During the day several bus companies run frequent buses (every 15 minutes) between Salinas’s bus station (next to the market) and Guayaquil’s Terminal Terrestre. The journey takes between two and a half and three hours and costs around $3.50, depending on the bus company. In the evenings a luxury bus service makes the same journey for $9. Transesmeraldes (www.transesmeraldas.com) runs three buses nightly at 7.30 p.m., 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. to Quito (11 hours, $11).

To get to other destinations in the region the best bet is to head to the town of La Libertad, situated 20 minutes away from Salinas. This town is the transport hub for the whole of the Santa Elena Peninsular,and from here regular buses head up the coast to Manta, passing through Montañita and Puerto López on their way. To get to La Liberted take a local red and white bus (0.35¢) or negotiate the price with a taxi driver ($4).

There is also a very small airport in Salinas (SNC), from which it is possible to fly to Quito, however as these flights are irregular, hard to book and expensive, most people chose to fly to Guayaquil and catch a bus from there.