Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Tababela is about 121 road miles (194 km): roughly 2 h 55 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 | 121 mi (194 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 55 min |
| Main roads, in order | E25 → E28 → E28B |
| Provinces on the route | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Pichincha |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 4.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 4 |
Driving Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Tababela: the shape of the trip
E28 (53 mi) and E25 (37 mi) carry about 74% of the 121 miles. It runs through 2 provinces: Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Pichincha. None of the 4 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Tababela, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas |
| E25 | 3–40 | 37 | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Pichincha |
| connecting roads | 40–41 | 1 | Pichincha |
| E28 | 41–94 | 53 | Pichincha |
| local roads | 94–102 | 8 | Pichincha |
| E28B | 102–109 | 7 | Pichincha |
| local roads | 109–121 | 12 | Pichincha |
- Mile 29 of this route: Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas → Pichincha (province line)
What to see on the way from Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Tababela
- Nature and outdoors: Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve (mile 91)
- Museums and history: Catequilla (mile 93)
- With kids: Wiwa Quito (mile 114)
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.
Catequilla
Catequilla is an archaeological site on a mountaintop in the Pomasqui Valley, in San Antonio parish near Quito, at 2,638 meters and about 300 meters above the valleys on either side.
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.
In Tababela itself
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
- Quevedo to Tababela
- Esmeraldas to Tababela
- Atacames to Tababela
- Otavalo to Tababela
- Tulcán to Tababela
From Santo Domingo de los Colorados to other places in Ecuador
- Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Otavalo
- Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Ibarra
- Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Tulcán
- Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Pasto, Colombia
- Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Popayán, Colombia
- Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Florencia, Colombia
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Tababela?
About 2 h 55 min of driving without stops, over 121 miles.
How far is Tababela from Santo Domingo de los Colorados by car?
About 121 miles (194 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 Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Tababela 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 Santo Domingo de los Colorados to Tababela use?
In order: E25, E28 and E28B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Santo Domingo de los Colorados and Tababela?
Closest to the road: Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve (nature area, mile 91, 2 mi from the route); Catequilla (archaeological site, mile 93, 2 mi from the route); Wiwa Quito (zoo, mile 114, 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.