The Wayro route from Quito to Salinas is 344 miles (554 km), about 7 h 43 min of driving without stops.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Ecuador: Duran, in Guayas province.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Ecuador: In Guayaquil: Nueva Prosperina and Pascuales districts, and all areas south of Portete de Tarqui Avenue (areas north of the avenue are Level 3).
- Level 3: Reconsider Travel in Ecuador: Sucumbios, Manabi, Santa Elena, and Santo Domingo provinces.
This route passes through or near an area the State Department rates Do Not Travel. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive: Ecuador. Advisory issued: Ecuador August 18, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Ecuador: “Some roads are poorly maintained. They may lack crash barriers, guard rails, signs, and streetlights.”
| Total distance | 344 mi (554 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 43 min |
| Main roads, in order | E28A → E35 → E487 → E40 |
| Provinces on the route | Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Napo, Chimborazo, Bolivar, Guayas, Cañar, Santa Elena |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 13.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
Driving Quito to Salinas: the shape of the trip
E35 (97 mi) and E40 (97 mi) carry about 56% of the 344 miles. It runs through 8 provinces: Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Napo, Chimborazo, Bolivar, Guayas, Cañar, Santa Elena. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Quito to Salinas, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–14 | 14 | Pichincha |
| E28A | 14–19 | 5 | Pichincha |
| E35 | 19–111 | 92 | Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Napo, Chimborazo |
| connecting roads | 111–114 | 3 | Chimborazo |
| local roads | 114–119 | 5 | Chimborazo |
| E35 | 119–124 | 5 | Chimborazo |
| connecting roads | 124–126 | 2 | Chimborazo |
| E487 | 126–213 | 87 | Chimborazo, Bolivar, Guayas, Cañar |
| local roads | 213–217 | 4 | Cañar, Guayas |
| E40 | 217–254 | 37 | Guayas |
| local roads | 254–271 | 17 | Guayas |
| E40 | 271–331 | 60 | Guayas, Santa Elena |
| local roads | 331–344 | 13 | Santa Elena |
- Mile 32 of this route: Pichincha → Cotopaxi (province line)
- Mile 70 of this route: Cotopaxi → Napo (province line)
- Mile 103 of this route: Napo → Chimborazo (province line)
- Mile 179 of this route: Chimborazo → Bolivar (province line)
- Mile 184 of this route: Bolivar → Chimborazo (province line)
- Mile 192 of this route: Chimborazo → Guayas (province line)
- Mile 200 of this route: Guayas → Cañar (province line)
- Mile 216 of this route: Cañar → Guayas (province line)
- Mile 283 of this route: Guayas → Santa Elena (province line)
- Mile 297 of this route: Santa Elena → Guayas (province line)
- Mile 300 of this route: Guayas → Santa Elena (province line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Quito and Salinas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cerro Blanco Forest (mile 265)
- Nature and outdoors: Cotopaxi National Park (mile 36), Botanical Garden Atocha-La Liria (mile 81), Laguna de Colta (mile 127), Cerro Blanco Forest (mile 265)
- Museums and history: Museo Antropologico y de Arte Contemporaneo (mile 254), Museo Amantes de Sumpa (mile 336), Paleontological Museum Megatherium (mile 337)
Cotopaxi National Park
Roughly 50 km south of Quito, Cotopaxi National Park spans parts of three provinces and surrounds Cotopaxi volcano, along with dormant Rumiñahui to the northwest and Sincholagua to the southeast.
Área nacional de recreación El Boliche
Created in 1979, El Boliche National Recreation Area is a 400-hectare protected area on the Pichincha–Cotopaxi border, at elevations from about 3,484 to 3,726 meters.
Botanical Garden Atocha-La Liria
On Avenida Circunvalación in Ambato, Tungurahua Province, the Atocha-La Liria Botanical Garden covers 35 acres and dates back to 1849.
Laguna de Colta
Laguna de Colta is a lake of about 275 hectares in Colta canton, Chimborazo province, in Ecuador's central highlands, home to native birds and many kinds of colorful fish.
Museo Antropologico y de Arte Contemporaneo
Known as MAAC, the Museo Antropologico y de Arte Contemporaneo in Guayaquil, Ecuador, celebrates Ecuadorian, Latin American and pre-Columbian art and culture on the Malecón 2000 riverwalk.
Cerro Blanco Forest
Owned by Holcim Ecuador and managed by Fundación Pro-Bosque, Cerro Blanco Forest is a tropical dry forest reserve in Guayas Province, Ecuador.
Museo Amantes de Sumpa
In Santa Elena Province, the Museo Amantes de Sumpa has a clay oven used for ancestral cooking classes and a traditional coastal house with its wooden trough and woven mat.
Paleontological Museum Megatherium
Inside the Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena, the Paleontological Museum Megatherium is considered Ecuador's first paleontology museum.
More drives to Salinas
- Guayaquil to Salinas
- Babahoyo to Salinas
- Quevedo to Salinas
- Riobamba to Salinas
- Latacunga to Salinas
- Esmeraldas to Salinas
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 Salinas?
About 7 h 43 min of driving without stops, over 344 miles.
What is the driving distance from Quito to Salinas?
About 344 miles (554 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 Salinas?
The U.S. State Department rates Ecuador Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Parts of this route are in or near areas rated Level 4: Do Not Travel (Ecuador: Duran, in Guayas province; Ecuador: In Guayaquil: Nueva Prosperina and Pascuales districts, and all areas south of Portete de Tarqui Avenue (areas north of the avenue are Level 3)). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Quito to Salinas use?
In order: E28A, E35, E487 and E40. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Quito and Salinas?
Closest to the road: Laguna de Colta (lagoon, mile 127, 1 mi from the route); Museo Antropologico y de Arte Contemporaneo (art museum, mile 254, 1 mi from the route); Cerro Blanco Forest (forest, mile 265, 0.2 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.