Getting to Piedra Blanca:
You should take a bus to San Luis de Pambil (population approx. 1000) in Bolivar Province, from where it is a further hour to Piedra Blanca (about 5km).
Please advise us in advance of your arrival, so that we can arrange for someone to meet you in San Luis de Pambil's plaza - we will arrange horses or a cheaply chartered vehicle (approx $10) from San Luis de Pambil to Piedra Blanca for you. You can phone us in advance on 032656216.
To get to San Luis de Pambil:
From Quito: direct buses (approx 6 hours) – Transportes Flota Bolivar departs at 6am, Transportes Macuchi departs at 8.30am (both depart from Terminal Terreste - the main bus terminal in Quito).
From Guayaquil: direct buses (approx 3 hours) – Transportes Flota Bolivar (window 76) departs at 7 am and 3pm every day., Transportes Caluma departs at 2pm (both depart from Terminal Terreste).
From Guaranda: direct buses (approx. 6 hours) - Transportes Flota Bolivar has buses that depart at 7.15 am and at 2.15pm, or Transportes San Pedrito has buses at 8am, 9.45am, 12.30pm and 3.30pm.
N.B. Whichever bus, stay on it until it terminates – the last stop is the plaza at San Luis de Pambil.
From anywhere else, or if not taking a direct bus, travel by bus to Zapotal (40 minutes south of Quevedo on the busy road to Ventanas/ Babahoyo) where you can wait on the corner for regular buses to San Luis de Pambil (last bus at 6pm). If travelling this way, we recommend you take a Transportes Ecuador bus to Zapotal (from Quito they leave from Juan Leon Mera) - their staff on the buses are always helpful and will tell you when to get off. They're fast, spacious buses that leave Quito and Guayaquil about every hour. If travelling from Guayaquil, it's easy to catch a bus to Zapotal and change: buses depart about every 15 minutes. Some of the other companies you could try that leave from the main Terminal Terreste include Zaracay (window 43), Flor de Los Rios (window 35) or Trans Esmeraldas (window 39).
The Hiking Alternative:
Trekking to Piedra Blanca from Salinas (Bolivar Province) – its a beautiful full days walk from the páramo in Salinas (4000m+ alt) down to the tropical Piedra Blanca (500m alt). Leave at dawn. Ask at the community tourism office in Salinas for a guide [click here for more info on Salinas].
See the interactive map - (Piedra Blanca is slightly south of San Luis de Pambil, in the north-western corner of this map)