Daytrip is a private car service platform that connects you with local drivers who will transport you door-to-door. We also give you the opportunity to explore sights/attractions along the way. We drive, you discover.
Daytrip offers private door-to-door transfers with optional sightseeing stops, hourly driver hire, and curated day trips â all with local English-speaking drivers and operating across 130+ countries.
For private trips, you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before departure. For the Daytrip Pool shared shuttle, we offer 3 ticket options when booking: Non-refundable, Flexible with cancellations 24 hours before departure, and Super-flexible with cancellations up to 15 minutes before departure.
Yes! Book a private, door-to-door airport transfer with a local English-speaking driver. Enjoy fixed and transparent pricing, no hidden fees, and the option to pay in advance without the hassle of exchanging cash at a foreign airport.
You will receive the vehicle that best fits the number of travelers in your group, ranging from a sedan to a van for groups of up to 7. Depending where you travel, you can book anything from a sedan comparable to a Toyota Corolla to a Mercedes V-Class to a Classic Cuban Car. While the exact model may vary, we always ensure that the vehicle provided meets your needs in terms of safety, reliability, and comfort. You may be upgraded to a larger vehicle class free of charge depending on availability. Since our largest vehicle seats 7, for groups larger a combination of vehicles will be used. We will send you the exact vehicle details a few days before your trip.
Everywhere except the USA, drivers will supply appropriate child seats (just let us know during booking). In the USA, certain states require you to supply your own child seats.
Know more about traveling from Puerto Lopez
Yes, and this is precisely why most travelers use Puerto Lopez as a base rather than a pass-through stop. Isla de la Plata sits roughly 40 km (25 miles) offshore and is commonly called the "Poor Man's Galapagos" for its colonies of blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and sea turtles at a fraction of the cost and logistics of the actual Galapagos. Machalilla National Park, which surrounds Puerto Lopez and protects one of the last remaining stretches of tropical dry forest on South America's Pacific coast, offers hiking trails and the beach at Los Frailes, widely considered one of Ecuador's most beautiful. Both are accessible as guided day trips departing from the village.
The distance from Guayaquil to Puerto Lopez is approximately 285 km (177 miles). By bus, that journey involves navigating the terminal, potential connections, fixed schedules, and shared seating for a trip that can stretch well beyond four hours depending on stops and traffic. A Daytrip private transfer covers the same route door-to-door on your schedule, with a professional local driver and no bags to wrestle through a crowded terminal. For travelers arriving after a flight or carrying dive gear, camera equipment, or traveling with family, the difference in comfort and convenience is significant.
Completely. While the whale watching and island excursions attract nature enthusiasts, Puerto Lopez itself is an easy, low-key destination. The malecĂłn (seafront promenade) is walkable, the restaurants are casual and approachable, and the pace of the town is relaxed. Boat tours to Isla de la Plata are operated for general visitors, not just divers or wildlife specialists, and most agencies offer morning departures with snorkeling included. Families with children often find it more manageable than a full Galapagos trip while still delivering the kind of wildlife encounters that are genuinely memorable.
The route from Manta to Puerto Lopez covers approximately 135 km (84 miles) along the Ruta del Spondylus, the coastal highway that traces Ecuador's Pacific shoreline. The drive typically takes around two hours, with the road offering open ocean views and passing through small coastal towns. It is a straightforward journey, but the scenic character of the road makes it one where having a local driver familiar with the route adds genuine value, particularly for first-time visitors who may want to make an unplanned stop or ask about what they are seeing along the way.
Puerto Lopez punches well above its size. This small fishing village on the Pacific coast serves as the launchpad for some of Ecuador's most distinctive natural experiences: whale watching excursions during humpback season (typically June through September), boat trips to Isla de la Plata for blue-footed boobies and marine life found nowhere else on the mainland, and access to Machalilla National Park's beaches and dry tropical forest. Unlike the polished resort towns further along the coast, Puerto Lopez retains the rhythm of a working fishing community, which is part of its draw for travelers who want something more authentic than a beach hotel strip.
Humpback whales visit Ecuador's Pacific coast typically between June and September, and Puerto Lopez sees its highest demand during these months. Tour boats for whale watching and Isla de la Plata trips tend to depart in the morning, which means your arrival timing matters. A private Daytrip transfer lets you set your own departure time from wherever you are starting, so you can plan to arrive the evening before an early excursion rather than scrambling on the day. Your driver can also be a practical first resource, often familiar with local operators and logistics that take independent travelers time to figure out on arrival.
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