How Do You Get to Canoa Beach?

How to get here

Buses run between Pedernales and San Vicente, towns to the north and south of Canoa, every half-hour ($0.50). Buses stop on Canoa's main road. Buses from Quito travel direct to Canoa, and to Bahía de Caráquez and San Vicente. From Bahia, you can take a 10-minute ferry ($0.30) to San Vicente. From there, Canoa is a 20-minute bus ride away. Buses leave every half-hour, and you can also take a taxi ($5) or chiva ($0.30).

Buses from Quito leave for Canoa around midnight (6-7 hours, approximately $9) from the Quitumbe bus terminal. Buses bound for San Vicente and Bahia de Caraquez are slighly less expensive (around $8), but take an hour longer to reach their destination. Buses from Guayaquil to Canoa take six hours ($5) and depart from the Jaime Roldos Aguilera bus terminal. Ejecutivo buses running on these routes are a dollar or two more expensive, but are cleaner and have air conditioning. You can also fly to Manta's Eloy Alfaro Airport (MEC), and then take a bus to Bahia (3 hours, $3). Tame (www.tame.com.ec), Aerogal (www.aerogal.com.ec) and Icaro (www.icaro.aero) fly daily to Manta from Quito for around $100 return (45 minutes).

Travel Seasons of Canoa in Manabi Ecuador

The best time to visit Canoa is during high season (December-May), when the surfing is best and the weather is hotter and drier. During the high season, waves hit two meters (3 feet) and higher, the swimming is better, and Canoa often fills up with Ecuadorian families and foreigners during holidays such as Carnaval. The weather in Canoa is generally warm and humid, particularly from December to May. Although the rest of the year is dry and slightly cooler, there is often very little rainfall, which usually occurs in the evenings and overnight.

More great information about the area can be found at Ecuador Travel Site.