Puerto López

There are many things you can do in Ecuador, anything you might enjoy you’ll probably find it somewhere within our beautiful country, but the main selling point Ecuador has it’s that is full of adventure. Here you can do things you’re not going to be able to do anywhere else in the world. Following that line of thought, I have to tell you about a place where adventure waits for you around every corner: Puerto López.

Whale Watching

First, I want to tell about what is easily the most exciting activity you can find in Puerto López, whale watching. Every year, thousands of humpback whales travel to the Ecuadorian coast in search for warm water so they can reproduce. They stay in Ecuador for about four months, from June to September, and it is in this time when you need to be here to witness this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

I went to see them a couple of years ago with my friends, and I can only describe it as something everybody should see at least once. It’s a very powerful experience, to be sitting in a boat, knowing this massive animal could flip your boat at any second, but chooses not to. Before you get scared, whales don’t do this, ever. They are pretty much the definition of a gentle giant, they are not aggressive animals. Once you are on that boat, and you see this huge shadow in the water you just know they could even sink your boat, very quickly. It’s such an amazing learning experience really, when you’re with animals that could potentially end your life, and yet, they don’t. Even with all the harm animals have suffered from humans all of these years, invading their habitats, hunting them to near extinction, even sometimes selling them or just hurting them for no reason; they hold no grudge against us. Even though they are so powerful, they would never do to us what we do to them, yet we’re supposed to be the smarter creature. Watching these animals in their natural state is breathtaking, and it’s something I would do as much as I can. Specially considering climate change and the fact that so many species are in danger.

Now, what you need to know if you want to pay the whales a friendly visit is the following: If you’re scared of the ocean, boats or anything like this, I do not recommend taking this tour. You will be stuck in a boat for hours. Also, if you get sea sick, don’t be sad, there are many things you can do about that, for example, I take a pill for it every time I’m about to get on a boat, but be careful with the drowsy kind, that wasn’t the first time I fell asleep sitting up because of the side effects.

Don’t forget to pack:

• Sunscreen even if the day is cloudy, wear sunscreen. Ecuador’s sun is very strong, it can burn you even if it’s cloudy, we call this “resplandor”.
• Hat or cap
• Travel towel
• Waterproof jacket, it gets cold out there, specially on the way back.
• Bathing suit, most tours includes a small detour to bathe and maybe snorkel in a reef nearby, it’s amazing.
• Waterproof phone case or anything that protects your phone from the water splash the boat gets.
• If you get particularly cold like me bring extra warm things like socks, or maybe a pair of joggers.

Finding somewhere to book your tour is the easiest thing in the world, most hotels can either book the tour for you or point you towards a safe place. You could also book an Airbnb, some hotels double as touring agencies, so they will be happy to help you even though you’re not staying with them. I recommend setting aside a couple of days for Puerto López, since there is so much to see. Whale watching only takes a half day, but you will be pretty tired after. The sun and ocean wind tires you more than you think, so I recommend leaving a whole day for this tour.

Machalilla National Park

Machalilla National Park is one of Ecuador’s many protected areas. It was made to not only protected the natural habitat of many plant species and animals, but to protect the culture of the ancient people who settled there many, many years ago.

Los Frailes

Now this is a beach for people who like to explore. To get there, you have to work for it a little bit, but trust me, it’s worth it. Los Frailes is considered one of Ecuador’s most beautiful beaches, and once you see it you’ll understand why. You can grab a bus from the Puerto López Terminal, pay $0.50 and after 10 – 15 minutes you will be at the entrance. Mind you, after getting here you will have to either pay a “moto taxi” a few bucks to take directly to the beach, or you can hike 2.5 kilometres to get there. Also, don’t forget the beach closes at 16:30, so you should be heading out and making sure you have a ride before that.

This is a perfect place to spend your day swimming, snorkeling, reading a book, tanning, or whatever you enjoy doing at the beach. It also has an overlook where you can see the whole beach. Ecuador might fall short of somethings, but it will never fail at giving you breathtaking views, trust me on this.

Isla de la Plata

Another thing you should do while staying in Puerto López is get yourself on a tour to Isla de la Plata, specially if you enjoy hiking and bird watching. This is protected ground as well, so there’s a limit on how many people they allow at the same time, I recommend booking a tour with time. Here you will find special bird species like the Blue-footed, Red-footed, and Nazca Boobies as well as the pretty amazing Frigate Bird.

This is also a great spot for people who enjoy diving and snorkeling. Snorkeling might be complicated because in windy days with cloudy weather the water is a little murky, but if you choose the right day, you could have an amazing day. Divers really like this spot, specially between June and September, when Manta Rays are migrating and they get to chance to swim along these beautiful animals. If you’re lucky enough you might also be able to see other amazing sea animals like turtles or maybe even whales.

Agua Blanca

If you like to immerse yourself in the culture of the places you visit, this place is a must. Just outside of Puerto López, it has a small entrance fee, but it includes a visit to a museum, a tour of the grounds and a swim in a sulfur lagoon where you can cover yourself with mud from the bottom of the lagoon, which spoiler alert will do wonders on your skin.

There is also a lot to see archaeologically wise, this place was the home to many cultures over the years, including Valdivia, Machalilla, Chorrera, Bahia, Guangala and Manteña. Most of these cultures lived there thousands of years b.C., way before the Incas settled in Ecuador and Peru. Included in the entrance fee is a tour to an archaeology site, where you can see the things our ancestors left behind.

If you’re an avid birdwatcher, you can not miss Agua Blanca, at site you can find over 270 bird species. Some of them, endemic to this protected national park. Some of the worthy mentions are the Whooping Motmot, the Peruvian Screech Owl, the Streak-headed Woodcreeper, the striking Vermillion Flycatcher, the Golden-Olive Woodpecker and the Pale-legged Hornero. If you’re primary interest is bird watching, I recommend booking a private tour before hand, because the tours included are for large groups of people, and some of them might want to move a little faster.