Irving, I’m sorry Amy wasn’t more helpful. Maybe she didn’t understand what you were asking. Aslo, keep in mind that there are so many people interested in all things Ecuador these days that lots of inquiries are made by people who don’t have a serious interest but are just “kicking the tires.”
The easiest way — in my personal opinion — to get to Salinas from Cotacachi is to fly from Quito to Guayaquil. From Guayaquil you can take a bus, taxi, rent a car or hire a private driver to take you to Salinas. You can drive from Cotacachi, of course, but I am guessing that drive will take you a good 10 hours. (In the itineraries section of this website — under the TRAVEL link — you’ll find a driver over there.
Jim, you may or may not be able to book that far in advance. If you’re willing to make a deposit and/or pay in advance, just tell Amy that. February is Carnaval and the beaches will all be crowded, so you’re probably wise to think ahead. You might also want to take a look at websites like vrbo.com, viviun.com, homeaway.com and flipkey.com (The first two will likely have vacation rental properties in Salinas while the others may or may not.) And understand that a short-term vacation rental will cost more.
.
