Directions and Contact
How to get to Canoa?
Canoa is located 17 kilometers north of the twin cities San Vicente/Bahia de Caraquez, and 70 kilometers south of Perdenales.
Late or night buses are not recommended in Ecuador unless they are first class.
The Sundown Beach Hotel is located right off the highway just 2 kilometers south from the town center of Canoa (travelling in the direction towards San Vicente).
We are 200 meters south from the new traffic circle on the highway. From San Vicente that detours Canoa and goes directly to Jama.
From Canoa, we are a 20 to 30 minute walk down the beach, or you can take any local bus and ask to be dropped off right at the inn. Moto taxis from Canoa to the hotel are $2.
Arriving from Quito
The best option for traveling from Quito to Canoa is with the bus company Reina del Camino. This is the only current company with direct first class buses to the area called "Ejecutivo", security is very high on these buses. Ticket will be $10 - $11 per person.
Option #1: Travel overnight directly from Quito to Canoa. This bus leaves Carcelen terminal at 11:45 pm and will be arriving in Canoa around 5:30 - 6:00 am. From there it is a $2 taxi to the hotel. (Keep in mind there is no actual bus station in Canoa, and there may not be taxis to get to the Sundown at this hour, so you may find yourself sitting outside on the street for a while waiting for a taxi.
Option #2: Take a bus from Quito to Bahia de Caraquez. It will stop in San Vicente and from there you can take a $5-6 taxi to the Sundown Hotel or a bus for $0.25 (Remember to ask the driver to drop you off at Sundown Beach Hotel).
Option #3: This is the least recommended option since these buses are not first class (ejecutivo), so more stops are made along the way. Take the bus from Quito to Pedernales, you should arrive in about 6-7 hours. From Pedernales, take the next available bus south, which goes to Jama, Canoa and onward to San Vicente. These buses leave about every half hour, the most common company being Coactur. The trip will take around 1.5 hours, putting you in Canoa late afternoon.
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You can buy a bus ticket in the centre of Quito without having to go all the way to the terminal. The town office is at 18 de Septiembre y Manuel Larrea. This office is open from 9am-7pm Monday to Friday and 9am-1pm on Saturday. Tel 02 3216633
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You need to show your passport to buy a ticket, and expect a possible light search if taking a ejecutivo bus.
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If it is a day bus, try to get a window seat near the front on the right hand side for the best views while descending down the Andes.
Arriving from Guayaquil
The trip from Guayaquil will be much faster. Once in the city, take a taxi to the Bus Terminal "Jose Joaquin de Olmedo". From there, buy a ticket to Bahia de Caraquez. There are 2 bus companies Coactur and Reina del Camino. The ride is about 5 to 6 hours long. From Bahia you can take a taxi to the Sundown Hotel for about $6-$7.
Make sure that you tell the driver to drop you off at the Sundown Inn, BEFORE you arrive in Canoa, because our hotel is about 2 km south from the town center.
Arriving from Manta
Many of our customers opt to buy an airplane ticket to Manta to avoid long bus trips. This will be the most confortable option yet the more expensive one. Once you get into Manta you have 2 options to get into Canoa:
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Option #1: Take a cab at the airport and ask them to take you to Canoa (cost around $40), some drivers are not familiar with the Sundown Beach Hotel so make sure to tell them to drop you off BEFORE arriving to Canoa (a few steps before the town's by pass roundabout).
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Option #2: Take a cab to the bus station and from there take a bus to Bahia de Caraquez. Be aware that you will need to change buses once in Bahia in order to get to Canoa.
Are you coming from any other place not listed above?
Here is some detailed information that might be useful for travelers coming from other parts of the country (North or South):
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Montañita: Begin by getting a bus to Jipijapa (They pass every 30 min or so). From Jipijapa, you switch to another bus to Portoviejo (or ideally Bahía). If you stop in Portoviejo, take another bus to Bahía de Caráquez.
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Puerto Lopez: There are not direct buses from Puerto Lopez to Canoa. You will need to get a bus to Portoviejo and from there switch buses to Bahía de Caráquez.
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Mompiche: You will need to get three buses from here. The first one will be from town to the main road (there is also an option to take collectivo taxis). Once on the main road, get the bus to Chamanga (a small town to the south). It might drop you off either in town or in a bus stop in the middle of nowhere (don't worry, it works both ways). From Chamanga take a bus to Pedernales and from there take the next available bus to the south, which goes to Jama, Canoa & San Vicente.
Do you have any other questions?
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Sundown Beach Hotel
Urb, El Recreo. 2.5 km South from Canoa's Town Center.
Ruta del Spondylus.
Canoa - Manabí - Ecuador