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The Ecuadorian Coast extends from the western slopes of the Andes to the Pacific Ocean. A lower mountain range crosses this region from North to South and it is full of alluvial plains. The Ecuadorian Coast was populated by the oldest known cultures of the country, such as Valdivia (3.5001.800 BC). Ever since then, the region has had the largest agricultural development in the country, thanks to the variety of natural resources such as water, wide plains and fertile soils. The Ecuadorian Coast holds three main ecosystems: the tropical wet forests of the north, the tropical savannas of the center and south east, and the dry forest of the west and southern peninsula. Throughout the coastline there are three additional important ecosystems: the mangroves, the beaches and the rock cliffs.
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Two oceanographic phenomena influence the diversity that is found in the country and especially on the coast. The “El Niño” current comes from the North and is warm and humid. The “Humboldt” current comes from the south and is cold and dry. The weather in the Coast is mostly warm; however, there are two seasons, wet and dry. The first is warm and humid, and goes from December to May. The rest of the year is dry and cooler. The two seasons are clearly distinct from the
province of Manabi to the rest of the South. The northern province of Esmeraldas has warm weather all year long, and high levels of rainfall; thus its lush vegetation. During the months of the austral winter (June to October), the Ecuadorian coast has an additional attraction: the presence of Humpback whales (Megapter novoaengliae) that migrate from the Antarctic to tropical waters to mate and give birth to their calves. A favorite spot for whale-watching is the Machalilla National Park in the Manabi Province. The old road from Quito to the coast, the Calacali -La Independencia road, passes through some of the best bird-watching territory in the coun-
try. The other route from Quito is through Santo Domingo de los Colorados, set amid a broad sea of banana and oil-palm plantations, skirting a few tropical wet forests such as the little-explored Reserva Ecológica Mache-Chindul. It is home to the “Tsachilas”, an indigenous culture also called “Colorados” because the men of this culture have painted their hair red for centuries with a vegetable dye taken from the seed of the “achiote”. From Santo Domingo a network of paved roads connects to the major coastal centers of the country. From Guayaquil, you can begin a route through the coastline. The following pages will guide you through this route of beautiful beaches, culture and adventure. PHOTO: CRISTINA CASTRO