Hi Robert,
Bahia, as the town is commonly referred to, has a growing expat population. It’s a small coastal town and the portion on the peninsula (between the Chone River and the Pacific)is fairly clean and modern. In this section the only public transportation you’ll find are bicycle taxis, but there is a bus station in the inland section of the city.
The bus system in Ecuador is excellent with buses running nearly anywhere you would want to go at frequent intervals. The fares are more than reasonable as well.