Manta Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

If you happen to be driving along the central Pacific coast 80 mi/130 km northwest of Guayaquil, a stop in Manta, Ecuador, offers a pleasant few hours.

A busy harbor town, Manta offers the Banco Central Museum (ancient Amerindian artifacts), an artisan market in Plaza Civica, an old wooden church and a picturesque fishing harbor.

The surrounding countryside of Manta has pristine beaches, backed by lush, rolling hills covered in orchards and cotton plantations. The sea has a dangerous undertow there, but the conditions December-April are right for surfing and international windsurfing competitions.

Don't miss Parque del Marisco, which translates as Seafood Park and offers fresh seafood and ceviches from stalls right on the beach at Playa Tarqui.

Nearby Portoviejo offers the museum Casa de la Cultura and botanical gardens.

Location

Shore Excursions

Shore excursions often include a small city tour with a visit to the archaeology museum, but then venture to nearby destinations. Montecristi, 6 mi/11 km west of Manta, is the home of the so-called Panama hat. See how these famous straw hats are made, find out why they were misnamed and browse a showroom for one to take home. Another regional craft is ivory nut carving. The nuts of the Tagua palm resemble ivory and are used to make crafts. Travelers visit ivory nut factories and showrooms for the creations.

For an experience of Ecuador's rich natural environment, take an excursion to the Pacoche Wildlife Reserve, home to more than 250 species of birds and a variety of orchids and other flora. A tour typically includes a craft demonstration with toquilla palm straw being used to make Panama hats and ivory nuts being carved.

From late June to early October, hundreds of humpback whales come to the warmer waters off Ecuador's shores to give birth. During this time, whale-watching is a very popular activity. Manta has some local tours, but Puerto Lopez, the most popular launch point for such a day cruise, is a bus ride south of the city. Excursions there often include a trip to Isla de la Plata (the "poor man's" Galapagos) and Machalilla National Park.