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.

In most homes in the Manta region, people need gas to heat water and to cook. Cities and villages in the Manta region have no gas pipelines to deliver (natural) gas. Modern condominium buildings have central gas systems, but if you are not living in such a building, you will need to buy gas cylinders.

Buying gas cylinders

Before buying a gas cylinder filled with gas, you need to be sure that you have an empty gas cylinder to give to the gas vendor. You can get empty gas cylinders at stores like Coral and AKÍ. An empty gas cylinder usually costs between $45 and $55. You can also get gas cylinders from gas vendors, but they ask for a higher price.

The easiest way is to buy a full gas cylinder from a gas distribution truck. The vendor will ask $3 if you return an empty gas cylinder. When no gas distribution trucks are not showing up, you can call one. There are many gas distribution companies with trucks.

Most cities also have several distribution points for consumers. Here you can buy gas cylinders for $1.66 if you return an empty gas cylinder. By law, these gas vendors cannot ask for higher prices. The difference with the price when buying from a gas distribution truck is a service fee.

Recommendations

• Have a reserve gas cylinder in case a gas cylinder runs out.
• Many modern condominium buildings have central gas systems. If you don’t want to worry about gas cylinders, you may choose a home in such a building.
• The colors of gas cylinders vary by region. Sell your gas cylinders when moving to a region with different gas cylinder colors.

Since June 27, 2023, Copa Airlines has been flying between Panama and Manta. Because this flight has been in operation for one year, Informativo Digital Manabita has published a post on Facebook with interesting data:

• The service to Manta International Airport started with 3 weekly flights. Due to higher-than-expected demand, the frequency has been increased to 4 flights per week.
• The occupancy percentage has been higher than 80% in the first year of operation.
• The flights carried more than 39,000 passengers in the first year. This is considerably more than the 12,000 passengers that Copa Airlines projected for the first year.
• The main feeders for this flight are New York City, Miami, Panama, and Havana.

Copa Airlines is based in Panama City and is a member of the Star Alliance, which includes member airlines such as United Airlines and Lufthansa. Copa Airlines operates with a hub-and-spoke model, with the modern airport in Panama City serving as the hub. The airline specializes in connecting places in North and Central America with destinations in South America.

Airlines with a hub-and-spoke system usually offer convenient connections at the hub. The biggest complaint from passengers is that this is not the case for the flights to Manta. The layover time is too long for most destinations in the USA. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't use these flights, but before booking, you should make sure that the layover time is acceptable for you. As alternatives, you can fly from Guayaquil International Airport (accessible by land travel) or Quito International Airport (accessible by taking an Avianca or LATAM flight to Quito).