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Tourist Places to Visit in Mindo, Ecuador, America

Mindo is a small town situated in the canton of Los Bancos in Pichincha province of Ecuador between 0°03′04.29″ S latitude and 78°46′41.89″ W longitude, around 215 km northwest of both provincial and national capital, Quito and 365 km northeast of Guayaquil, the largest city of Ecuador.

Mindo is located within the Mindo-Nambillo Protected Forest famous for population of around 400 species of birds, 170 orchid species and 40 butterfly species.

Mindo also attracts adventure sport lovers along with nature lovers for its zip lining and inter tubing activities. Mindo is also famous for waterfalls and traditional bamboo houses.

 

Geography of Mindo:

The elevation of Mindo ranges from 1200 to 4780 meters and temperature ranges from 15 °C–24 °C. The driest months run from May to September.

 

Connectivity to Mindo:

Buses from Quito depart from Terminal Terrestre Norte to Mindo, charging $2.50 each way, catered by Flor de Valle and many other renowned bus companies. Tourists can also board a taxi from Quito but it is expensive.

During peak season from July to October, there are many tour operators offering day trips to Mindo from Quito.

Mindo is served by Mariscal Sucre International Airport located in Tababela, around 245 km away from Mindo. MSIA has connection with most of the major American and European cities including Atlanta, Panama City, Santiago de Chile, Amsterdam and Madrid.

 

Food and Shopping in Mindo:

Tourists can purchase typical tourist T-shirts and postcards at Hyla and Mindo also houses many fine Ecuadorian crafts shops all around.

Tourists can visit following food corners to taste traditional and international cuisines:

• Mimi’s Bistro
• Dragonfly Inn
• Cafe Mindo
• Fuera de Babylonia
• El Chef

 

What to do in Mindo?

• Bird of Paradise Tours
• Bird watching Tours
• Tours de Fotografia
• El Quetzal Chocolate Making Tour
• Mindo Cloud Forest Day Tours

 

 

What to see in Mindo?

 

Mindo Forest:

The forest of Mindo is a package for adventure and nature lovers with many spectacular waterfalls, around 400 bird species, a wide variety of mammals, amphibians and colorful butterflies and eye- catching greenery. Also tourists can enjoy zip lining and inter tubing in the forest.

 

El Quetzal:

Tourists can learn about the process of handcrafted beer at El Quetzal where visitors can also taste unique Ecuadorian beer. The chocolate flavor is very special.

 

The Reserva Ecologica Pachijal:

The Reserva Ecologica Pachijal is a bird and eco lodge offering guided tours to Tandayapa Pass and Bellavista Reserve, Yanacocha Reserve and Milpe and Rio Silanche bird sanctuaries.

 

Other places of interest near Mindo include:

• Paz de las Aves Bird Refuge
• Mariposas de Mindo
• Lago Mindo Frog Concert
• Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve
• Nambilla Cascadas
• Orchid Farms
• Rio Bravo Reserve
• Mindo Pura Vida
• Las Tangaras Reserve
• Nathaly Butterfly Garden

Ideal time to visit Mindo:

The months between July and October will be ideal to enjoy your holidays in Mindo.

 

Accommodation options in Mindo:

Mindo is home to all the kinds of accommodation centres with tourists’ favor facilities including laundry, dry cleaning, internet connectivity and hot water bath. Budget options generally charge $10 per night per person. List of major hotels in Mindo include:

• Hacienda San Vicente
• La Casa del Camino Mindo
• Hosteria Septimo Paraiso
• Reserva las Gralarias
• Mindo’s Birdwatcher’s House
• Hostal el Rocio
• Hosteria Arasari
• El Quetzal de Mindo
• El Abrazo del Arbol
• Yumbo Spa & Resort
• Hosteria Bird Planet
• El Gallo de la Pena
• Hosteria Bird Planet
• Casa Divina Lodge
• Terrabambu Restaurant Lodge

Manta Tourist Places to Visit in Manta, Ecuador, America

Manta is a city belonging to the province of Manabí in Ecuador is the 5^th most populous city of the country situated about 435 km southwest of the national capital, Quito and 200 km northwest of the largest city in the country, Guayaquil.

Tuna fishing is the backbone of Manta’s economy and in recent years, tourism and chemical industry are also equally supporting the economy of Manta. Manta is also home to the largest seaport of the country and an international cargo airport as well.

 

Geography of Manta:

Placed on the coast line of Ecuador at an elevation of 6 meters, Manta is spread over an area of 60.49 sq. km. and it coordinates with 00°57′00.08″ S latitude and 80°42′58.32″ W longitude.  Manta enjoys an arid climate with relatively hot weather throughout the year.

 

How to reach Manta?

Eloy Alfaro International Airport serves Manta with frequent flights to the national capital, Quito and Guayaquil, catered by AeroGal, LAN Ecuador and TAME. This airport is located 6 km away from the downtown Manta.

