10 BEST BEACHES, BEACH TOWNS & RESORTS COAST ECUADOR & QUITO

10 Best beaches of Ecuador near Quito at Ecuador's Coast

10 BEST BEACHES & BEACH TOWNS & RESORTS IN ECUADOR AND QUITO: GREAT MANGROVES & NATIONAL PARKS & other fabulous places along the coast of Ecuador

Ecuador's coast has a variety of very different landscapes, which include, beaches, mangroves, humid tropical rainforests in the north, that gradually turn into dry forests as one travels from the North to the South.

Beaches vary in quality and popularity, while fishing villages occur all along the coast. The proper coast plays a significant role in Ecuador's economy for its fisheries, its shrimp farms and beach tourism.

The inland however consists of an agricultural economy, varying from small-holders agriculture to large scale rice farming in the Guayas; however, most farmers are poor smallholders.

The climate is hot and humid, with temperatures averaging 25 degrees C to 31 degrees C. The rainy season last from December to May, with a higher humidity. The dry season is a little less humid but often the air is not really dry either.

The provinces along Ecuador's coastal are: Esmeraldas, Manabi, Guayas, and El Oro, with the 10 best beaches, beach towns & resorts of Ecuador near Quito & Guayaquil at Ecuador's coast are in Guayas Province, which is only 45 minutes away by airplane.

10 Best Beach towns Ecuador near Quito and Guayaquil

Montañita, Santa Helena

Ecuador's most popular beach among young people is no doubt Montañita. It is a small coastal town located in the Parrish of Manglaralto in the province of Santa Elena about 180 kilometers northwest of Guayaquil. Translated as "little mountain", it became famous very slowly, decades ago, as a place only for surfing, with only a few rustic fishermen houses and one or two surfers tent on summer time. In 1960, Montañita was the place where many foreign people linked with the hippie movement became enamored and decided to settle permanently. A popular destination for surfers from around the world and considered one of the best beaches in Ecuador's south coast. Now popular for smoking marihuana, which is something we very strongly warn against, as it is illegal and too many tourists have ended up in one of the infamous prisons of Guayaquil.

Playas of Salinas

Salinas is one of Ecuador's most popular and mundane beaches. It is characterized by high-rise condos that along the boulevard and the beach. It is one of the nearest Ecuador beachtowns near Guayaquil.

Puerto López

Puerto López is a beachtown that has the perfect blend of relaxation and fun. It's beachfront cabins will make you feel you are in paradise. You can take tours to the Island of La Plata and also admire the mating of the humpback whales (during the season); a ritual of great love. In addition, near Puerto López is the beach of Los Frailes, within the Machalilla National Park. On this beach of calm waters and white sand, you can also explore forests and trails.

Machalilla National Park

Machalilla National Park is in the Manabí province on Ecuador's central coast. Offshore, Isla de la Plata is known for its marine birds and migratory humpback whales. Near Puerto López town, secluded Los Frailes Beach shelters nesting sea turtles. In the park's tropical dry forest, Agua Blanca village has a sulfur lake. Farther inland, the cloud forest in the Chongón-Colonche mountains is home to toucans and monkeys. It is also home of Ceiba trichistandra, the coastal Ceibo of Ecuador, is found in drier forests of the Pacific coast of Ecuador and Peru, although predominantly in Ecuador. It grows in the park but is far more common outside of the park and one often sees it along the highway.

This park is one of the country's first protected areas. Its early declaration in 1979, in the beginning of the National System of Protected Areas of Ecuador reveals the importance of the area and the importance of protecting its ecosystems. Its ecosystems include arid and semi-dry forests and the coastal ecosystems of South Manabi. Its name comes from the Machalilla culture, one of the most important pre-Hispanic cultures of the coastal region, who lived in this area for 800 years (1800 BC - 1000 AD) Culture.

Inside the park and surrounding areas there are archaeological sites from various cultures, from Valdivia more than 5000 years ago to the Manteña - Huancavilca culture, 500 years ago. The park is full of evidence of the ancient inhabitants of Manabi. The protected area includes beaches, several near the waterfront as Salango, Horno de Pan, Sucre, Pedernales and El Sombrerito, and also the famous Isla de la Plata. Machalilla National Park also as the most pristine beach and therefore the best beach of  Ecuador's Pacific coast.

