Updated: May 3, 2024
The main border crossings are all open:
1. Aguas Verdes (Huaquillas, Ecuador – Tumbes, Peru) near the coast;
2. La Tina (Macará, Ecuador – Sullana, Peru) through the mountains;
3. La Balsa (Zumba, Ecuador – San Ignacio, Peru) through the jungle.
Other, smaller crossings scatter the mountain passes between Huaquillas and La Balsa.
Bear in mind that all border crossings are operational between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday to Sunday, but may be closed on national holidays. My best advice is simply to never travel on a national holiday under any circumstance, and even if you must, government websites might not tell you if border posts are operational, so proceed at your own risk.
When it comes to deciding where to cross from Ecuador to Peru (or vice versa), it’s always been a draw for me: Should I go by way of the coast, the Andes, or the forest/jungle?
Over the years, I had always sided with convenience and safety as my criteria, and for that, I chose to cross at La Tina (Macará). But more recently, my criterion has been to save money as opposed to time. And for that, I still choose Macará.
Let’s go through each crossing and weigh the pros and cons.
La Tina (Ecuador-Peru Border Mountain Crossing)
La Tina is the formal name of the border crossing near the town of Macará, Ecuador. It is a hassle-free crossing. All I have to do is go to the immigration office of the country that I’m leaving to get the exit stamp, then walk the 200 meters across the short bridge to the other country’s office and get my entry stamp.
Bus seats can be reserved online for routes starting from Loja in Ecuador to Piura in Peru, or vice versa.
From Piura, you can reserve tickets online to anywhere in Peru.
If you are arriving by some other means to Macará in Ecuador, you can reserve seats on buses from Macará to major cities in Ecuador like Loja, Guayaquil, and Quito.
Aguas Verdes (Ecuador-Peru Border Coastal Crossing)
Aguas Verdes is the official name of the border between Huaquillas, Ecuador, and Tumbes, Peru. This coastal route is the fastest, most popular, and most convenient to get to Máncora and other North Coast beach towns.
At this date, this is the only crossing over which there are international buses going either direction.
All international bus routes going south into Peru require you to board in Guayaquil. You cannot board any other place. Going north to Ecuador, however, you can board in Tumbes, Mancora, Trujillo, or Lima, but can only have a destination of Guayaquil.
If you are arriving in Huaquillas by crossing the border on foot, you can also reserve bus tickets online from Huaquillas to other cities in Ecuador like Machala, Cuenca, and Guayaquil.
For decades, this border crossing was to be avoided. No direct buses operated between the two countries. You would have to take a bus to the border, then a taxi across the sketchy zone between border posts. Anything could happen in that desert: robbery, bad money exchanges … and worse. It didn’t matter if you were locals or foreigners, the stories abound of loss and grief from crime at this crossing. Not really the case anymore.
Today, the Huaquillas border near the Pacific coast is much better! There is a direct service between Guayaquil and Mancora you can reserve online in fact, which will also go to other Trujillo and Lima.
All the buses stop at the new border post shared by both countries’ immigration services. You merely have to step off the bus, enter the office of the one country to get your passport stamped, then the desk of the other country, and board your bus waiting outside the door.
La Balsa (Ecuador Peru Border Jungle Crossing)
When I decided to go to Chachapoyas, Peru, I took the border crossing directly south of Vilcabamba, Ecuador. This is an adventuresome journey that takes at least two days, and Jaén is the best target destination for overnighting. Be aware that landslides (especially December-April) can cause delays.
The bus winds through the orchid-draped cloud forest, and offers an experience with more nature and less people than the other two. You can reserve a choice of four daily departures from Loja as far as Zumba, the last major town that is about 1 hour from the border.
For my shorter-segmented journey, I arrived in Zumba minutes before 12:30 p.m., just in time to catch the day’s last ranchera (an old-fashioned, open-sided bus with wooden benches) to La Balsa (1 hour, $3). To make it to Zumba in time for this last departure, you’ll need to take one of the late night buses from Loja, or plan on spending the night in Zumba and then catch one of the morning rancheras to La Balsa.
Immigration at the border crossing was painless, and I joined other travelers in a colectivo taxi to San Ignacio (2 hours, $7). From San Ignacio, you can reserve tickets online to Chiclayo, and from Chiclayo practically to any other place in Peru.
While still involving a lot of time, this route is the most convenient way to get from Ecuador to the fantastic eastern Peru destinations like Jaen, Chachapoyas, and Moyobamba.
The roads for this route have become increasingly modernized, given it has become more popular with travelers wanting the backroad into Peru to see Kuélap ruins and Gocta waterfalls near Chachapoyas. In Jaén, you can get combis, shared taxis, or buses to Bagua Grande, Chachapoyas, and on to other destinations.
For routes starting in Peru and wanting to go through the same crossing, just search for anything getting to San Ignacio (Peru). Then, follow the same advice given above about the colectivo from San Ignacio to the border at La Balsa. Get your exit and entry stamps on both sides of the bridge, then catch the waiting rancheras to Zumba.