2007/11/14

La Ruta del Sol

From Galapagos I was once more returning to Quito before taking the bus to the coast of Ecuador. I started my trip down along the coast (La Ruta del Sol) in Manta, not a very special town but with a nice and very clean beach. I only stayed there for one night before taking the bus to Puerto Lopez.
Puerto Lopez is a pretty seaside village and the starting point for visits to Parque Nacional Machalilla and Isla de la Plata. The vegetation and animals on the island are similar to the Galapagos islands and therefore it is also called Galapagos for the poor (the park entrance fee is only 15 dollars compared to 100 dollars on Galapagos plus you can do Isla de la Plata in one day).
In the Machalilla park you can visit Agua Blanca, an indigenous community where there is an archaeological site and a sulphur pool with therapeutic mud..... after such a mud bath you are supposed to look at least ten years younger, of course I had to try it!
Also in the park is Los Frailes beach, for many the nicest beach in Ecuador. Unfortunately the weather wasn't that great but I did take a short bath nevertheless.
After three days in Puerto Lopez I had about seen what there is to see and I therefore continued further south along the coast to Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city.




Los Frailes Beach

Agua Blanca with sulphur pool













Puerto Lopez and Isla de La Plata

Boat tour around the harbour of Manta









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