Buses generally take four and half hours from Guayaquil to Manta, costing $5 and ten hours from Quito to Manta, costing around $7.

Buses are also ideal for local travel and taxis and cars are additional options.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Manta:

Manta is the site of many prominent events including International Theater Festival organized in the month of September every year. The sporting events take place from January through April.

The Paseo Shopping Mall is one of the major shopping malls of Manta featuring a supermarket, a movie theater, food corners and cloth shops.

List of the major restaurants in Manta is as follows:

• El Mediterraneo
• Restaurante Mexicano
• Club Ejecutivo
• Restaurant Riviera
• Guen Roku

 

Things to do in Manta:

• Surfing
• Whale watching
• Diving
• Sailing
• Fishing
• Body-boarding

 

Tourist Attractions in Manta:

The Banco Central Museum:

The Banco Central Museum is situated in front of Murcielago Beach exhibiting ceramics dating back to the period of pre-Columbian Huancavilca-Manteno. Nice collection.

 

El Murciélago:

El Murciélago is a most renowned beach of Manta surrounded by plenty of restaurants with mouth-watering seafood, hotels, supermarkets and entertainment centres. The activities tourists can enjoy here include diving, sailing, fishing, body-boarding and surfing.

 

San Lorenzo:

Located around 20 km away from Manta city, the San Lorenzo beach is noted for its caves, different rock formations and typical marine birds. From June to September will be ideal for whale watching in San Lorenzo and other activities include surfing and sunbathing.

 

Other places of interest near Manta include:

• Tarqui
• San Mateo
• Santa Marianita
• Linguique
• La Tiñosa
• Barbasquillo
• Plaza Casino
• Fantasy Casino
• Montecristi town
• Narwell Cia Ltda
• Ecuador kitesurf school
• Ocean Freaks

 

Best time to visit Manta:

From May to December is the ideal time to explore the beaches of Manta.

 

Accommodation options in Manta:

Manta is a colorful city rich in nightlife, festivals, tourist sites and hospitality industry. Budget hotels charge around $25 per night and top end hotels charge around $80 per night. The major hotels in Manta are listed below:

• Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Manta Ecuador
• Oro Verde Hotel
• Balandra Hotel Cabanas
• Hotel Lun Fun Manta
• Hotel Vistalmar
• Hostal de la Abuela
• Hotel Ocean Blue
• San Antonio Resort
• Hotel Porto Velho
• Marina Real Hostal
• onkey Den Guest House
• El Faro Escandinavo Beach Hotel
• Punta Prieta Guest House
• M Isabel Boutique Hotel
• Hotel Perla Spondylus

Tourist Places to Visit in Machala, Ecuador, America

Machala is the capital city of El Oro Province in Ecuador in the proximity of Gulf of Guayaquil, is the 4^th biggest city of Ecuador, holding the 2^nd most important port of the country. Machala is popularly called as the ‘Banana Capital of the World’ because of its larger production of the varieties of tasty Bananas and other major products grown in Machala are coffee and cocoa.

Machala is home to two universities such as the Universidad Tecnologica San Antonio de Machala and the Universidad Técnica de Machala and a large mall, a plaza with a large fountain, many food corners and hotels.

 

Geography of Machala:

Positioned in the south-west Ecuador, Machala coordinates with 3°16′ S latitude and 79°58′ W longitude and spans over an area of 24 sq. km. at an altitude of 6 meters. Machala is located around 485 km away from Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

 

Connectivity to Machala:

Machala is catered by Santa Rosa International Airport which is located in Santa Rosa few kilometers away from the downtown Machala with scheduled flights to Quito.

Buses generally cost $0.25 for local travel and it may vary on distance. Taxis are widely used, costing $1 to move within the town and $3 to Puerto Bolivar. Check with the charges before getting in otherwise they may charge more.

Food and Shopping in Machala:

El Shopping is the major shopping centre of Machala located in the outskirts of the city and other than El Shopping, city also houses many modernized shops all around.

A list of prominent food corners in Machala are as follows.

• Cafeteria las Tejas
• Al Callao marisqueria
• Jacu Cafe & Music
• El lechon granjero
• Zona Refrescante

 

What to do in Machala?

• Beach
• Park
• Shopping
• Walking

 

What to see in Machala?

Puerto Bolivar:

Puerto Bolivar is one of the most important ports of Ecuador, especially noted for banana exportation. It can be reachable by bus from the city within 20 minutes with a cost of $0.25 and taxis costs $3. Tourists can watch loaded ships with banana there.

 

Parque Juan Montalvo:

Located in the heart of the city, Parque Juan Montalvo or Juan Montalvo Park is a central plaza which was constructed in 2000 with a large fountain. Machala Cathedral is a short distance away from Parque Juan Montalvo. Great to watch during night times with lights.

