From Manglaralto to Pacoche and surroundings
Maria S.
The last article was about my experiences in the rainforest region during my visit to Ecuador this year. Today I would like to report on my stay on the coast, where I also got to know some new things.
Trip to Manglaralto and excursions in the surrounding area
As I do almost every year, I visited a couple of friends who live just outside Manglaralto. The quiet village is located directly on the coast, a little south of Montañita. Due to the barely noticeable but still valid state of emergency, I was advised to take the bus during the day. The nice thing about it was that you could admire the changing landscape. But the journey took so much longer than the night bus that I personally wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
If you are taking part in a guided tour or are traveling in a rental car, a stopover with an overnight stay, e.g. in Mindo or Quilotoa, is a good idea, depending on which route you choose and which coastal town you are heading for.
My trip was also a little longer because the roads suffered quite a lot from all the rain. This year there was a lot of flooding and heavy rain due to the El Nino phenomenon. As there was no bus from the town of Jipijapa to Manglaralto that evening, I had to spontaneously look for accommodation. I finally arrived at my friends’ house in Manglaralto for breakfast the next morning.
Later, we drove to the fishing village of Ayangue, which is located in a bay. I generally don’t like swimming in the ocean as I’m not a big fan of waves. But here the water is calm and warm and also quite clear – absolutely wonderful.
After the sun got a little too strong, and we were getting hungry, we each ate a typical coastal dish: encebollado, a spicy fish soup with onions and yucca, and corviche, which consists of a dough made from green plantain, fish and spices that is deep-fried.
We spent the evening drinking fresh pineapple juice on Manglaralto beach and watching the sun go down.
The next morning, we had a hearty breakfast in Montañita and strolled around the former fishing village, which has now developed into a party hotspot – at least at night. During the day, it’s nice to stroll through the streets, some of which are colorfully decorated, with their many stores, restaurants, cafés and hotels.
We said goodbye around midday and I continued my journey northwards. My destination was the area around Pacoche between San Lorenzo and Manta.
The coastal forest of Pacoche
The journey took about 3 hours with a change in Puerto Lopez. I got off at my accommodation, which was on the main road but surrounded by dense coastal forest. After quickly settling into my room in the beautiful bamboo building, I drove to San Lorenzo to get something to eat.
This turned out to be more difficult than expected, as even the restaurants in this pretty but somewhat sleepy fishing village close at around 5 pm. But I was still able to find a portion of patacones with cheese. As I had a lot planned for the next day, I went to bed early.
The next morning, I had my remaining patacones for breakfast and made my way to the entrance of the reserve, which was only a few hundred meters away from my accommodation. As this reserve is part of a large protected area (Refugio de Vida Silvestre y Marino Costera Pacoche) but is privately run, you have to pay an entrance fee. In return, however, you are led by an experienced guide. Unfortunately, only the first half of the trail was accessible due to a landslide. Nevertheless, I was able to see a lot of the flora and fauna in this area. Interestingly, there are many plants here that can also be found in the rainforest region. But there were definitely more mosquitoes than in the rainforest! It would have been unbearable without insect repellent.
The highlight of the tour was when we were able to observe a group of howler monkeys in the trees at the end of the walkable section of the trail. There were also some young animals among them.
At the edge of a passing stream, the guide drew my attention to a tiny frog that was even carrying its babies on its back (although I wouldn’t have been able to identify it as such).
On the way back, I saw some colorful lizards scurrying into the bushes, and we were able to observe a few birds.
Although the tour itself is neither particularly long nor very extensive, I can recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the coastal forest and observe monkeys and other animals at relatively close range.
Beach villages near Pacoche
After visiting the reserve, I took shared cabs to Santa Marianita beach, which my colleague Diego had recommended to me. The town is just a few minutes’ drive from Manta and is a popular destination for city dwellers. In recent years, many chic new summer and vacation homes have been built here. As it is very windy here, the place is popular for kitesurfing.
Along the beach, which is rather narrow, there are many restaurants serving fish dishes – at tourist prices. Further into the village, I found a restaurant that is also frequented by locals and where I was served a delicious vegetarian meal. I then drove on to explore San Mateo, the next larger town. The beach here was a little too crowded for me personally. So, I walked around the town a bit and was able to enjoy a beautiful view over the bay near the exit.
After this tour, I took a shared cab back to my accommodation.
San Lorenzo beach and lighthouse
I was actually quite exhausted from all the impressions and the heat. But I really wanted to take another good look at San Lorenzo, especially its wide beach. I had also heard something about a lighthouse. So I summoned up my energy once again and drove into the town. I walked along the beach to the foot of the hill with the lighthouse.
At the beginning of the steps leading up, a sign showed that the ascent and descent would take a total of 50 minutes. It was already after 5 p.m., but I took the challenge. Although the temperature had cooled down a little in the meantime, you didn’t notice it on the hill. The path was also a bit of an adventure, as some of the steps were missing or half-broken. Nevertheless, it was worth the effort. Sweating and wheezing and after a few breaks, which I also used to take photos, I reached the lighthouse. The views over the bay of San Lorenzo and the coastline beyond were simply breathtaking.
I think San Lorenzo could become one of my new favorite places on the coast. I walked back down quickly, as I wanted to get back to my accommodation in daylight if possible. It had only taken me a good 30 minutes in total.
The visit to the lighthouse was a somewhat strenuous but very rewarding end to my coastal tour. The next day I would again spend a lot of time on buses to get to my next destination – Mindo.
Are you also interested in the Ecuadorian coast? Some coastal towns are part of our individual tours. Of course, we are also happy to design a completely personalized trip according to your wishes. Just get in touch with us.
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