List of Bus Routes in La Peninsula

List of Bus Routes in La Peninsula details the local bus lines that operate across the Santa Elena Peninsula. This page is a companion to Understanding Public Transportation in La Peninsula.

Overview

Local buses are the backbone of daily transit on the peninsula. They are easily identified by their bright colors (green, blue, or yellow) and mostly follow the main corridor (Carretera Santa Elena – Salinas). Fares are charged under the municipio-based system described in Fares and Payment on La Peninsula Public Transportation. Passengers can board at designated "Paradas" or by waving the bus down in less congested areas.

Routes

This page covers the most relevant lines. Each has its own dedicated article with full stop-by-stop lists and maps.

Linea 7

Línea 7 is the longest of the four lines, running the full length of the peninsula from the Fuerte Militar in Salinas through La Libertad and central Santa Elena to the coastal village of Chuyuipe, just past Ballenita. It is the only line of the four that reaches Chuyuipe, and one of two (with Línea 11) that detour through Santa Elena's town centre.

Route: Salinas Military Base ↔ Chuyuipe (Ballenita), via La Libertad and Santa Elena centro
Operator: Cooperativa de Transporte Peninsular
Frequency: Every 10–15 minutes
Hours: 5:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Fare: $0.50 – $0.60 – $0.70 depending on municipios crossed

Main article: Linea 7

Linea 11

Línea 11 covers almost the same ground as Línea 7 — Salinas to Santa Elena centro and on to Ballenita — but is run by a different operator and takes slightly different streets through La Libertad. Its key difference from Línea 7: it terminates at Ballenita and does not continue on to Chuyuipe.

Route: Salinas Military Base ↔ Ballenita, via La Libertad and Santa Elena centro
Operator: Horizonte Peninsular
Frequency: Every 15 minutes
Hours: 5:30 AM – 8:00 PM
Fare: $0.50 – $0.60 – $0.70 depending on municipios crossed

Main article: Linea 11

Linea 12

Línea 12 is the only line serving Ancón and Atahualpa, east of Terminal Sumpa. It runs as two connected circuits — Circuit 1 (Salinas ↔ Terminal Sumpa) and Circuit 2 (Terminal Sumpa ↔ Ancón, with every 3rd bus continuing to Atahualpa) — and some buses run the full journey while others require a transfer at Terminal Sumpa. Like Línea 7 and Línea 11, it does pass through Santa Elena centro, though it uses a slightly different stretch — Prefectura, Registro Civil, and Terminal CICA — rather than the Parque Central / Mercado La Bahía stops those two lines make.

Route: Salinas Military Base ↔ Terminal Sumpa ↔ Ancón / Atahualpa (two-circuit route; check the destination sign or ask the driver)
Fare: $0.50 – $1.40 depending on zones crossed (fare table for Ancón/Atahualpa still being confirmed — see the Linea 12 page)

Main article: Linea 12

Linea 13 (Express Route to Terminal Terrestre Sumpa)

Línea 13 is the express option between Salinas and Terminal Sumpa: it skips the detour through central Santa Elena that Líneas 7, 11, and 12 all make, sticking to the more direct La Libertad corridor. One-way travel time is about 41 minutes (17.1 km) toward the terminal and 45 minutes (18.3 km) on the return leg. It's the fastest choice for riders headed straight to an inter-provincial bus connection.

Route: Salinas Military Base ↔ Terminal Terrestre Sumpa, via La Libertad only (no Santa Elena centro detour)
Frequency: Every 20 minutes
Fare: $0.50 – $0.60 – $0.70 depending on municipios crossed
Travel time: ~41 min Salinas → Sumpa · ~45 min Sumpa → Salinas

Main article: Linea 13 (page in progress)

Choosing the Right Line

Líneas 7, 11, 12, and 13 all share most of the same corridor between Salinas and La Libertad, so the real question for most riders isn't whether a bus exists, but which one actually stops where they're going. The two tables below help with that decision; each line's own article (linked above) has the full stop-by-stop list.

Quick guide — pick by destination

If you're headed to...	Take	Why
Chuyuipe (east of Ballenita)	Línea 7	The only line of the four that continues past Ballenita to Chuyuipe.
Central Santa Elena — Parque Central, Mercado La Bahía specifically	Línea 7 or Línea 11	Both stop right at Parque Central and Mercado La Bahía. Línea 12 also passes through Santa Elena centro but via the Prefectura/Registro Civil stretch, not the market; Línea 13 skips Santa Elena entirely.
Ballenita town centre (Malecón/Mirador, the church)	Línea 7 or Línea 11	Both stop right in town; Línea 13 only skirts Ballenita's outskirts near the terminal.
Terminal Terrestre Sumpa, as fast as possible	Línea 13	Express service — skips the Santa Elena detour, ~41 minutes one-way, every 20 minutes.
Ancón	Línea 12	The only line that reaches Ancón. About 2 of every 3 Circuit 2 buses turn around at Hospital IESS Ancón.
Atahualpa	Línea 12	The only line that reaches Atahualpa — but just 1 in 3 Circuit 2 buses go this far. Confirm with the driver before boarding.
Anywhere between Salinas, La Libertad and Santa Elena, no particular preference	Línea 7 or Línea 11	Nearly interchangeable for this stretch — take whichever arrives first.

Side-by-side comparison

Línea 7, 11, 12 & 13 at a glance
Line	Operator	Endpoints	Via Santa Elena centro?	Frequency	Fare	Distinctive feature
Línea 7	Cooperativa de Transporte Peninsular	Salinas ↔ Chuyuipe	Yes	Every 10–15 min	$0.50 – $0.70	Longest of the four; the only line reaching Chuyuipe
Línea 11	Horizonte Peninsular	Salinas ↔ Ballenita	Yes	Every 15 min	$0.50 – $0.70	Same corridor as Línea 7, different operator, but stops short of Chuyuipe
Línea 12	Not documented	Salinas ↔ Terminal Sumpa ↔ Ancón/Atahualpa	Yes	Not documented	$0.50 – $1.40 (zone-based; fare table still being confirmed)	Only line to Ancón/Atahualpa; runs as two circuits, sometimes requiring a transfer at Terminal Sumpa
Línea 13	Not documented	Salinas ↔ Terminal Sumpa	No	Every 20 min	$0.50 – $0.70	Express route; skips the Santa Elena detour — the fastest way to Terminal Sumpa (~41 min)

All four lines run roughly 5:30 AM – 8:00 PM where hours are documented, with service becoming less frequent after about 7:00 PM. See Fares and Payment on La Peninsula Public Transportation for the full municipio-based fare system.

Discounts

Passengers with disabilities, students wearing school uniform and seniors aged 65 and over receive a 50% discount on standard fares.