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	All northbound Spondylus buses originate or pass through the Sumpa Bus Terminal in Santa Elena. The terminal is the peninsula's main inter-provincial bus hub — a large, somewhat chaotic building with ticket windows for different companies and routes. For Spondylus-route buses:		All northbound Spondylus buses originate or pass through the Sumpa Bus Terminal in Santa Elena. The terminal is the peninsula's main inter-provincial bus hub — a large, somewhat chaotic building with ticket windows for different companies and routes. For Spondylus-route buses:

			* '''CITUP''' (window 8, andén 14) runs to every comuna as far as La Entrada; other cooperatives serve Palmar, Capaes and San Pablo — see the [[Terminal Terrestre Regional Sumpa (Santa Elena)\|terminal page]] for windows
	* Look for buses signed '''Manglaralto''', '''Montañita''', '''Puerto López''', or '''Manta/Jipijapa'''		* Look for buses signed '''Manglaralto''', '''Montañita''', '''Puerto López''', or '''Manta/Jipijapa'''
	* All buses heading to these destinations stop at the towns along the E-15		* All buses heading to these destinations stop at the towns along the E-15
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	* Buses depart frequently throughout the day, roughly every 30–60 minutes from early morning until early evening		* Buses depart frequently throughout the day, roughly every 30–60 minutes from early morning until early evening

	== ~~Key~~ Fares ~~(approximate)~~ ==		== Fares ==

	{\| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"		{\| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
	! From Sumpa ~~Terminal~~ to !! ~~Approx. fare~~ !! ~~Approx. journey time~~		! From Terminal Sumpa to !! Fare !! From Terminal Sumpa to !! Fare
	\|-		\|-
	\| ~~Ayangue~~ \|\| $1.~~00–1.50~~ \|\| ~~45–60 min~~		\| [[Capaes]] \|\| $0.75 \|\| [[Valdivia]] \|\| $1.80
	\|-		\|-
	\| ~~Manglaralto~~ \|\| $1.~~50–2.00~~ \|\| ~~1–1~~.~~5 h~~		\| [[San Pablo]] \|\| $0.85 \|\| Playa Bruja \|\| $1.90
	\|-		\|-
	\| ~~Montañita~~ \|\| $2.~~00–2.50~~ \|\| ~~2–2~~.~~5 h~~		\| [[Monteverde]] \|\| $1.30 \|\| [[Libertador Bolívar]] \|\| $2.00
	\|-		\|-
	\| ~~Olón~~ \|\| $2.~~50–3.00~~ \|\| 2.~~5 h~~		\| [[Jambelí]] \|\| $1.30 \|\| [[Cadeate]] \|\| $2.15
	\|-		\|-
	\| ~~San José~~ \|\| $3.~~00–3.50~~ \|\| ~~3–3~~.~~5 h~~		\| Cruce de [[Palmar]] \|\| $1.45 \|\| [[Manglaralto]] \|\| $2.25
	\|-		\|-
	\| ~~Ayampe~~ \|\| $3.~~50–4.00~~ \|\| 3.~~5–4 h~~		\| Cruce de [[Ayangue]] \|\| $1.65 \|\| [[Montañita]] \|\| $2.35
	\|-		\|-
	\| ~~Las Tunas~~ \|\| $4.~~00–4.50~~ \|\| ~~4–4~~.~~5 h~~		\| [[San Pedro]] \|\| $1.80 \|\| [[Olón]] \|\| $2.45
	\|-		\|-
	\| ~~Puerto López~~ \|\| $4.~~50–5~~.00 \|\| 4.~~5–5 h~~		\| [[Curia]] \|\| $2.65 \|\| [[Las Nuñez\|Las Núñez]] \|\| $2.75
			\|-
			\| [[San José]] \|\| $2.65 \|\| [[La Entrada]] \|\| $2.75
	\|}		\|}
			''Official CITUP fares authorised by the ANT from 1 August 2026. Minimum fare $0.75; '''half price''' for seniors and people with disabilities. Beyond La Entrada (Ayampe, Las Tunas, Puerto López) you need a bus to Manabí, and the fare is a little higher.''

			'''Coming from Guayaquil?''' CLP and Liberpesa run direct buses from Guayaquil to Montañita and Olón — see [[Getting to Guayaquil]].

	~~Fares are approximate and may increase.~~ Pay in cash on the bus; the conductor collects fares ~~mid-~~journey.		Pay in cash on the bus; the conductor collects fares during the journey. Other cooperatives on the route charge similar fares.

	{{EW dyk\|emoji=🌳\|…Manglaralto's estuary shelters herons, kingfishers and migrating birds?\|page=Manglaralto Estuary\|cta=Explore the estuary →}}		{{EW dyk\|emoji=🌳\|…Manglaralto's estuary shelters herons, kingfishers and migrating birds?\|page=Manglaralto Estuary\|cta=Explore the estuary →}}

