Driving Time/Distance From GYE Airport to Bahia De Caraquez

From GYE to Manta if you take the direct land route through Portoviejo, not the Coastal route it should take about 4 hours to Manta.  Add 1 and 1/2 hours to Bahia de Caraquez. Hope this helps.  Are you driving yourselves?  Bus will take longer as it has stops.  Not recommended to travel on bus with baggage down in the storage below.  Have a nice trip. Charlie

Why is it not recommended to store luggage in the belly of the bus? What can u carry aboard the bus?

You can store anything you want down there. But unfortunately my Ecuadorian friends strongly have urged me not to leave my suitcases and especially valuable equipment down there like laptops and cameras as there are are several stops along the way with the cargo area open and many times things disappear along the way. You will not be able to safeguard your stuff down there from your seat up above on the bus. When you first arrive with your main suitcases etc. it's better to take a cab or rent a driver to get your things where you are going safely.  Remember this came from our Ecuadorian Friends!  Other times you can just keep your backpack with you on the bus when you're not carrying a lot of stuff. Just a precaution. If you take a few simple steps most of the time you will be much safer. Enjoy Ecuador it's a great place!  Charlie in Bahia de Caraquez

Do the buses have overhead storage for a suitcase ?

Not that I saw. We had a driver take our luggage in his vehicle . So full we took the bus separately.  They strongly urged us not to take our luggage on the bus in the belly. So we didn't. Charlie

Does any one know of a car rental agency that is less than $500 a week from GYE airport?

We seemed to do better at the airport in GYE where we could negotiate directly with the  car rental agencies as they are very difficult to locate and communicate with online.  Some were impossible to find online and what they told us in person was quite different from online.  They are not as well set up online down here as in North America.  You might try Kayak to see if they have any deals.  There are quite a few agencies at the airports of course they could be sold out.  We paid about $600 per week including all taxes fees and full insurance coverage which is highly recommended down here.  We rented a small SUV 4X4 to navigate tougher roads while searching for property.  It will be less for a smaller car.   We used Budget. Even AAA or CAA couldn't get us better rates online.  You'll find it's more expensive and the cars aren't as new or nice as you may be used to.
Be sure you have all the documents in the car and keep them as well as passports with you for police stops which are along the roads. Just routine here they stop you and check your papers, ask where you're going, where you've been etc. Just give them all documents and no comprende if you don't understand them in Spanish.  Mention traveling to San Clemente, Bahia etc. Happens all the time.  Sometimes they'll wave you through, others want to see documents.
Enjoy your trip down here!  Ecuador is an adventure...Each day is a new one here.
Living It and Loving It here in Bahia , Ecuador
Charlie

Thanks for the info Charlie! The wife and I will be in Bahia in the afternoon sometime on Sept 24 so maybe we will see for a beverage.

Cheers Kurt & Jeanette

Hey Charlie!  I am thinking of staying in Bahia for three weeks in early January 2015 with the intention of scouting our where we will want to spend 4-5 months each winter. Do you have any recommendations on where we want to stay especially on or near the ocean. We like it clean, does not have to be fancy, but comfortable and safe. What do you know?
Roberto