on the roads between Cuenca and Guayaquil?

The newspaper El Mercurio reports that insecurity on the roads is causing significant social and economic impacts. Criminals are now attacking directly on the roads, making it dangerous for travelers.

How has passenger traffic been affected?

Passenger traffic has decreased by 50% during this vacation period compared to previous years. The fear of being attacked on the road has deterred many from traveling. Night shifts have been reduced due to safety concerns.

What are drivers experiencing?

Miguel, a driver with over 10 years of experience, shares, "They block our way on the road. Before, they only threatened us, but now they shoot without mercy." Criminals are intercepting vehicles on deserted stretches to rob drivers and passengers.

What is the transport sector's reaction?

Transport representatives are deeply concerned. Hermel Jarro, president of the Azuay Interprovincial Transport Union (UTIPA), states, "There are no security guarantees on the highways, and criminals rob us twice a week." They have requested increased security, especially on the Cuenca-Molleturo road and in La Troncal.

What measures are being taken for protection?

Transport leaders have implemented searches on passengers before boarding, but criminals have adapted and now attack directly on the roads. They use trucks to block and force buses into ditches for easy robbery. Security technology, like panic buttons and cameras, is failing. "The panic button is a sham; it has never worked," a driver noted. According to him all vehicles are equipped with six security cameras, three installed by ANT Ecuador and three additional ones by the cooperatives, but the response from ECU-911 is nonexistent.

How should you handle an assault as passenger?

Pedro Mejía, a security expert, advises staying calm and not resisting during an assault: "Sometimes these people are under the influence of drugs. It's dangerous to make them nervous or more violent." He adds that the modus operandi almost always involves three or more armed people, putting the passenger at a clear disadvantage.

Are there alternatives for traveling to Guayaquil?

Yes, LATAM offers a daily direct flight between Cuenca and Guayaquil. It's also possible to fly to Guayaquil via Quito. If you need to fly to a foreign country you may choose to fly via Quito instead of Guayaquil. 

In this article we describe the options to travel from Quito to Manta. In general, three options are available: bus, (rental) car and airplane.

By bus

Buses from Quito to Manta depart from Quitumbe Bus Terminal and Carcelén Bus Terminal in Quito. There are no direct buses from Quito Airport to Manta. Therefore, when you want to take a bus to Manta, you first need to travel to one of these two bus terminals in Quito.

By bus from Quitumbe Bus Terminal

Quito's largest bus terminal is Quitumbe Bus Terminal, located in the southern end of Quito. This modern and safe bus terminal has services to the east, south, and west, including Manta. Bus fares for Manta cost about $11.75 (2023).

Tot get to this bus terminal you can take a taxi from Quito Airport for about $ 30. A much cheaper option ($ 2) is to take a green COSIBO bus with destination Avenida Río Coca.

Bus company Reina del Camino offers bus services between Quitumbe Bus Terminal and the bus terminal in Manta (Manta Bus Terminal). During the journey, you will see amazing landscapes, but the bus route is somewhat dangerous because of the steep hills and sharp curves in the mountains.

Reina del Camino offers various buses; regular buses, "coche cama" buses, and first-class buses.

Coche cama buses have seats that recline 160 grades. The maximum number of passengers is 25. A toilet, wifi, and snacks are available on these buses. The travel time is about 10 hours.

A first-class bus is called Bus Ejecutivo. These buses transport 42 passengers. A toilet, wifi, and snacks are also available on these buses. The main advantage of the Bus Ejecutivo is that it doesn't stop underway, making it the fastest option (about 7 hours). The Bus Ejecutivo is usually only available at night. Because of the high demand, it's recommendable to make a reservation in advance on mulitpasajes.com.

Bus company Trans Esmeraldas offers one service per day from Quitumbe Bus Terminal to Manta.

By bus from Carcelén Bus Terminal

Carcelén Bus Terminal is situated in the north of Quito and is the closest bus terminal to Quito Airport. The terminal is not as large and as modern as Quitumbe Bus Terminal. It's also somewhat less safe.

To get from Quito Airport to Carcelén Bus Terminal, you can take an OPERNORTE shuttle bus from Quito Airport. It's also possible to take a taxi to the bus terminal for about $ 25.

Trans Esmeraldas is the bus company that offers bus services from this bus terminal to Bus Terminal Manta. It operates comfortable double-decker buses on this route. The route itself is safer than the route from Quitumbe Bus Terminal, because it is less mountainous, which means fewer sharp turns and less steep slopes. The total duration of the bus trip is about 9 to 11 hours.

