The Ecuadorian Pacific coast and western lowlands locally
known as "la costa" is formed by the following
densely populated provinces, from north to south: Esmeraldas,
Manabí, Los Ríos, Guayas and El Oro. The Coast
covers about 70'000 qkm, less than one third of the surface
of Ecuador, but 50 % of the population live in this region,
mainly in and around the city of Guayaquil, the pulsing
and modern major business and economic center and main port
of Ecuador.
The region’s climate varies from hot and arid on
the Sta. Elena peninsula to hot and humid in the alluvial
plains and interiors between Esmeraldas and the gulf of
Guayaquil. The average temperature is 24°C (18ºC to
30ºC); the climate is very much influenced by the ocean
currents El Niño (warm) and Humbold (cold). The warm
and humid rainy season (winter) lasts from December to May,
and the cooler und less humid dry season (summer) from June
to December.
This influence has led to three dominant ecosystems on
the coastline: the tropical rain forest in the north, tropical
savannas and cloudforest in the center and southwest, and
a dry forest on the peninsula of Sta. Elena. Also worth
mentioning are the inlets and the tidial areas along the
coast where mangrove forests and marine environmennts provide
a habitat ideal for fish and shell fish. The lay out of
shrimp farms on a large scale in the late eighties, far
to often right in the mangrove forests, has provided profit
and employment on a short term but it has also caused the
destruction of huge mangrove areas. Now governmental and
private initiatives work on conservation of the mangrove
swamps and control of the shrimp industry.
Many national parks and protected areas provide endless
opportunities for ecoadventurers and travellers: Cayapas-Mataje
Ecological Reserve, Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve, Machalilla
National Park, Manglares-Churute Ecological Reserve, Puyango
Petrified Forest and Santa Clara Wildlife Refuge. >>
more protected areas
In June giant humpback whales arrive from the cold waters
of the Antarctic to mate and reproduce in the warmer waters
right in front of the ecuadorian coast. Here these noble
animals sing and dance to the enchantment of their impressed
onlookers, untill October when they head back to the polar
waters of the Antarctic.
In the interior of the coastal lowlands agriculture and
stock-farming are important activities. Crops as bananas,
rice,soybean, sugar, cotton, tobacco, coffee, cacao, tropical
fruits are produced for both export and domestic markets
and it seams that timber will be important too in the near
future..
More than 1,000 km of coastline with wonderful beaches,
cliffs, lovely bays, national parks and protected areas
and a well-developed tourist infrastructure along the coast
offer excellent opportunities to relax and entertain in
a tropical paradise. Whale watching, eco touring and comunity
tourism are the booming activities of recent years. Recreational
activities such as surfing, jet-skiing, windsurfing, scuba
diving, paragliding, fishing and all kind of water sports
are also offered and affordable.
Discover the Coast, its beautiful virgin fishermen's beaches
and modern cities, its pre-columbian culture and archaeology,
its protected forests with our selected tour operators,
lodges and beach hotels. Whether you're looking for an adventure
tour, rainforest or cloudforest hikes and expeditions, whale
watching, birdwatching and wildlife observation tours, community-based
ecotourism programs, an eco-lodge or a luxury beach hotel
with steaming hot showers and a gourmet restaurant next
to the turqouise blue pool, - these serious and experienced
operators hotels have exactly what you are looking for.
