Manta…and points north…Ecuador

In our previous eight or so visits to Manta the region has grown on us.  Our first visit, at least six years ago, did not impress. But, as we began to explore further afield, we found more and more interesting places and sights that have given us a broader understanding of Ecuador’s coastal region.   

Having explored Manta, Montecristi—25 minutes inland; the southern coast—down to Agua Blanca, a fascinating archaeological site of the Mateño culture, which was probably the first people to see Francisco Pizarro’s ships sailing south toward Perú; and fishing villages in between, where the people survive on the sea’s bounty, much as they have done for millennia—we decided to head north and explore an area about which we knew nothing.

When I was here in April 2015 with my good friend, Mary Jo McConahay, we chanced on an excellent driver, Daniel Rojas, and I left with his email address.  Email exchanges confirmed that Daniel would be waiting for us outside the port’s gate and so he was.  Turns out he knows the area well and an uncertain day became a real treat. 

The highway north, except for a short stretch, is excellent—divided for a good part of the way.  To my surprise, once out of greater Manta we began seeing small farms with vegetables, corn, rice, and even young fruit orchards—either oranges or lemons.  Daniel turned off the highway onto a road in some need of repair but it cut straight through farm land—mostly rice—and we came upon a man in water up to his knees planting the thin stalks.  Further along there were fields that had already been harvested and others close to that point.  Opposite the planter a small rice processing plant’s machinery was rumbling, shooting out the husks into a 5m high pile and short-grain rice into bags at the other end, under cover. 

The husks—high in protein--were being shoveled into large sacks and loaded onto a truck. One 

worker told me that they were destined for chicken farms in Bahia, where we were headed. 

In contrast to the southern coast, which is almost all brown desert, this area is mostly green.  The deciduous Cebo tree revealed different micro-climates:  just north of Manta the trees had no leaves, but another 25 km. north, they were green and gorgeous. Even the trunks turn green!

Bahia sits on a peninsula at the mouth of the Rio Chone, with one side on the Pacific and the other along the river.  A 2 km. bridge, completed in 2011 by Ecuador’s Army Corps of Engineers, spans the river, which becomes an estuary rich in marine life.   

Across the bridge and 8 km. further north we arrived at our destination: the Corazon (heart) and Fragatas (Frigates) Islands Wildlife Refuge.  Isla Corazon is the village where the community has taken responsibility for preserving the eco-system of this part of the estuary.  They offer boat rides, usually in flat-bottomed boats propelled by oars along the shore and across the river to mangrove- covered Corazon Island which, under the community’s protection, has grown since 1998 from 53 hectares to over 350.

Partly because of the low tide and partly because of the effects of El Niño, the shore on both sides ranged from 10 to 20m wide.  A mangrove “tunnel” across Corazon Island is passable with high water but impossible on our visit. 

We opted for their one boat with a motor because sitting in that low, shallow boat for an hour was not physically possible.  It meant we couldn’t get as close to shore as we might otherwise have—but it also meant significantly less possibility of going into the drink with all my camera gear!

Don Alfredo was our knowledgeable guide and his sharp eye brought crabs and birds to our attention that we would have missed.  On Corazon Island they have constructed a 250m. boardwalk into the mangroves and low water meant seeing many crabs we would otherwise have missed.  Along the shore of the mainland and the island, several varieties of birds—many known, others a first sighting, kept my camera busy.  The most interesting sight—never before seen in my life:  pelicans roosting in trees. There were also ibises, egrets, herons, and 2-3 other varieties that I must identify.  Don Alfredo knew all of them but I had left my journal in the car.

Back at the village we headed to Bahia and a much-needed refreshment.  After trying several restaurants, we ended up at the new (6 months old) mall where the food court had mostly Ecuadorean vendors and one KFC. We chose a yogurt stand that made milkshakes with local fruits (peach, mora, strawberry and banana). 

Our thirst quenched, we headed back to Manta and a date with free Wi-Fi at a beachfront restaurant near the port.

I highly recommend Daniel Rojas as a knowledgeable driver in Manta.  If you are going to be in the city, write and I will send you his email address.  Current charge is $20.00/hour, which we thought a bargain after the $40/hour price in Panama City.  One reason:  gasoline in Ecuador is $1.49/gallon.