Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- There's a small airport in Salinas (airport code: SNC) located at the very tip of the Santa Elena peninsula. VIP (tel. 1800/847-847; www.vipec.com) flies there from Quito on Wednesday at 6:35pm, and on Sunday at 5:45pm. Return flights leave Salinas Wednesday and Friday at 7:55pm, and Sunday at 7:30pm. There's one flight on Sunday from Guayaquil to Salinas at 6:45pm, and the Sunday return flight to Quito stops first in Guayaquil. The fare is $45 to $60 (£25-£33).

Many people fly into Guayaquil and continue on to Salinas by car, bus, or taxi.

By Bus -- Buses leave Guayaquil's main bus terminal regularly for Salinas between 3am and 11pm every day. During busy daytime hours, a bus leaves nearly every 5 minutes. The schedule is somewhat reduced during off-hours, but there are still frequent buses. Two companies run this route, CICA (tel. 04/2140-664) and Libertad Peninsular (tel. 04/2140-975). The ride takes about 2 1/2 hours. The fare is around $3.40 (1.90).

Transesmeraldas (tel. 04/2786-670 in Salinas, or 02/2505-099 in Quito) has three direct buses daily between Quito and Salinas. The ride takes 11 1/2 hours, and the fare is $10 (£5.50).

The bus station in Salinas is beside the main market, 1 block in from the Malecón.

By Car -- Salinas and the Santa Elena Peninsula are connected to Guayaquil by a well-traveled and well-marked highway. Calling it a highway, however, may seem a misnomer to some. The road is only two lanes wide in many points, and passes directly through a string of small towns and villages, where you may have to slow down for a stop sign, speed bump, or passing cow. As mentioned, though, the route is well-marked, heading out of Guayaquil to the west. Salinas is 163km (101 miles) from Guayaquil. The ride takes about 2 hours.

Getting Around

Local buses run continuously along the main route that connects Salinas, Santa Elena, La Libertad, and Ballenita. Fares cost from 30¢ to 50¢ (15p-30p) depending on how long your ride is.

This route is also covered by so-called taxi rutas, which are taxis that operate almost like the buses, following the same set route and picking up and discharging passengers. But with a maximum of five passengers, these tend to be much faster, since they make fewer stops.

Traditional taxis are also abundant -- flag one down on the street or call Taxis Ruta del Sol (tel. 04/2770-358). A taxi between Salinas and La Libertad should cost no more than $3 (£1.65), and a ride around either town should be under $2 (£1.10).

Orientation

As you drive toward the coast from Guayaquil, you will arrive at the town of Santa Elena, which is considered Km 0 on the highway (E15) that runs in both directions along the coastline -- and which should not be confused with the highway to the coast (called carretera a la costa) that runs from Guayaquil to Santa Elena (E70). Santa Elena sits on a small rise above the ocean. The beach and tiny town just below it are called Ballenita. Located at the western tip of the Santa Elena peninsula, 13km (8 miles) west of Santa Elena and Ballenita, is Salinas. La Libertad lies about halfway between Ballenita and Salinas. As this area develops, the distinctions may start to fade and the resorts will start to flow one into the next, but for now there is still some separation between these beach towns, although the distances are quite short.

Heading farther east and then north up the coast, the beach stretches for miles and miles almost uninterrupted -- except for the odd rocky point and headlands -- with only a few small fishing villages, tiny towns, and the periodic isolated beach hotel. Beach towns along this coast include Punta Blanca, Montañita, and Olón.

The beach in Salinas itself is divided almost perfectly in half by the jetty and docks of the Salinas Yacht Club. One block inland from the jetty is the town's main plaza and its pretty Catholic church.

Fast Facts

To reach the police, dial tel. 101 or tel. 04/2775-813. In the case of any emergency, call tel. 911. The Hospital Alcivar (tel. 04/2778-807; www.hospitalalcivar.com) in La Libertad is the most modern and best-equipped facility on this coast. It has 24-hour emergency services, as well as a 24-hour pharmacy.

The post office is located on the Malecón and Calle 2, next to the Barceló Miramar Colón hotel (tel. 04/2770-097).

There are several banks and even more ATMs along the Malecón in Salinas and in La Libertad. Banco de Guayaquil has branches at Malecón 417 and Avenida Bolívar (tel. 04/2772-552) in Salinas, and at the Paseo Shopping complex in La Libertad (tel. 04/2785-892). Banco del Pichincha has branches in Salinas on the Malecón, between calles 29 and 30 (tel. 04/2772-468), and in La Libertad at Av. 4 and Calle 23 (tel. 04/2782-294).

There are a number of Internet cafes all along the Malecón and on the calles and avenidas just inland. Café Planet, on Avenida 10, between calles 25 and 26 (tel. 04/2772-211), is my favorite, with a fast connection and cool, cozy ambience. Rates run around 50¢ to $1.50 (30p-85p) per hour.