Manabí Province

The community of Agua Blanca is located 12 km (7.5 miles) from the town of Puerto López in the Machalilla parish, at an altitude of 80 meters (262 feet) above sea level. To get there one can hire a light truck through a secondary road.

A twenty-minute hike through a dry forest that is home to a great diversity of bird species is the waiting room to arrive at the famous sulphur lagoon, known for its curative properties.

The community has built a site museum of archeological vestiges of the Manteño culture. The Manteña- Huancavilca culture (9500 to 1500 BC) was the last pre-Columbian culture at the site, a culture based on agriculture, fishing and navigation.

The community of Agua Blanca, descendants of the Manteña culture, offer lodging in rustic cabanas, a camping area and a restaurant, as well as guided tours through the in-situ museum, hikes thru the dry forest, bird watching, and bathing at the curative sulphur lagoon.

Community based Tourism: Experience Ecuador from within

This section is a contribution of the Ministry of Tourismto the development of community-based tourism

Community-based tourism offers the opportunity to live a full intercultural relationship while contributing to the conservation of cultural traditions.  Moreover, it should represent an important tool for the sustainable development of communities.

Ecuador is home to more than 20 native cultures. This variety is strongly tied to the natural diversity of the country. Most native communities maintain a close relation with their natural surroundings, in ecosystems as intricate as the rainforest and other tropical forests, unique wetlands and mangroves. In the Andes, several native cultures have preserved their cultural values and lifestyles for centuries, which are strongly tied to Mother Earth.

Communities become hosts, and many are open to share their local festivities, traditional handcrafting, their knowledge of medicinal plants, amongst other cultural manifestations. Moreover, they have developed additional activities for tourists to enjoy, such as hikes, horseback riding, birdwatching, and fishing.

Step off the beaten path and allow the native communities to be your hosts!

For more information contact the Ecuador Plurinational Federation of Community-Based Tourism (FEPTCE): Quito (02) 2509 907, Otavalo (06) 2926 814, Cuenca (07) 2844 538, Tena (06) 2888 479, Riobamba (03) 2951 996

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