Yes. You can smoke at José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) — outdoors only, landside, at the designated areas outside the terminal before security. The terminal itself is smoke-free, so light up before you clear the checkpoint.
José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport is the main gateway to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and busiest port, handling close to four million passengers a year across a single modern terminal that opened in 2006. It is also a key waypoint for the Galápagos Islands — mainland flights to the archipelago stop here to pick up passengers and refuel, so many island-bound travellers pass through GYE. Like Ecuador’s other public buildings, the terminal is entirely smoke-free.
Where to Smoke
Smoking at GYE is outdoors and landside only. Step outside the terminal building, before security, and use the open-air areas around the entrances, the departures forecourt and the drop-off lanes. The airport does not publish a dedicated smoking facility, so keep to the open air and stand clear of doorways and other travellers.
Guayaquil runs domestic and international traffic through one integrated terminal, so the outdoor frontage is easy to reach whether you arrive early for check-in or step out on arrival. Give yourself a few minutes to walk back in and rejoin the security line if you are flying onward.
Departures and After Security
There is no indoor smoking room and no airside terrace anywhere in the building. Ecuador’s health law bans smoking in enclosed public spaces with no exemption for airports, so the departures concourse, gates and lounges stay fully smoke-free from check-in through to boarding. Once you are past the checkpoint, there is nowhere to smoke until you leave the terminal — plan your last cigarette for the outdoor areas before you clear security.
Arrivals and Connections
On arrival, the outdoor frontage outside the baggage-claim exit is the first place you can smoke, landside. Connecting passengers cannot smoke without leaving the secure area: you must clear immigration and step outside to the open-air areas, then re-clear security before your onward flight. This applies to Galápagos connections too, so build the time into a tight layover rather than counting on an airside spot that does not exist.
Vaping
Vaping is treated the same as smoking under the indoor ban. Do not vape anywhere inside the terminal — use the same open-air areas outside the building, landside only, for both cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor (terminal) | No | Fully smoke-free; no indoor smoking room |
| After security / airside | No | No airside smoking area or terrace |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Open-air areas outside the terminal before security |
For Ecuador’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Ecuador airport guide.