Guayaquil bus station

[Alan Anderson]

Hello,

Once I reach the airport in Guayaquil I notice there are two (apparent) bus stations. To get a bus from Guayaquil to Salinas do I go to Espresso Internacional Ormeno or to Metrovia 2 “Parada Aeropuerto Internacional” bus station. Is it safe to walk to the bus terminal? What is the approx cost? How often do they depart to Salinas? Any other tips for a ‘first-timer’ in attempting this? Thank you!
Sincerely,
Alan A

[Country Expert Jim Santos]

Hi Alan – the bus station you want is called “Terminal Terreste”, and is very close to the airport. Although you can take a bus to it, I would recommend an airport taxi. They would charge $3 ( http://taxiecuadorairport.com/tarifas-guayaquil ) to get you and your luggage to the Terminal Terreste, and it saves you a lot of lugging around and confusion.

Once you are at the TT, you are in for a treat. The Guayaquil bus station is an extremely busy place, and a little daunting to first-time visitors. In Ecuador, there is no central bus ticket counter. Instead, you find the ticket booth(s) that sell for your destination. For Salinas, they say either “Santa Elena” or “Salinas” or Ballenita”. All end up at the same place, the Santa Elena Terminal Terreste in Ballenita. Tickets are generally $4.20, and buses leave every 10-15 minutes.

You want to look for ticket booths around #84-86 on the ground level floor of the station. Depending on how many bags you have, some people like to just buy an extra ticket and keep their luggage on the seat next to them, but there is plenty of storage under the buses, and overhead racks for carry-on size.

Once you have your ticket, you will go to the platform or “Anden” where the bus is waiting. Be sure and check the departure time, because sometimes you only have 5 minutes or so to get to the bus (we always make sure we’ve used the bathroom, got a snack, etc. before buying the ticket). Usually the Salinas bus is around Anden 94, which is on “Nivel 2”, or Level 2 – but be advised level two is actually on the third floor! There are signs to direct you.

Here’s a link to the Guayaquil TT, you can put in destination and choose bus line to get an idea of fares and schedules. http://ttg.ec/

The buses are really pretty comfortable, and you will probably get to watch a movie as well. The ride takes a little under 2 hours.

Once you arrive at the terminal in Santa Elena, there are taxis and buses for local destinations. A taxi into Salinas will be between $4-5, depending on where you are going, and time of night (tend to be a little more late at night).

Enjoy your visit, and let me know if you have any other questions. My wife and I have lived in Salinas for almost three years. I’m at salinas@internationalliving.com

-jim

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