Ecuadorian Coast
Tropical Pacific coast: the port city of Guayaquil, whale watching at Machalilla and Los Frailes beach, and the surf town of Montañita.
This region corresponds to the Coast region of Ecuador's official "four worlds." Taken by whole provinces, it includes seven: Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, Los Ríos, El Oro and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (officially classified as Coast). It covers the lowlands west of the Andes and the Pacific shoreline. Highlights: Guayaquil, the country's largest city and port, has the riverfront promenade Malecón 2000 and the hill of Cerro Santa Ana in the colorful Las Peñas district, and serves as a transit point for the Galápagos. In Manabí, Machalilla National Park has the perfectly curved bay of Los Frailes beach; from Puerto López, boats head out to Isla de la Plata, nicknamed the "poor man's Galápagos," to see blue-footed boobies, and from Jun to Sep you can also watch humpback whales breach. In Santa Elena province, Montañita is a well-known surf and backpacker town in South America, while Salinas is a seaside resort for city dwellers. Montecristi in Manabí is the birthplace of the Panama hat. In the north, the Esmeraldas area has Afro-Ecuadorian culture and mangroves. A classic route is 1–2 days in Guayaquil, then north along the "Ruta del Sol" coastal highway to Montañita and Puerto López, for 5–7 days in total. You can fly in and out via Guayaquil or Manta airports, and frequent long-distance buses run between coastal towns. Note that security in some cities and ports has been poor in recent years; use reputable transport, avoid going out alone at night, and check the latest safety advisories before traveling.