By road, Quito and Puerto López are about 318 miles (511 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 55 min of driving.
- 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 | 318 mi (511 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 6 h 55 min |
| Main roads, in order | E28 → E25 → E38 → E382 → E39A → E30 → E482A → E482 → E483 → E15 |
| Provinces on the route | Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Manabi |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
What the drive from Quito to Puerto López is like
E38 (88 mi) and E28 (60 mi) carry about 47% of the 318 miles. It runs through 3 provinces: Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Manabi. Of the 6 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Quito to Puerto López
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–11 | 11 | Pichincha |
| E28 | 11–71 | 60 | Pichincha |
| connecting roads | 71–72 | 1 | Pichincha |
| E25 | 72–109 | 37 | Pichincha, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| connecting roads | 109–113 | 4 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| E38 | 113–130 | 17 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Manabi |
| local roads | 130–134 | 4 | Manabi |
| E382 | 134–168 | 34 | Manabi |
| E38 | 168–239 | 71 | Manabi |
| connecting roads | 239–242 | 3 | Manabi |
| E39A | 242–253 | 11 | Manabi |
| E30 | 253–258 | 5 | Manabi |
| E482A | 258–262 | 4 | Manabi |
| E482 | 262–281 | 19 | Manabi |
| E483 | 281–298 | 17 | Manabi |
| E15 | 298–318 | 20 | Manabi |
- Mile 85 of this route: Pichincha → Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (province line)
- Mile 129 of this route: Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas → Manabi (province line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Quito and Puerto López
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de sitio La Florida (mile 7), Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (mile 19)
- Nature and outdoors: Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (mile 19), Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve (mile 21), Jardín botánico La Carolina (mile 111)
- Museums and history: Museo de sitio La Florida (mile 7), Portoviejo Metropolitan Cathedral (mile 250), Museo y Archivo Histórico de Portoviejo (mile 252)
Museo de sitio La Florida
On the slopes of Pichincha volcano in Quito's La Florida area, this archaeological site museum covers a small part of an ancient pre-Hispanic burial ground.
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
- Puyo to Puerto López
- Otavalo to Puerto López
- Ibarra to Puerto López
- Tena to Puerto López
From Quito to other places in Ecuador
- Quito to Mindo
- Quito to Santo Domingo de los Colorados
- Quito to Esmeraldas
- Quito to Baños
- Quito to Puyo
- Quito to Quevedo
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Quito to Puerto López?
About 6 h 55 min of driving without stops, over 318 miles.
What is the driving distance from Quito to Puerto López?
About 318 miles (511 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 Quito to Puerto López?
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 Quito to Puerto López use?
In order: E28, E25, E38, E382, E39A, E30, E482A, E482, E483 and E15. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Quito to Puerto López?
Closest to the road: Museo de sitio La Florida (museum, mile 7, 0.6 mi from the route); Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (park, mile 19, 0.2 mi from the route); Jardín botánico La Carolina (botanical garden, mile 111, 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.