Ecuador es uno de los países más pequeños de América del Sur. Configurado por una increíble cantidad de diversidad naturaleza y cultural, en una nación no más grande que Gran Bretaña o el Estado de Colorado, significa que moverse dentro del Ecuador en autobús público es mucho más fácil que en otros países de América del Sur (donde puedes pasar 30 horas en un autobús), sin gastar una fortuna en vuelos nacionales.
Transportarse en el Ecuador en autobús es extremadamente asequible, pero obviamente existen algunas preocupaciones y desafíos en cuanto a seguridad, flexibilidad y conectividad.
TRANSPORTARSE EN EL ECUADOR EN AUTOBÚS PÚBLICO
Los autobuses públicos son comunes y baratos, y conectan las ciudades principales y los pueblos. Pero no ofrecen formas fáciles de realizar reservas en línea ni brindan mucha información para que puedas planificar tu viaje fácilmente. Tampoco tienen los mejores antecedentes al hablar de pequeños robos (los extranjeros son un objetivo desafortunado) o accidentes de transito.
Cuando se considera visitar los destinos más asombrosos de Ecuador, desde la perspectiva de turista, los autobuses públicos implican severas limitaciones. Por ejemplo, en el tope de la lista de atracciones por ver de la mayoría de viajeros están el volcán Cotopaxi y el lago del cráter del Quilotoa. Ambos suponen un difícil acceso en transporte público. En el caso de Quitolotoa, deberás tomar aproximadamente 5 autobuses y al menos 5 horas de viaje con paradas varias para llegar desde tu hostal en Quito hasta el lago (¡y eso en un buen día!).
Lo que significa que cuando planees, por ejemplo, visitar el Parque Nacional Cotopaxi , conocer el Lago Quilotoa y llegar hasta el pueblo de Baños, puedes tener aquí una idea de viajes y costos
Public bus option
Getting around Ecuador by bus is extremely affordable, but there are obviously some safety, flexibility, and connectivity concerns and challenges.
Public buses are common and cheap, connecting the main cities and towns. But they do not offer easy ways (if any) to book online or provide much information for you to plan your trip easily. They also don’t have the best records when it comes to petty theft (foreigners are an unfortunate target), road accidents, and staying on schedule.
When considering visiting Ecuador’s most amazing destinations from a traveller’s perspective, public buses have severe limitations. For example, at the top of many people’s list of things to see are Cotopaxi Volcano and Quilotoa Crater Lake. Neither of these are easy to reach by public transport. In the case of Quilotoa, you will need to take about 5 buses and take at least 5 hours to get from your hostel in Quito to finally reach the actual lake (and that’s on a good day).
So, when planning to visit Cotopaxi National Park, Quilotoa Lake and get to the fun town of Baños, the journeys and costs look like this (with Wanderbus for comparison). Pretty stressful, right? And this is only one short section of the route: imagine trying to cross the whole country by public transport, or trying to reach off-the-beaten-track locations like Ozogoche or El Cajas National Park. And if you don’t speak Spanish, it’ll be impossible to communicate.
In reality, public transport is often a false economy: what you save on the cost of the ticket, you’ll spend more on taking taxis, spending the night at hostels mid-route, and booking required guides.
Other hop options
Other hop options provide a safe and fast way to travel only to Ecuador’s tourist cities; you’ll pay a lot more when compared to public transportation, but for almost the same service. Taking other hop options, you will zip through the mountains or the coast to your final destination.
You will have quick stops at easily-accessible tourist places where you’ll interact only with other tourists on your trip, skipping meeting the locals, learning about the culture, and seeing Ecuador’s hidden gems. Some trips are overnight so you’ll have to sleep on the bus (instead of in a nice comfy bed), and you’ll be missing out on beautiful parts of Ecuador just to get to your final destination, just like public transportation.
Here, activities are not included in the final price — for example, entrance and a tour of the actual Cotopaxi National Park, where you can get a true feel for this amazing volcano, is not included in your trip. So when you book with other hop options, it’s important to note that you’re only paying for the transportation, and you have to pay extra for simple tours, in destinations that are already part of tourist trails.
Tour operator options
There are dozens of very good operators in Ecuador offering all sorts of tours for everybody. You’ll find the majority in Quito, but many others in popular traveller destinations like Otavalo, Mindo, Baños, or Cuenca. They are particularly useful when you’re looking to do some adventurous activities from these ‘spring-board’ towns, like rafting, mountain biking, horse-back riding, trekking, or mountain climbing. You should always check on the operator’s credentials and online reputation before parting with your hard-earned cash or putting your safety in their hands!
In terms of actually getting around and exploring Ecuador, although some companies cover the same routes as the Wanderbus, they will always try to group travellers together on set departures in order to keep their costs down, while keeping the high prices you have to pay. It’s often hard to find a tour with departure dates that fit with your exact itinerary.
Also, many tour operators offering tours from Quito return to Quito, which isn’t great if you want to explore further. You’ll end up doing a day tour to Cotopaxi National Park, and another day tour to Quilotoa and another to Baños, etc. when you could connect these destinations in one go (and see more on your vacation) with the Wanderbus!
Multiple destinations and activities
If you want to ‘connect the dots’ to several destinations in Ecuador, and work in a tour to the Amazon or a day white-water rafting, for example, it gets increasingly difficult to find economical options that are part of a group departure. Instead of the tour operator being flexible, you’ll find you’re the one having to be flexible and make compromises with your dream travels to keep costs down. More often than not, you’ll be pushed towards a private tour, where costs can easily be as high as $200-250 per day, excluding meals and accommodation.
So what?
If you’re looking to travel to off-the-beaten-track locations while enjoying a full day of exploring new places, then Wanderbus is perfect for you. With us, our “Wanderers” get to experience many of Ecuador’s hidden gems and popular destinations, while learning more about the culture, engaging with local communities, and getting to know other travelers like yourself!
Choose the Wanderbus for the quickest, easiest, and most cost-effective way to travel around all of Ecuador.
RA
