Manta.
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Overview

Manta is a major coastal city located in the Coastal Lowlands of Ecuador.

Understand

Manta is a commercial and vacation resort area and is the second largest seaport in Ecuador. The city's main industries include tuna fishing, canning, and processing; coffee and cocoa bean export; and crafting the tagua nut into artwork.

Get in

Bus service is readily available to most cities and towns.

Get around

Taxi service is inexpensive and you can get to most places from one to three dollars. You can also take buses throughout the city, but with an abundance of inexpensive taxis, that is the best option for a tourist. If you do not have exact change, taxi drivers conveniently will not be able to make change for you and will try to convince you to leave the change as a tip instead.

Understand

Between 1999 and 2009, Manta shared its airport with the U.S. Air Force in unison with Ecuador in strategic warfare against Colombian drug cartel traffic through surveillance flights in an effort to stop the flow of illegal narcotics. In 1996 a Boeing 707 cargo aircraft crashed into a wooden church located in Manta. It was reported that amazingly the statue of the virgin remained intact. Manta was also the host city for the sixth South American Windsurfing Championship in 1991.

Manta is located in a dry tropical forest area with an average annual temperature of 25° C (77° F). The area has a wide variety of climate zones attributed geographical characteristics of the area. During the year, there are two seasons; rainy, and dry. The rainy season is approximately six months long when it is hot and humid, and occurs from December to May. The dry season is approximately six months long and occurs during the months of June to November. It is warm but very low humidity.

Manta is a port city situated on a coastal plain. The outskirts of the city is a dry tropical forest area.

See

Manta hosts an International Theater Festival every year in September. There are sporting events from January through April.

Banco Central Museum. Displays ceramics from the pre-Columbian Huancavilca-Manteño era culture.

Do

The evenings is a hive of activity of partying people, loud music and meandering cars that form around the nearby side streets and main frontage of the Malecón that arcs around the bay. Bathed in constant ocean winds, the Malecón is always a pleasant and most refreshing area to walk in the evening and taking in the night breezes.

Fantasy Casino. Very nice casino operated by the Oro Verde Hotel. Traditional and video slot machines, Blackjack and poker tables, American Roulette. Drinks, beverages and snacks are available. Small dance floor with live entertainment on weekends.

Plaza Casino. Operated by the Howard Johnson Hotel. Traditional and video slot machines, Blackjack and poker tables, American Roulette. Drinks, beverages and snacks are available. The casino has a small mezzanine where bands play supplying the live entertainment on weekends.

El Murciélago. This is the most popular beach area in Manta. It has a wide variety of restaurants serving seafood and local dishes, bars and other attractions for fun and relaxation. Recreational aquatic sports such as surfing, diving, sailing, body-boarding, and fishing are enjoyed here as well. The beach is in the vicinity numerous hotels, retail stores, supermarkets, and banking facilities and automatic teller machines.

Barbasquillo. is a resort complex on Barbasquillo beach with a pool, sauna, gym and a disco. It has direct access to the an extensive beach. Horses are also available for riding on the beautiful beach.

La Tiñosa is 3-km long with sand dunes along with cactus three meters (10 ft) high, as well as varied wildlife species. This area is used for tourists rest and recreation. This beach is located a few kilometers from the parish San Mateo, and it is surrounded by mountains with a dry vegetation. Linguique is 50 minutes from the center of Manta, at a distance of 18 km (10 mi). It has interesting rocky areas; place where snails, octopus and lobsters are plentiful. From the high point, it offers the visitors the possibility to observe the sea in all directions in a beautiful panoramic view. The people in this area are devoted to fishing and agriculture. San Lorenzo is from Manta. It is known for its diverse rock formations, caves, marine birds and the Island of the Silver. The months of June to September you can take in the incredible sight of hunchback whales as they pass from the north to south. San Lorenzo's forest, with an extension of 50 hectares, was declared a protected area to avoid its deterioration as an ecological area. Popular activities include surfing, sunbathing and whale-watching. The climb to the light house is amazing and often accompanied by views of blue-footed boobies. Santa Marianita is in a rural area about 10 miles west of Manta. The perfect area for the capture of marine species. This beach invites the visitors to enjoy the warm waters enjoying the tranquility of this area. San Mateo is a thriving fishing village located on a cliff overlooking the sea west of Manta. The locals are very friendly, and a bit tipsy after a good catch. San Mateo is also known among surfers as the longest wave in Ecuador. The competition is stiff out on the water; the locals can be territorial. Tarqui is a park of the shellfish where delicious local foods are prepared for your enjoyment. On this beach you can participate in recreational aquatic sports such as surfing, diving, sailing, body-boarding, and fishing, along with other outdoor sports such as beach soccer; and volleyball. It is located on the coastal highway midway between the airport and Manta. It can be identified by the large wooden fishing boats in various stages of construction. With the boat construction at this location, it has been nicknamed 'Noah's Ark Beach' by some tourists.

Buy

Paseo Shopping Mall. is a western-styled modern shopping mall including clothing shops, a supermarket, banks and automatic teller machines, movie theater, and food court.

Eat

Manta has an amazing selection of fresh seafood. You can find fish, shrimp, octopus, calamari, clams, mussels, prawns, lobsters, crabs and scallops that are especially fresh and cheap. Ceviche and viche de pescado are traditional tropical dishes in Manta. Fresh coconut juice is always available on the beach, and other delicious fresh fruit juices and smoothies are available on the malecon.

Martinica. Italian and Ecuadorian typical. Really great food!

El Resero. Argentinian food, cheap and great service

For the more experienced traveler, there are many good restaurants along the beach (see above) which are a bit cheaper. Most food is well-prepared and safe for tourists to eat.

Drink

The city water supply is contaminated with mercury and other contaminants. Drink bottled water only and do not use ice in drinks either.

Iced coconut water (agua'e coco) is very popular due to the hot temperatures. It is freshly extracted from the coconuts in front of you, and it tastes really good.

Manta offers many places to have a great time, many of them in the main street called "Flavio Reyes."

Black Daddy One of the famous clubs in Manta, offers good drinks and good music. West End The best place to party. It's a karaoke-bar with the newest songs available to sing and dance that turns into a dance club late at night. Conga The cheapest club in Manta. It offers Latin music such as reggaeton, merengue and salsa as well as electronic music. Krug If you want to have a good time in a bar, Krug is the place. Krug is an outdoor bar with a lively scene.

Sleep

Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Manta Ecuador.

Hotel Costa Verde. Has a boutique pool and calm atmosphere.

Learn

Surpacifico Spanish Language School. This school has various Spanish programs such as Spanish and surfing.