Machala: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Machala is a city of 289,141 people in Ecuador (El Oro), 16 m (52 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Santa Rosa - Artillery Colonel Victor Larrea International Airport (ETR), 21 km (13 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Machala runs from about 11 h 58 min a day in late June to 12 h 21 min in late December (computed for -3.26° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Machala is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Santa Rosa - Artillery Colonel Victor Larrea International Airport (ETR), 21 km (13 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,625 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Captain Pedro Canga Rodríguez International Airport (TBP, 57 km).
Flights to Machala: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Machala · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Quito, 373 km — flights · buses · car rental
- Guayaquil, 118 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Cuenca, 114 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Piura, 227 km (Peru) — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Chiclayo, 391 km (Peru) — flights · buses · car rental
- Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 345 km — flights
- Ambato, 269 km — tours
- Portoviejo, 251 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Eloy Alfaro, 122 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Loja, 117 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Santa Tecla.
Common questions
Which airport serves Machala?
Santa Rosa - Artillery Colonel Victor Larrea International Airport (ETR), 21 km (13 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Machala?
About 289,141 people live in Machala, across 60 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Machala in?
America/Guayaquil, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Machala?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Machala?
Quito (373 km), Guayaquil (118 km), Cuenca (114 km), Piura (227 km), Chiclayo (391 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.