Portoviejo to Ibarra is about 304 road miles (489 km): roughly 6 h 53 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: “Heavy fog and rain make conditions more dangerous.”
| Total distance | 304 mi (489 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 6 h 53 min |
| Main roads, in order | E39A → E38 → E25 → E28 → E28B → E282 → E35 |
| Provinces on the route | Manabi, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Pichincha, Imbabura |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 5 |
Driving Portoviejo to Ibarra: the shape of the trip
E38 (120 mi) and E28 (53 mi) carry about 57% of the 304 miles. It runs through 4 provinces: Manabi, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Pichincha, Imbabura. Of the 5 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Portoviejo to Ibarra
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Manabi |
| E39A | 3–10 | 7 | Manabi |
| connecting roads | 10–13 | 3 | Manabi |
| E38 | 13–117 | 104 | Manabi |
| local roads | 117–122 | 5 | Manabi |
| E38 | 122–138 | 16 | Manabi, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| connecting roads | 138–142 | 4 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| E25 | 142–180 | 38 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Pichincha |
| connecting roads | 180–181 | 1 | Pichincha |
| E28 | 181–234 | 53 | Pichincha |
| local roads | 234–242 | 8 | Pichincha |
| E28B | 242–262 | 20 | Pichincha |
| local roads | 262–269 | 7 | Pichincha |
| connecting roads | 269–272 | 3 | Pichincha |
| E282 | 272–278 | 6 | Pichincha |
| E35 | 278–303 | 25 | Pichincha, Imbabura |
| local roads | 303–304 | 1 | Imbabura |
- Mile 124 of this route: Manabi → Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (province line)
- Mile 168 of this route: Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas → Pichincha (province line)
- Mile 279 of this route: Pichincha → Imbabura (province line)
Places worth a stop between Portoviejo and Ibarra
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (mile 232)
- Nature and outdoors: Jardín botánico La Carolina (mile 140), Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (mile 232)
- Museums and history: Rumicucho (mile 232), Cochasquí (mile 265)
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.
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.
Rumicucho
Rumicucho, or Pucara de Rumicucho, is an Inca archaeological site in the parish of San Antonio de Pichincha, in Quito Canton, Ecuador.
Historic Center of Quito
The Historic Center of Quito covers about 375 hectares in south-central Quito and is considered among the best-preserved historic districts in Spanish America, with roughly 130 monumental buildings and some 5,000 listed heritage properties.
Cochasquí
On the slopes of Mojanda, an inactive volcano in Pichincha province, Cochasquí is an archaeological site in Ecuador's northern highlands, 52 km north of Quito.
In Ibarra itself
Inca-Caranqui
On the southern edge of Ibarra, Inca-Caranqui preserves a semi-subterranean Inca structure of finely cut stone, possibly the pool described by Spanish chronicler Cieza de León, across from Caranqui's parish church.
More drives to Ibarra
- Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Ibarra
- Guayaquil to Ibarra
- Cuenca to Ibarra
- Machala to Ibarra
- Loja to Ibarra
- Cali to Ibarra, Ecuador
From Portoviejo to other places in Ecuador
- Portoviejo to Alausi
- Portoviejo to Tulcán
- Portoviejo to Machala
- Portoviejo to Zaruma
- Portoviejo to Loja
- Portoviejo to Zamora
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Portoviejo to Ibarra?
About 6 h 53 min of driving without stops, over 304 miles.
What is the driving distance from Portoviejo to Ibarra?
About 304 miles (489 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Portoviejo to Ibarra drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Ecuador Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Portoviejo to Ibarra use?
In order: E39A, E38, E25, E28, E28B, E282 and E35. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Portoviejo to Ibarra?
Closest to the road: Jardín botánico La Carolina (botanical garden, mile 140, 1 mi from the route); Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (park, mile 232, 0.2 mi from the route); Rumicucho (archaeological site, mile 232, 2 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.