Puerto López to Tababela is about 323 road miles (520 km): roughly 7 h 20 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: “In rural areas, you may encounter livestock in the road.”
| Distance by road | 323 mi (520 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 20 min |
| Main roads, in order | E15 → E38 → E25 → E28 → E28B |
| Provinces on the route | Manabi, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Pichincha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 5 |
The Puerto López–Tababela drive in a few lines
E38 (120 mi) and E28 (52 mi) carry about 53% of the 323 miles. It runs through 3 provinces: Manabi, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Pichincha. Of the 5 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Puerto López to Tababela: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| E15 | 0–35 | 35 | Manabi |
| local roads | 35–58 | 23 | Manabi |
| E15 | 58–74 | 16 | Manabi |
| connecting roads | 74–76 | 2 | Manabi |
| E38 | 76–180 | 104 | Manabi |
| local roads | 180–185 | 5 | Manabi |
| E38 | 185–201 | 16 | Manabi, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| connecting roads | 201–205 | 4 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| E25 | 205–243 | 38 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Pichincha |
| connecting roads | 243–244 | 1 | Pichincha |
| E28 | 244–296 | 52 | Pichincha |
| local roads | 296–304 | 8 | Pichincha |
| E28B | 304–311 | 7 | Pichincha |
| local roads | 311–323 | 12 | Pichincha |
- Mile 186 of this route: Manabi → Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (province line)
- Mile 231 of this route: Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas → Pichincha (province line)
Stops between Puerto López and Tababela
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Intiñan Museum (mile 295)
- Nature and outdoors: Jardín botánico La Carolina (mile 203), Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve (mile 293)
- Museums and history: Intiñan Museum (mile 295)
- With kids: Wiwa Quito (mile 316)
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.
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.
Intiñan Museum
Just 200 meters from Ciudad Mitad del Mundo on the outskirts of Quito, Intiñan Museum (Museo de sitio Intiñán) is a site museum built in 1989.
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.
Wiwa Quito
Known for almost three decades as the Quito Zoo, Wiwa Quito is a wildlife refuge park of about 12 hectares in the Guayllabamba parish of Quito, opened in 1997.
Arriving in Tababela
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.
More drives to Tababela
- Mindo to Tababela
- Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Tababela
- Quevedo to Tababela
- Esmeraldas to Tababela
- Atacames to Tababela
- Otavalo to Tababela
From Puerto López to other places in Ecuador
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Puerto López to Tababela?
About 7 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 323 miles.
What is the driving distance from Puerto López to Tababela?
About 323 miles (520 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 Puerto López to Tababela?
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 Puerto López to Tababela use?
In order: E15, E38, E25, E28 and E28B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Puerto López to Tababela?
Closest to the road: Jardín botánico La Carolina (botanical garden, mile 203, 1 mi from the route); Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve (nature area, mile 293, 2 mi from the route); Intiñan Museum (museum, mile 295, 0.1 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.