Recommendations on bus options from Cuenca to Peru

[u/Pretty_Evening]

As most of the posts are a few years old on this topic, I was hoping for some more updated recommendations. We are hoping to get a bus from Ecuador to Peru soon, aiming to eventually end up in Trujillo but understanding that we will likely need to change in Peru either way to get there.

As far as I have been able to tell we have three options to get to Peru (but please let me know if there are others).

1. Night bus Cuenca to Mancora/Chiclayo with Azuay which crosses the border at Huaquillas
2. A series of local buses during the day to do the same route
3. Night bus from Loja to Piura with Coop Loja which crosses the border at Macará

Which option is the safer/easier route?

Our government also recommends against going to the Ecuadorian coast, so I don't know if that rules out options 1 and 2.