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<languages/>
<div style="background:#1a237e; color:#ffffff; padding:36px 32px 28px; border-radius:6px; margin-bottom:24px;">
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; letter-spacing:2px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.45); margin-bottom:12px;">[[Main Page|EcuaWiki]] › [[Portal:How-to Guides|How-to Guides]] › Buses Along the Ruta del Spondylus</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:2.6em; font-weight:bold; letter-spacing:2px; line-height:1; margin-bottom:8px;">Buses Along the Ruta del Spondylus</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.9em; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.65); max-width:560px; line-height:1.6; margin-bottom:24px;">The E-15 is well-served by buses from the Sumpa Bus Terminal to the Manabí border. Frequent, cheap, and direct — the easiest way to travel the route.</div>
{| style="border-top:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.12); padding-top:18px; margin-top:4px; width:100%; border-collapse:collapse;"
|-
| style="padding:0 28px 0 0; text-align:left;" |
<div style="font-size:1.5em; font-weight:bold; color:#90caf9; line-height:1;">Sumpa Terminal</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.4); margin-top:2px;">Departure point</div>
| style="padding:0 28px 0 0; text-align:left;" |
<div style="font-size:1.5em; font-weight:bold; color:#90caf9; line-height:1;">Every 30–60 min</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.4); margin-top:2px;">Frequency (daytime)</div>
| style="padding:0 28px 0 0; text-align:left;" |
<div style="font-size:1.5em; font-weight:bold; color:#90caf9; line-height:1;">$1–5</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.4); margin-top:2px;">Fare range</div>
| style="padding:0; text-align:left;" |
<div style="font-size:1.5em; font-weight:bold; color:#90caf9; line-height:1;">Flag from roadside</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.4); margin-top:2px;">How to catch returning buses</div>
|}
</div>

== Overview ==

The Ruta del Spondylus (highway E-15) is one of the best-served rural bus routes on Ecuador's Pacific coast. Buses run from the [[Terminal Terrestre Regional Sumpa (Santa Elena)|Sumpa Bus Terminal]] in Santa Elena northward through every town on the route toward Puerto López (Manabí) and Manta throughout the day. Travel is cheap, direct, and — for the distances involved — reasonably fast.

You do not need to book in advance. Simply arrive at the terminal, find the bus for your destination, and board. For smaller communities along the route, flag the bus down from the roadside as it passes.

== Starting Point: Sumpa Bus Terminal, Santa Elena ==

All northbound Spondylus buses originate or pass through the Sumpa Bus Terminal in Santa Elena. The terminal is the peninsula's main inter-provincial bus hub — a large, somewhat chaotic building with ticket windows for different companies and routes. For Spondylus-route buses:

* Look for buses signed '''Manglaralto''', '''Montañita''', '''Puerto López''', or '''Manta/Jipijapa'''
* All buses heading to these destinations stop at the towns along the E-15
* Tickets are bought on the bus (from the conductor) or occasionally at a window; no advance booking needed
* Buses depart frequently throughout the day, roughly every 30–60 minutes from early morning until early evening

== Key Fares (approximate) ==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
! From Sumpa Terminal to !! Approx. fare !! Approx. journey time
|-
| Ayangue || $1.00–1.50 || 45–60 min
|-
| Manglaralto || $1.50–2.00 || 1–1.5 h
|-
| Montañita || $2.00–2.50 || 2–2.5 h
|-
| Olón || $2.50–3.00 || 2.5 h
|-
| San José || $3.00–3.50 || 3–3.5 h
|-
| Ayampe || $3.50–4.00 || 3.5–4 h
|-
| Las Tunas || $4.00–4.50 || 4–4.5 h
|-
| Puerto López || $4.50–5.00 || 4.5–5 h
|}

Fares are approximate and may increase. Pay in cash on the bus; the conductor collects fares mid-journey.

{{EW dyk|emoji=🌳|…Manglaralto's estuary shelters herons, kingfishers and migrating birds?|page=Manglaralto Estuary|cta=Explore the estuary →}}

== Stopping at Smaller Towns ==

For communities that are not named destinations — Curia, San José, Las Nuñez, La Entrada, La Rinconada — tell the driver or conductor your stop when you board. They will let you off at the appropriate point on the E-15. It is also common to flag down any northbound bus from the roadside in these communities rather than going to a named terminal.

== Returning South ==

Return buses are flagged from the roadside — stand on the southbound side of the E-15 and wave when you see a bus. All buses heading south toward the Sumpa Bus Terminal (Santa Elena) will stop if they have space. Frequency is similar to northbound during daylight hours; service diminishes in the evening.

== Tips ==

* Bring small bills and coins for the fare — conductors sometimes struggle to change large notes
* Luggage goes on your lap or on the overhead rack; surfboards and large bags may require an extra fare or go in the luggage bay
* Buses can fill up on weekends and during holidays, especially heading north toward Montañita on Friday afternoons and south on Sunday evenings
* The E-15 is fully paved; journey times are consistent unless there is a road incident or heavy rain


== About the road ==
* The Ruta del Spondylus (E-15) runs about '''750 km''' along Ecuador's coast; roughly '''73 km''' of it crosses Santa Elena Province, north to the Manabí border.
* Near San Pablo a bypass links the coast road with the '''E-40''' towards Guayaquil, so through traffic can skip the towns.
* In very heavy rain, landslides have closed the road for hours near '''La Rinconada''' and '''La Entrada''' — check the news in El Niño years. More in [[Natural Hazards on the Peninsula]].
* Along the way you pass mangroves, the '''El Pelado''' marine reserve off Ayangue, and community forests protected under the Socio Bosque programme in the hills behind the comunas.

See also the [[Beaches]] page for beach lengths along the route.

''Sources: PDOT Provincia de Santa Elena 2019–2023; PDOT cantón Santa Elena 2023–2027.''

== See Also ==

* [[Portal:Ruta del Spondylus]] — route overview
* [[Getting to Guayaquil]] — from the peninsula
* [[Taxis and Taxi Apps on the Peninsula]] — for shorter trips
* [[Portal:How-to Guides]] — all guides

{{EW explore|Terminal Terrestre Regional Sumpa (Santa Elena)|Beaches|Natural Hazards on the Peninsula|Getting to Quito|Linea 10|La Chocolatera}}
{{EW next|Getting to Guayaquil}}

[[Category:How-to Guides]]
[[Category:Transport]]
[[Category:Ruta del Spondylus]]

Buses Along the Ruta del Spondylus/en - Revision history

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