Mantaraya Lodge

MACHALILLA NATIONAL PARK        

It is time to discover the wonders of Machalilla National Park.  Located in the heart of the park, the village of Agua Blanca offers you the opportunity to admire the archeological remains of the one-time dominant Salango Chiefdom, which belonged to the Manteño civilizations. With the help of various organizations, the community of Agua Blanca (no larger than 400 inhabitants) has created several projects to rescue the archeological ruins and improve administration of their tourism activities.

ISLA DE LA PLATA    

Meet the yacht at Puerto Lopez pier, to explore the wonders at sea, as we head to Isla de la Plata. Isla de la Plata is an outstanding wildlife sanctuary for seabirds and other marine life.  Our sea adventure begins at Puerto Lopez's harbor where we embark a yacht. Navigation to the island may last about one and half hours. There are several activities you can complete during this full day tour.

 You can hike along trails on the island with our naturalist guide to learn more about the natural, geological and cultural history of Isla de La Plata. You can decide to take either the long or short trail.  There is also plenty of time to go snorkeling and observe an interesting marine ecosystem around Drake’s Bay. If you just want to swim and relax on the beach, you will have the opportunity to do so as well. A box lunch and water is offered during the excursion. In the afternoon, our boat will take us back to Puerto Lopez pier. Box Lunch included.

LOS FRAILES

The rocky cliffs, bays, and wide beaches of southern manabí are surely a luring attraction to anyone. That is why today’s tour is going to be at the pristine white sand beach of los frailes, which is one of the 3 major protected seashores of machalilla national park where the nesting of at least two species of sea turtles (hawksbill and green sea turtle) takes place each year between january and may. The 3 gorgeous beaches at los frailes are separated by tropical coastal scrub vegetation and eroded headlands.

The choices to get here are to walk through a natural trail that starts near the entrance road and ends at the main beach. This path cuts through deciduous scrubland and reaches the seashore, offering an exceptional coastline view and access to the three beaches. The hike lasts approximately 3 hours and offers the chance to observe different species of flora and fauna that inhabit the coastal scrub. Another way to get to the main beach is by car or bike. Once in Los Frailes, you can just relax and sunbathe, walk the natural paths and trails, reach the viewpoint for a beguiling view of the endless Pacific Ocean, swim in these warm equatorial waters, or maybe snorkel and enjoy the lively marine world down under. 

SALANGO:

Meet our guide at the lobby of the hotel who will bring you to the small fishing village of Salango. This small town, located south of Puerto Lopez, has an interesting archaeological museum with samples collected at different sites inside and out of Machalilla National Park. In addition, the museum exhibits in chronological order the archeological ceramic vestiges of cultures that inhabited coastal Ecuador over 5,000 years ago. 

HUMPBACK WHALE WATCHING, PUERTO LOPEZ

From Puerto Lopez pier, we offer Humpback Whale watching in Puerto Lopez, you will experience the most impressive natural spectacle.

Humpback whales migrate over 5.000 miles from Antartica to our warm waters between June and October. These amazon Humpback Wales can measure up to 52 feet and weighing over 30t tons. They choose Puerto Lopez and their mating and birthing grounds.

The tour last around 2H30-3H00 and you will observe the natural behavior of these incredible cetaceans, with jumps, tail slaps and loads of mothers with calves. Back to Puerto Lopez pier.