Nueva Loja to Puerto López is about 479 road miles (771 km): roughly 10 h 30 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- Level 3: Reconsider Travel in Ecuador: Sucumbios, Manabi, Santa Elena, and Santo Domingo provinces.
Read the full advisory before you go: Ecuador. Advisory issued: Ecuador August 18, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Ecuador: “Slow-moving buses and trucks frequently stop in the middle of the road unexpectedly.”
| Distance by road | 479 mi (771 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 30 min |
| Main roads, in order | E45 → E20 → E28 → E25 → E38 → E382 → E39A → E30 → E482A → E482 → E483 → E15 |
| Provinces on the route | Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Manabi |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 19.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Nueva Loja to Puerto López: the shape of the trip
E45 (104 mi) and E38 (85 mi) carry about 39% of the 479 miles. It runs through 5 provinces: Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Manabi. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Which roads connect Nueva Loja and Puerto López
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| E45 | 0–104 | 104 | Sucumbios, Tungurahua |
| E20 | 104–152 | 48 | Tungurahua, Pichincha |
| connecting roads | 152–155 | 3 | Pichincha |
| local roads | 155–180 | 25 | Pichincha |
| E28 | 180–233 | 53 | Pichincha |
| connecting roads | 233–234 | 1 | Pichincha |
| E25 | 234–271 | 37 | Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| connecting roads | 271–275 | 4 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| E38 | 275–291 | 16 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| local roads | 291–296 | 5 | Manabi |
| E382 | 296–331 | 35 | Manabi |
| E38 | 331–400 | 69 | Manabi |
| connecting roads | 400–404 | 4 | Manabi |
| E39A | 404–415 | 11 | Manabi |
| E30 | 415–419 | 4 | Manabi |
| connecting roads | 419–421 | 2 | Manabi |
| E482A | 421–424 | 3 | Manabi |
| E482 | 424–444 | 20 | Manabi |
| E483 | 444–459 | 15 | Manabi |
| E15 | 459–479 | 20 | Manabi |
- Mile 61 of this route: Sucumbios → Tungurahua (province line)
- Mile 137 of this route: Tungurahua → Pichincha (province line)
- Mile 246 of this route: Pichincha → Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (province line)
- Mile 291 of this route: Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas → Manabi (province line)
Where to stop on the way to Puerto López
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (mile 181)
- Nature and outdoors: Gustavo Orcés V. Natural History Museum (mile 164), Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (mile 181), Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve (mile 183), Jardín botánico La Carolina (mile 273)
- Museums and history: El Inga (mile 153), Basílica del Voto Nacional (mile 164), Gustavo Orcés V. Natural History Museum (mile 164), Portoviejo Metropolitan Cathedral (mile 413), Museo y Archivo Histórico de Portoviejo (mile 414)
El Inga
On the slopes of Ilaló volcano in Tumbaco, El Inga is an archaeological site dated to 10,000–2,000 BC, used as a campsite by Paleoindian hunter-gatherers.
Basílica del Voto Nacional
Rising to about 83 meters, the Basilica of the National Vow (Basílica del Voto Nacional) is a Roman Catholic church in Quito's historic center.
Gustavo Orcés V. Natural History Museum
A natural history museum in Quito, Ecuador, the Gustavo Orcés V. Natural History Museum was established in 2005.
Ciudad Mitad del Mundo
Ciudad Mitad del Mundo is a site owned by Pichincha province in San Antonio parish, 26 kilometers north of central Quito.
Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve
Surrounding Pululahua Volcano, this geobotanical reserve lies 17 km north of Quito in the northwestern part of the Pomasqui Valley, Pichincha province.
Jardín botánico La Carolina
Now named Jardín Botánico Padre Julio Marrero, this roughly 17-hectare botanical garden, palm collection and orchid house in Santo Domingo de los Colorados belongs to the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.
Portoviejo Metropolitan Cathedral
Officially the Catedral Metropolitana de Jesús el Buen Pastor, Portoviejo Metropolitan Cathedral stands on Calle Alajuela in the Ecuadorian city of Portoviejo.
Museo y Archivo Histórico de Portoviejo
Facing the Parque Central of Portoviejo, capital of Manabí Province, this museum and historical archive was created in 2007 to preserve the province's archaeological, artistic and documentary collections.
Once you reach Puerto López
Machalilla National Park
Established in 1979, Machalilla National Park sits along the Pacific coast of Ecuador's Manabí Province, near Puerto López and the fishing village of Machalilla.
More drives to Puerto López
- Riobamba to Puerto López
- Baños to Puerto López
- Quito to Puerto López
- Puyo to Puerto López
- Otavalo to Puerto López
- Ibarra to Puerto López
From Nueva Loja to other places in Ecuador
- Nueva Loja to Mindo
- Nueva Loja to Atacames
- Nueva Loja to Bahía de Caráquez
- Nueva Loja to Puerto Cayo
- Nueva Loja to Agua Blanca
- Nueva Loja to Salinas
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Nueva Loja to Puerto López?
About 10 h 30 min of driving without stops, over 479 miles.
How far is Puerto López from Nueva Loja by car?
About 479 miles (771 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Is it safe to drive from Nueva Loja to Puerto López?
The U.S. State Department rates Ecuador Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Nueva Loja to Puerto López?
In order: E45, E20, E28, E25, E38, E382, E39A, E30, E482A, E482, E483 and E15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Nueva Loja and Puerto López?
Closest to the road: El Inga (archaeological site, mile 153, 1 mi from the route); Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (park, mile 181, 0.2 mi from the route); Jardín botánico La Carolina (botanical garden, mile 273, 1 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.