Getting There
By Plane -- There is a small airport in San Vicente, just 19km (12 miles) south of Canoa. There are occasional charter flights into San Vicente, but the nearest commercial airport is in Manta.
By Bus -- There's no direct bus service to Canoa. You must first make your way to Bahía de Caráquez and then to San Vicente. From San Vicente, local buses make the run to Canoa roughly every half-hour between 6am and 9pm. The fare is 50¢ (35p) for the 30-minute ride.
By Car -- To reach Canoa by car from Quito, start off heading south on the Pan-American Highway (E35) until the intersection at Aloag. From here, you will head west on E30 toward Santo Domingo de los Colorados, and then on to Chone. After about 24km (15 miles), there's a well-marked turnoff for the road to San Vicente and Canoa. The ride should take around 8 hours.
Getting Around
Everything in Canoa is within walking distance. There are always taxis around town, if you need a ride down to San Vicente, or to one of the hotels on the outskirts of town. If you can't flag one down, have your hotel call you a cab. The ride between San Vicente and Canoa costs around $5 (£3.35).
Orientation
Canoa is a tiny beach town. The main highway between Bahía de Caráquez and the northern beaches of Esmeraldas runs parallel to the coastline and passes right through Canoa. Several dirt access roads run the 4 blocks through town, from the highway toward the sea. Tip: Canoa has few services. There are no banks, so if you need to exchange or withdraw money, do so in San Vicente or Bahía. You'll find a couple of Internet cafes in town, and some of the hotels provide Internet connections as well.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