 

Machala Mall:

There is a large mall on the outskirts of Machala city with a movie theater that was opened in 2007 as a first mall of the city. It can be reachable by taxi or bus.

 

Other places of interest near Machala include:

• Las Brisas
• La Zona Rosa
• Santa Rosa International Airport
• Jambeli Beach
• Bar La Fragata
• Malecon Simón Bolivar
• Santa Ana & El Carmen hills
• Jardín Botánico
• Catedral Metropolitana
• Biblioteca Municipal de Guayaquil
• Malecon del Salado
• Las Peñas
• Parque de las Iguanas
• Parque Histórico
• La Bahía

 

Ideal time to visit Machala:

The months of February and March are ideal to visit Machala.

 

Accommodation options in Machala:

Machala is a pleasant city housing many reputed hotels with tourist favor facilities such as spa, room with private bathroom, doctor on call, conference hall, arrangement of car and bike and recreational activities, 24 hour internet connectivity, room service and help desk. The advance booking facility is offered for tourist’s convenience. The major hotels in Machala are listed below:

• Oro Verde Machala Hotel
• Oro Hotel
• Hillary Nature Resort & Spa
• Bolivar Rizzo
• Hotel Majestic
• Grand Hotel Americano
• Veuxor Executive Hotel
• Sol Del Sur Hotel
• Hotel Vanessa
• Umbrellabird Lodge

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Macas, Ecuador, America

Macas is the capital city of the province of Morona Santiago in Ecuador situated between latitude 02°22′00″ in the south and longitude 78°08′00″ in the west. Macas is renowned for its agricultural activities and major products grown in Macas include sugarcane, papaya, coffee, bananas and yucca. Tourism is also gradually developing in recent years with adventure activities such as jungle trekking, rafting and hiking.

 

Geography of Macas:

Macas is located in the Upano Valley east of Andes Mountains 1,050 meters above sea level. Macas is spread over an area of 56.9 sq. km. situated around 330 km southeast of Quito (national capital) and 445 km east of the Guayaquil (country’s largest city).

 

History of Macas:

Macas was initially founded as Sevilla del Oro by Spanish captain Juan Villanueva Maldonado in 1538 and re-founded in 1599 as Macas. Macas became the capital of Morona Santiago province in the year 1929.

 

Connectivity to Macas:

Macas is connected with neighboring cities Puyoin and Riobamba through road in the north and west sides respectively. Buses are regular for local travel and also tourists can hire a car or bike for local travel at any of the travel agencies of the city. Advance booking is offered.

Macas is situated around 25 km away from its closest airport Sucua Airport and Mendez Airport is placed around 70 km away from the heart of Macas city.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Macas:

Macas is home to the settlements of Shuar and Macabea people and also there are many guided tour operators accessible for tourists to explore indigenous sites and traditional handicrafts are very cheaper.

There are many seafood and Chinese restaurants in Macas including La Maravilla and Swiss Bistro Cumanda.

 

Things to do in Macas:

• Jungle trekking
• Rafting
• Tour to indigenous communities
• Sightseeing

 

Places of interest in Macas:

Sangay National Park:

Sangay National Park covers 5,177.65 km² area of the provinces of Morona Santiago, Tungurahua and Chimborazo. It was established in 1979 and it gained a place in UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1983. The notable things in the park include the active volcanoes of Tungurahua and Sangay and the park is home to diverse species of animals such as mountain tapirs, spectacled bears, Brazilian tapirs, white-tailed deer and Andean foxes and around 400 bird species.

 

Virgin Prisma Church:

Virgin Prisma Church locally called Iglesia del Virgen Purisima is a beautifully constructed church in Macas. The surrounding environment is nice.

 

Shuara:

Shuara is a town inhabited by indigenous people and tourists can visit the town independently or can take guided tours for easy exploration and to learn fully on local culture.

 

Other places of interest near Macas include:

• Sigor Travel Jungle Day Tours
• Lakes of Ozogoche
• The Devil’s Nose
• Tren Turistico Tren del Hielo
• Altar Mountain
• Market Guamote

 

Best time to visit Macas:

Throughout the year is best to visit Macas, especially summer months are ideal for outdoor activities.

 

Accommodation options in Macas:

Macas is a perfect site for nature and adventure sport lovers. There are many eco lodges, guest houses, lodges and hotels in Macas and visitors can also refer neighboring city hotels for more comfort. List of prominent hotels in and around Macas is as follows:

• Hosteria Farallon
• Casa Upano B&B Bird Sanctuary
• Hosteria Arrayan y Piedra
• Rancho Fatima
• Hosteria Luzcelinda
• Wakiz Hotel
• Finca la Esperanza
• Finca de la Vaca
• Hosteria La Andaluza
• Hotel San Pedro de Riobamba
• Hacienda Abraspungo
• Mansion Santa Isabella
• Hotel Tren Dorado
• Hotel el Libertador
• Casa Real Hotel & Spa
• Hotel El Galpon