Where the green beaches meet the sea

Guayaquil-Rodrigo Salas

Beautiful beaches are numerous when traveling along the Ecuadorian Pacific coast. Alongside ports, fishing villages, and modern cities, dense protected forests grow with their gigantic and moist terracotta roots. The tallest mangroves in the world (64 meters / 194 feet) are found in the Majagual forest in the Cayapas-Mataje Ecological Reserve. In Machalilla National Park, the sea, virgin beaches, and forests combine with the history of pre-Incan cultures.

The waters around Isla de la Plata are a paradise of multicolored fish and the island’s fauna is similar to that found on the Galapagos Islands. From Puerto López, you can see the humpback whales (Megaptera ovaeangliae) that arrive from the Antarctic waters to mate between June and October of each year.

Sample Coast itinerary: Five days

Isla de la Plata-Jens Kinckmeier

1st day: Tour of Guayaquil

– Visit the city of Guayaquil, one of the most important ports of the Southern Pacific in South America. Walk along the new and renovated riverfront promenade “Malecón 2000”, with a beautiful view of the Guayas River. Along the promenade, there are stores, restaurants, museums and an IMAX theater. Climb up the stairs leading to the top of Santa Ana Hill through the old and traditional neighborhood of Las Peñas. From the Faro (lighthouse) at the top, you can enjoy a great view of the city. In the afternoon, visit the Historical Park, the Botanic Garden, or the Cerro Blanco Nature Reserve. In the evening, enjoy a boat trip along the Guayas River and admire the colors of the city.

2nd day: Guayaquil – Cocoa plantations – Salinas

– Early morning departure for the Ruta del Cacao (Cocoa Route) in the southwest for a visit to one of the cocoa-producing haciendas, where you will learn about the cocoa production process and try delicious Ecuadorian chocolate. Later on, travel to Salinas, a prosperous and modern city with an ideal beach for practicing water sports, such as jet skiing, windsurfing, diving, and sport fishing.

3rd day: Salinas – Machalilla National Park

– In the morning, travel along the coastal road via the beaches of the “Ruta del Sol.” Here, you will pass through impressive coastal landscapes and see fishing villages and places such as Punta Carnero, ideal for amateur fishing, and Montañita, internationally renowned for surfing. Visit the Salango Museum, where the remains of pre-Colombian cultures are displayed. Arrive in Puerto López, where you can stay in one of the beachfront lodges or hotels at the entrance of Machalilla National Park.

4th day: Isla de la Plata – Machalilla National Park

– Visit the Isla de La Plata, where you will see species of bird and fauna that are very similar to the zones found on the Galapagos Islands. Because of this, the island is known as the “mini Galapagos” or "the poor man's Galapagos" and is also an ideal place for scuba diving and snorkeling. Between June and October, you can see the humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) that arrive each year to mate. In the afternoon, swim in the emerald-colored waters of los Frailes beach before returning to your hotel.

5th day: Machalilla National Park – Manta – Guayaquil / Quito / Bahía

– Discover Montecristi, where Panama hats are made. Then visit the beach in Manta, where you can stay in a good beachfront hotel before catching a flight the next day to Quito or returning to Guayaquil. From Manta, visitors can also extend their stay on the coast and head north to the city of Bahía de Caráquez, the ecological city of the Ecuadorian coast.

(Ministry of Tourism)