Hostal Maxima, Puerto López, Manabi, Ecuador Whale Watching

Spanish Version

Hostal Maxima, along with Isla Tours S.A. tour operator offer exclusive service to our guest in discovering Puerto López & Machalilla National Park, culture & ecology.

Daily tours are offered to the most popular destinations in and around Machalilla National Park, tours can include private transportation & experienced bilingual guides. . Please feel free to contact us to hostal_maxima@hotmail.com for any customized desired outdoor trips, we will be delighted to provide you all the information you need!.

Machalilla National Park, Puerto López Isla de la Plata & Whale Watching

Los Frailes" Reputed to be the most beautiful beach in Ecuador and the star of countless posters, is 10 minutes North of Puerto Lopez by bus. If you wish to test that reputation but aren't
planning to visit rest of the park you can buy a cheaper beach-only day ticket for USD 12
The bus drops you off at a signed turn off. From there it's a circular walk which takes
2-2.5 hrs. A 3.5-km trail winds down to the beach and leads across three separate beaches. The
first two are in smaller protected bays on either side of a headland. One has black sand and one
white. The third is the famous beach and deservedly so - it's a huge white sweep of sand framed
by forested cliffs. It's sparkling clean and has been protected from any form of human
construction. The big crabs rule here. From there it's a 2.5-km walk back on an unpaved road.
Los Frailes is well worth it.

Los Frailes (Machalilla National Park)

Whale Watching

Ecuador's whales are part of a population of Pacific humpback whales that reside in the southern hemisphere. These whales -- called ballenas jorobadas in Ecuador -- spend the months of June through September in the warm, tropical waters off Ecuador's west coast, mating, giving birth and caring for their calves. The months of October through May are spent near Antarctica, where the whales feed in cooler, nutrient rich waters.

Whale Watching (Puerto López Ecuador)

Isla de la Plata
The Isla is named after the silver that Sir Francis Drake allegedly stole from the Spanish and
buried there. To this day it's not been recovered but there's no harm in looking. Even if you
don't find hidden treasures it's well worth a visit. The Isla is generally considered to be a
cheaper alternative to Galapagos and is home to various must-see birds including frigates with big red pouches on their necks, boobies with blue feet, boobies with red feet, masked boobies, pelicans and a small nesting colony of waved albatrosses. There's also a resident group of sea lions.
The Isla is also a top spot for whale-watching, one of the primary sites in Ecuador for our
large blubbery friends. Humpback whales cruise in from the Antarctic between June and September to enjoy the warm Pacific waters. This time of year is mating season and the whales can be heard serenading and chatting to each other as they pair up. Despite being a favourite prey of whalers for centuries, humpbacks aren't particularly timid and if you're lucky you'll get a close up view.

Isla de la Plata (Poor mans Galopados)

Machalilla National Park encompasses 55,000 hectares of land and 2 offshore islands, Isla de la Plata and Isla Salango. It constitutes the last remnants of dry tropical forest in Ecuador and is home to a rich variety of birdlife as well as some reptiles and mammals.

A 5 day entrance pass to the Park, including the islands, costs $20 in the high season (May to September) and USD 15 at other times.

Agua Blanca
This is a small village inside the park which is home to another excellent archaeological museum.
It contains local ceramics, jewellery and domestic objects attributed to the Manteña
civilisation dating from 500 BC - 1500 AD.
You can get there independently by catching a bus to roughly 5 kms North of Puerto Lopez. From here there's a turn off and you walk 5 kms inland on an unpaved road. Alternatively various agencies in Puerto Lopez organise day trips with transport. From Agua Blanca there's an easy 45-minute walk to some pre-Inca ruins and guides can be hired in the village.

Agua Blanca (Natural springs to relax)

Hotel Maxima
Puerto López Manabi Ecuador
Calle Gonzales Suarez Y Av. Machalilla
Telefax (593) 099534282
E-Mail: hostal_maxima@hotmail.com
Ecuador – South America