RealWorld Guide to Salinas
The small town of Salinas sits at the head of what is known in Ecuador as the "Ruta del Sol" - the coastal road that snakes up the Pacific Coast of Ecuador. As well as one of Ecuador's best beaches, it's also home to some of the country's best beach hotels, so if you're looking for a luxury beach holiday in Ecuador, look no further...
Salinas lies in a crescent-shaped bay which is lined with almost 5km of unbroken golden sands. With a year-round temperate climate but almost no rainfall, you're assured of beach weather practically all year, and the sea is warm enough to enjoy watersports like wind-surfing and jet-skiing all year round as well.
When is the best time for a holiday to Salinas?
The best time for a trip to Salinas in terms of weather is arguably October to May (although February is a cooler month), but if you visit during June-September you'll still have beach weather but you take a whale watching trip to watch the annual migration of humpback whales just off the coast.
![Salinas weather graph]()
Weekend holidays to Salinas are a popular choice for Ecuadoreans, particularly those from just down the road in Guayaquil, and Salinas gets particularly lively in the main summer season between December and March, but the area is popular all year-round with both Ecuadoreans and international tourists, so there's always plenty going on.
Getting to Salinas
The nearest airport to Salinas is a roughly 2-hour drive away in Guayaquil, but you can also get to the airport up the coast in Manta in around 4 hours if you want to fit in a visit to the Machalilla National Park. From Guayaquil, flights are available to most destinations within Ecuador and also several international destinations.