Atacames

Atacames in the province of Esmeraldas in Northern Ecuador is one of the most popular beaches in Ecuador. You will find a wide range of bars, juice stands, ice cream parlors, cevicherías and more. The postcard that makes Atacames unique is to see in its background the rock that adorns its horizon, like a mole on a mouth. It's the Isla del Sól Island, the nearby beach. During Francisco Pizarro's second conquest in 1526, he landed at Atacames. There he was unable to conquer or invade the land due to the resistance that he found in the local people who were at that time under the Incas.

Guayaquil

Guayaquil is a port city in Ecuador, known as a gateway to Pacific beaches and the Galapagos Islands. Stretching along the Guayas River is the waterfront Simón Bolívar promenade, home to La Rotonda monument. In the north, Las Peñas is a neighborhood full of colorful houses. Stairs lined with cafes and art galleries lead up Santa Ana Hill, site of Santa Ana chapel, a lighthouse and views of the city.

Ecuador Coast

Bahía de Caráquez

Bahía de Caráquez, officially known as San Antonio de Caraquez and founded under the name of Villa de San Antonio de la Bahía de Caráquez or simply known today as Bahía, formerly called Bahía de los Caras during the period of the Spanish conquest, is a coastal city belonging to the Sucre county, in the Ecuadorian Province of Manabí The city is located on a sandy peninsula on the country's western coast at the mouth of the Río Chone and has considerable tourism infrastructure that positions it as the main regional town. It has seen significant development during the last 15 to 20 years, particularly because it has become a vacation destination for people from Quito and Guayaquil. The city is located one hour north of the city of Manta.

Bahía de Caráquez is a relatively small but friendly and among the coast of Ecuador at the peninsula of the mouth of the Chone Rive with its beaches.

Corazón & Fregatas Mangrove Reserve

Isla Corazón is an island of mangroves, with a natural shape that resembles that of a heart, 1 that has more than 50 hectares1 of surface and is located in the estuary of the river Chone of the city of "Bay of Caráquez", in The coastal province of Manabí in Ecuador. The island is deserted and constitutes a nesting site for one of the largest frigate colonies in the Pacific Ocean along with a number of other bird species.3 The island was expanded thanks to the efforts of mangrove restoration of local fishermen And was named National Wildlife Refuge soon after. This group of fishermen began Tours or tours to Isla Corazón and now they travel by canoe through the mangrove ecosystem, leaving from Puerto Portovelo.

The islands of Corazon and Fragatas are localted close to the outlet of the Chone river, offshore from the cities of Bahia de Caraquez and San Vicente. The refuge protects the remaining mangrove habitat that is within this estuary. The area is a resting and nesting site for seabirds and shorebirds, among which we find an important colony of frigatebirds. Due to its ease of access and its relative proximity to the beach, it has become a preferred destination for recreational activities. The tour through its canals and hikes among the mangrove will allow you to understand why this area is considered refuge for many species.

Cherute Mangrove Reserve

The Cherute mangrove reserve is one of the southernmost mangrove and semi-humid lowland forest reserves. Both mangrove birds and forest mammals, particularly Howler Monkeys are common in the reserve.

In the Gulf of Guayaquil, freshwater rivers that descend from the mountains converge with the salt water from the sea; together they form the largest estuary of the Pacific coast of South America, where you'll find the largest area of mangroves in Ecuador's estuaries.

Towards the south of the region are the Churute mangroves, Ecuador's first protected mangrove area.

Besides the mangroves, the reserve also protects arid ecosystems and cloud forest ecosystems located in the hills of the Cordillera Churute.

The reserve is home to many wildlife species, some endangered such as as the Canclón, an aquatic bird that lives in a lake of the same name, and a coastal crocodile, which has already disappeared in other parts of the coast.

Because of the diversity and the expanse of wetlands that the reserve protects, the reserve in 1990 was declared a Ramsar site, an internationally recognized wetland of importance.

Cayapas Mataje mangrove reserve

The reserve protects the mangroves that grow in the estuary that incorporates the rivers Cayapas and Mantaje in the north of the Esmeraldas province; in doing so it safeguards both the area's high biodiversity and the many traditions of the communities and ancient peoples in the surrounding area, who rely on the mangroves the mangroves for their livelihood. Within this protected area there are records of mangrove trees of up to 60 meters tall; considered the largest in the world. The mangroves thrive here as result of abundant nutrients and the stability of the climate, which enjoys a small annual temperature range. You will not find many beaches however, along the mangrove coast of Ecuador, as the mangroves have sediment loaded water, which settles like mud, not like sand.

ECUADOR COAST: BEST BEACHES, BEACH TOWNS & RESORTS NEAR QUITO