Central & South Coast - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 275

Getting Here &
Getting Around
Most people fly to Ecuador via Quito or Guayaquil, which
are both international hubs. TAME offers daily flights be-
tween Quito and Guayaquil, as well as between Quito and
Manta, the second-largest coastal port in Ecuador.

From Quito by land, the central and southern coast is accessible via
Santo Domingo, and from Guayaquil via La Libertad near Salinas.
The towns and sites in this region are separated along the main
coastal highway, called La Ruta del Sol (Road of the Sun). Just pick a
place and catch the bus from the bus terminal heading in the right di-
rection. They generally stop at each town.

Visitor Information
Outside of Guayaquil, themain towns in this region are
Bahía de Caráquez, Manta, Puerto López, and Salinas,
from north to south. Each town offers at least basic
modern facilities, including post and communications,
in the form of a Pacífictel telephone office.

In Bahía de Caráquez there is a Banco de Guayaquil on Av. Bolívar
and Riofrío. Check around at the hotels for Internet access. The post
office is located at Bolívar and Aguilera. The Pacífictel telephone of-
fice is at Alberto Santos and Arenas. Taxis are available along the
Malecón or waterfront, and pangas (small boat taxis) for San Vicente
can be found at the city docks.

In Manta , Banco del Pacífico is on C 13 and Av. 2. The post office is
near the Malecón, or waterfront street, on Calle 8 and the Pacífictel
telephone office on the Malecón and Calle 11. The bus station is be-
hind the fishing harbor, near Calle 7 and Av. 8, and the local tourism
office is on Calle 9 and Av. 4, 5-2611-471, or at theMinistry of Tour-

ism, on Paseo JM Egas between Calles 10 and 11,

5-2622-944.

In Portoviejo , the Ministry of Tourism office is at P Gaul and J
Montalvo. The post office is onAve. Ricaurte and the central park and
the police station is just to the south near Ave. Chile. To the west of
the city center and Río Portoviejo is the bus terminal. There is a small
regional airport just outside of town.

In Puerto López , facilities are minimal. If you need a bank or mod-
ern communications, head south to La Libertad or Salinas on the