Peru to Ecuador via La Tina border crossing

If, like me, you want to overland to Ecuador from Peru, but you can’t find any concrete information regarding the journey, don’t panic. It has come to my attention that there are crucial facts missing from guidebooks and the internet; concrete directions on transferring from one bus to another, for example.  

I have written this blog to try to iron out some of the misleading/outdated/hazy information online. It is a guide that will take you from Peru, via the La Tina border, and straight to Loja in Ecuador. 

I started my journey in Lima. You might be starting further North, but the route is essentially the same. First of all, you need to get yourself to Piura. 

Side note: If you plan to overland via Tumbes and head to Guayaquil in Ecuador, this is not the right information for you.

So my intended route was: Lima – Piura – Loja. This all seemed simple enough on paper, but catching a bus from Lima is a bit of a minefield, as there are so many different terminals. You can’t simply walk to a main station and check timetables. I found that the best way to search for a bus, was to use the Bus Portal website. It is not always the cheapest option, but in Lima, it’s the definitely the easiest. I chose to go with Oltursa and to leave from Gran Terminal Terrestre Plaza Norte. I advise that you use Uber in Lima, as it is much cheaper than the transfers booked in hostels or taxis on the street. 

It is possible to go from Lima to Loja without having to stay in Piura overnight, you just need to make sure you work with the bus schedule in each place. I found out that there is a bus company in Piura called, Transportes Loja, which leaves around 9:30am, 1pm and 9pm, every day. I chose to take an overnight bus from Lima at 7:30pm, as it would arrive in Piura at 11:30am the following day. Perfect. Plenty of time to get to make the 1pm Tranportes Loja bus. Or so I thought.

I tried to research where this elusive terminal might be, but this is where the conflicting information began, so I decided I would just take a taxi to it, that way I wouldn’t be able to get lost. 

When I arrived in Piura, I checked how far Transportes Loja might be, and she told me it was a 10 minute walk. That was the taxi option out of the question. I made it my mission to find it using my minimal Spanish and awful sense of direction. However, it turned out to be a completely different company to the one I was looking for, and the only bus that served Loja was at 8pm. This was no good, I would have to wait 7 hours for the bus as well as arrive in Loja at 4am. 
Back on the street, I kept asking for the terminal. I finally found someone that sent me to a company called Ronco. Again, I knew this wasn’t what I needed, but I had nothing else to go by, so I followed the directions and took the advice. As was to be expected, no bus to Loja. I asked at the Ronco desk, out of desperation, for Transportes Loja,and they sent me through a door at the back of their waiting room. 

There, in the corner of a little bus depot, was my beloved bus terminal, and I had 30 minutes to spare before the 1pm bus. Success. 

Loja Terminal front desk, to prove that it exists

Screenshot to help you find the correct bus terminal

As you can see from my Google Map, there are quite a few bus terminals in the same area. When you book your bus in Lima, be sure to find out where it’s going to spit you out in Piura so you know how far away you are from the Loja terminal. Also, if you need to ask for directions, locals may call it ‘Loja International’, this is okay too, it should be the same place. If you are worried about being sent to the wrong place, as I was, simply ask for the Ronco terminal. It is on the road called, Loreto Norte and is opposite the Flores bus terminal.

There are little bakeries and shops around this area. I recommend stocking up on an empanada or 2 for the journey to Loja. It is 8 hours and there aren’t really any stops. I think they break once on the other side of the border, but it’s not long enough to get food, so just stock up on snacks before you get on the bus. 

The 1pm bus arrives in Loja around 9pm. Depending on where you’re heading next, will depend on whether or not there is possibility of an onward bus at this time. I wanted to head to Vilcabamba, but all the buses had stopped running, so I walked out of the bus terminal, crossed the road and headed towards some 24 hour accommodation called Hostal Gaviota Azul. A private room with double bed and private bathroom was $15. Perfect when you have been travelling for what feels like a week and you smell like travel (and in my case vomit, as I was victim to some child’s backlash). And only a 2 minute walk from the main bus station. Absolutely perfect. 

So to recap:

• Catch a bus from Lima to Piura (easy – there’s loads of options on the website I gave you) 
• Make sure the bus arrives in Piura an hour or so before your next bus 
• If you need to stay in Piura overnight, there’s a place called Hotel Inca Perú near all the bus terminals. It’s on the road called Tumbes. This is where I received the information about Ronco bus terminal, so they were very helpful. You might have a decent night of rest here. 
• Catch the bus from Transportes Loja at the back of the Ronco bus terminal on Loreto Norte. 
• Enjoy the ride from Piura to Loja. The border is nice and easy. There is no fee at this border. 
• Arrive in Loja and check onward buses or stay overnight. 

It might be an idea, before you head off from Lima or otherwise, to screenshot all the terminals you will need to find. For example, if you type ‘Ronco Piura’, into Google maps, it will definitely come up with the goods.
If you have any questions about my experience of this border crossing, feel free to get in touch or comment on this post.

I really hope this helps.
This post was written to the birdsong surrounding Hostal Izhcayluma in Vilcabamba Ecuador.

Planning and prepping for an adventure

How do you decide where to go? Is it within your budget? What public transport options are available? Will it be dangerous? Can I travel solo? What activities can I do there?