This bus terminal has fewer frequencies to Manta than Quitumbe Bus Terminal.

If you want to travel at night, you can take the latest bus. Because of fewer stops, traveling at night is faster than traveling during the day.

By car

It takes about 6 to 8 hours to drive from Quito Airport to Manta. Car rentals are available at Quito Airport. Quito has a regulation that restricts the circulation of cars. Hoy no circula provides that a vehicle cannot circulate on all days. The available hours and days depend on the last digit of the license plate. Ask the rental company about these restrictions.

The climate in the mountains can be foggy and rainy. This means that you may have to ride in bad weather conditions. Because of landslides, it's not recommended to ride at night.

By airplane

Manta has its own airport on the edge of the city. Two airline companies connect Quito Airport with Manta Airport: Avianca and LATAM. The flight time is about 35 minutes.

International flights from North America and Europe usually arrive at Quito Airport late in the afternoon and in the evening, while flights to Manta are currently only operated during the morning. This means that you will have to spend the night near Quito Airport. See Quito Airport for hotels and other options.

Introduction

There are several ways to get from Guayaquil to Cuenca: by car, bus, minibus, van, taxi, and airplane.

By car

There are two routes to travel from Guayaquil to Cuenca.

Guayaquil - Durán - Puerto Inca - Molleturo - Cuenca

To use the road between Durán and Puerto Inca, you need to pay twice $ 1.00 at a toll station. Near Molleturo, various restaurants are open until late and offer beautiful views over the coastal region. During the second part of the trip, you will elevate to over 4,000 meters in El Cajas National Park, which you will pass between Molleturo and Cuenca. The length of this route is 175 km and the total duration of your trip will be about 3.5 hours.

Guayaquil - Durán - El Triunfo - Zhud - Cañar - Cuenca

This is an alternative route to travel from Guayaquil to Cuenca. This route has much more freight traffic because not all trucks are allowed to ride through the El Cajas National Park. The length of this route is 247 km and the duration of your trip will be about 5 hours.

By bus

Buses from Guayaquil to Cuenca depart from the Guayaquil Bus Terminal, Guayaquil’s largest and modern bus terminal that includes a shopping center and a food court.

You’ll find this bus terminal next to Guayaquil Airport. If you need to go from the airport to the bus terminal, it's recommended to take a taxi and no to walk because of security reasons. Unfortunately, taxi drivers usually ask too much for this short trip of fewer than five minutes. Take into account about $4.

Buses operate 24 hours per day and depart about every 20 minutes during the day and every hour during the night. The price is $9.20 (2023), including luggage. Because the road through El Cajas National Park is currently closed, all buses have to take the longer route via Cañar. The travel time is about 5.5 hours. When the route through El Cajas National Park is available again, the travel time will be about 4 hours.

The buses are operated by seperate bus companies but the bus services are jointly provided under the name Atrain Alianza.

You can buy your ticket at ticket booth 51 in the bus terminal. You’ll usually receive a ticket for the next bus. Because the buses for Cuenca depart from level 2 (which means that you have to take an escalator twice), you may have to hurry once you have received your ticket. If you want to spend more time in the bus terminal, you should ask for a ticket for a later bus.

Cuenca Bus Terminal is the destination of the buses in Cuenca. From here you can take another bus, a tram or a taxi to your final destination. If you take a taxi in Cuenca, then take note that taxi drivers always have to use their taxi meters in Cuenca.

By van

Several companies operate vans between Guayaquil and Cuenca. The price is usually around $ 12 per person, including luggage.

The van operators are all located near the airport. To get from the airport to your van operator of choice, you should take a taxi.

Companies that operate vans between Guayaquil and Cuenca include:

• OperazuayTur
• PazhucaTours

It's always possible to ask the van driver to make a sanitary stop. The travel time with a van is about 5 hours, but some vans stop at a restaurant, which will increase the travel time.

By taxi

A taxi from Guayaquil to Cuenca costs about $120. The travel time is about 5 hours. Not all taxi drivers will offer this trip.

By minibus

Alianza Microbuses & Courier offers scheduled services with minibuses between Guayaquil and Cuenca. The price for a ticket is $12 for a single trip.

By airplane

LATAM offers daily flights between Guayaquil and Cuenca from June 2022. It’s also possible to first fly to Quito Airport and then from Quito Airport to Cuenca. LATAM and Avianca fly on both routes.