You can take risks and travel smart at the same time. It’s a skill that’s taken a long time to develop and nurture, but I think I’m getting the hang of it. That is, until the next series of mishaps, which let’s face it, are unavoidable. There’s no such thing as perfection in the world of travel.

When we dream about visiting faraway lands, we can sometimes let excitement cloud our judgement. The adrenaline we feel when deciding what plane ticket to buy, can cause us to forget that some trips require a bit more planning than simply bashing your credit card details into the internet. The world is only your ‘oyster’ until something goes wrong.

So with seven countries and six months behind me, it’s time to reflect on where I have been and how I executed my route; and I must be doing something right, because I’m still happy, healthy and bobbing from place to place.

First of all, you need to know that I am guilty of almost skipping Nicaragua. Shocked? In hindsight, I am appalled at myself. 

Here’s my story:

Way back when, in the first quarter of twenty-sixteen, I started researching my trip. I’d purchased my one-way ticket to Toronto and had further plans to visit my friend while he was in Mexico City, so what next? I bought both Lonely Planet’s trusty Central And South America on a Shoestring guidebooks, because that seemed like the natural root from Mexico.

Handy smartphone and tablet friendly PDF copy of Lonely Planet’s Central America on a Shoestring 

“Is it safe?”

“I don’t know, Mum, I haven’t researched yet.”

“Be sensible, Lauren. You’re a single female traveller this time.”

And of course, she was right. Mum normally is.

Cue Facebook message from said parent: You’ve made a typo in your latest blog post. You put ‘normally’ instead of ‘always’. Don’t worry, I’ll let you off.

I instantly plunged into the depths of the internet and googled the logistics of travelling through Latin America. Once I owned those travel books, I was determined.

In the UK, our ‘go-to’ website for this kind of information is the government travel website, as it’s supposed to be accurate and is regularly updated. Most of the countries seemed to throw up the usual issues, such as petty crimes, mugging, drug trafficking etc. ‘Exercise caution as you would at home’. But Nicaragua appeared to showcase a few more issues than this, so many in fact, that I didn’t bother reading the majority of the negative essays attached to each link. So I promised that I wouldn’t go; I intended to pass straight through and head to Costa Rica.

Upon starting my journey through Central America, as is to be expected, I met many backpackers that had commenced their travels as far South as Panama, and were making their way to Mexico. In the cosy common areas of hostels, we would share our experiences and offer lists composed of our near-future wanderlust plans. Every time I mentioned skipping Nicaragua, I received many different reactions, the only element they had in common was negativity.

“But why?”

“You can’t, it’s amazing.”

“You’ll be missing so much!”

I felt the excitement for my chosen route diminish. Rapidly. I pleaded with these like-minded free spirits; “but it isn’t safe, right? Especially for a lone female traveler? Isn’t there too much unrest? Too much crime?” Again, those disapproving looks.

Loaded with new information and stories of golden experiences, I battled with my inner-being. Do I stay on track, or do I cut my planned two weeks of diving in Honduras? Should I set foot in a completely unknown (I hadn’t even bothered reading the Nicaraguan section of the guidebook) and previously off-limits land? Do I break my promise?

I broke my promise.

Carrying a plank of wood up a volcano in Nicaragua. Why? Blog post to follow…

Like a kitten with a saucer of milk, I drank the precious knowledge in the Lonely Planet and roughly planned a route through the country.

“Mum, I’ve decided to see Nicaragua.”

“But it’s not safe.”

“It’s fine, there’s hundreds of backpackers doing it, I’ve met loads of them.”

Traditional Nicaraguan dancing. Both performers are men

I can’t quite remember how I convinced her, I’m not sure if I ever did, not until I was on the other side, travelling to Costa Rica.

“Your photos are amazing, I might look into visiting Nicaragua.”

“You definitely should, Mum, it’s breathtaking.”

The food is pretty breathtaking too

In non-scientific, completely opinion-based conclusion, what I’m trying to stress here, is not that we should ignore travel advice, or rush off around the world without a thought for personal safety, but we should definitely be more open-minded about where we plan to leave our footprints.

Artisan bus shop at Zopilote Eco Village on Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua

Here’s what I’ve learnt:

• Read the ‘dangers and annoyances’ sections of guidebooks. They are written by travel experts for a reason.
• Read blogs and get a snapshot of other people’s experiences.
• Make and share your own opinions. If you go to a country and you don’t feel safe, leave.
• As much as I value the UK government website, I recommend using with caution. I’m probably going to put it in my, ‘things to be aware of’, pile of notes, rather than make a decision based purely on this information.
• Use your common sense.
• Be aware of world affairs.

Nicaragua has so far turned out to be my favourite Central American country. I did not feel threatened or out of my depth, the people are very friendly and helpful, and the public transport is easy to navigate. If you do not know any Spanish, you can rock up to a bus station, say your destination in a questioning tone, and someone will definitely point you in the right direction. Of course you still need to have your wits about you, but this probably applies in your own country, too; so why would you let your guard down anywhere else?

Enjoying a sleepy chicken bus ride with the locals

This post was written to the deep base of semi-rap/hip-hop/Caribbean mix of music in Roadshack Deli in Uvita, Costa Rica. I ordered a veggie burger with a mix of potato, yuka, and plantain fries. I left the bun.