Manabí Province, Ecuador

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"Manabi province" redirects here. For Manabi (disambiguation), see Manabi.
Map of Manabí Province in Ecuador.

Manabi is a province in Ecuador. Its capital is Portoviejo. The province is named after the Manabí people [1]. Located along the central part of Ecuador’s Pacific Coast, Manabí is known for its beautiful beaches, quaint fishing villages, commercial centers such as Manta, the country’s second largest port and Manabi's economic center, and Machalilla National Park, with its rich vegetation and varied species of fauna. It also produces many handicrafts and is known worldwide for its pottery and panama hats. The province’s climate is dry to humid subtropical, with an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. There are two domestic airports and an international cargo airport, as well.

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[edit] Beaches

San Vicente, San Jacinto, San Clemente, Puerto Cayo, Puerto Rico, Puerto Lopez, Crucita, Canoa, Cojimíes, Pedernales, and Jaramijó are all lovely beaches backed by fishing villages. These beaches stretch over 300 km along the coast of Manabí. Frequented year-round, Manabí’s resorts offer peace and quiet as well as delicious, uniquely coastal cuisine. The surrounding vegetation is made up of mangroves, thickets, and woods. Villages such as Puerto López and Pedernales have become resorts with good hotel infrastructure and act as departure points for trips to places like Machalilla National Park. More isolated hotels and ecolodges made of cane and other locally produced materials are also popular tourist destinations.

[edit] Cities - History, Customs, and Handicrafts

Manta, the country's second largest port, with its extensive hotel facilities, is Manabí's major city. Its main beach, Murciélago, has a modern boardwalk with a variety of restaurants offering local culinary specialties and the region's most delicious drinks. In recent years, it has become a popular stop for international cruise liners sailing from the Caribbean to Latin America. The city has several bars and discotheques, which are often frequented by tourists, especially on the weekends. In October, Manta welcomes dozens of performers who come to the Chusig Theater for the International Theater Festival. Manta is also an important business destitation for tuna and vegetable oil multinationals.

Bahía de Caráquez also has many first-class hotels and places to relax and enjoy yourself. Many people chose to take a short boat ride across the Chone River to enjoy a day in neighboring San Vicente or take a short bus ride to the surfing and fishing village of Canoa. Alternatively, you can enjoy the beaches in Bahía, stroll along the boardwalk, or perhaps head off to a secluded beach such as Boca Briceño or El Matal. Other places of interest include the Río Chone estuary, with its islands Isla Corazón and Fragatas, the Central Bank's Museums, and the House of Culture.

Among the many attractions of Portoviejo, the province's capital, also known as the city of the "Royal Tamarind Trees", are the Metropolitan Cathedral and the San Pedro Seminary. Around the town, there are several natural thermal baths and spas such as El Zapallo, La Peña, La Papayita, San Antonio, and Cerro de Hojas.

[edit] Montecristi - History Among Hats

This village is internationally renowned for the high quality of the “Panama hats” they produce (Panama hats are and always have been from Ecuador and not from Panama). Lying at the foot of a large hill called Montecristi, the small town of the same name has many attractions such as Eloy Alfaro’s (an ex-Ecuadorian President) house, the Hermanas Largacha Museum, and the Monserrate Sanctuary, where thousands of Ecuadorian and foreign pilgrims traditionally flock, especially on the weekends. Another place of interest is La Pila, whose artisans make a variety of sculptures and replicas of Pre-Colombian ceramics. In addition to hats, these artisan centers display other handmade crafts made of different types of straw and iron.

[edit] Machalilla National Park - Archaeology and Virgin Beaches

With its unspoiled, white beaches; its leafy, endemic vegetation; and La Isla de la Plata, where some of the Galapagos species thrive in abundance, Machalilla National Park is visited all year round by both local and foreign tourists. The main season is from June to October, which is when the whales come from the Antarctic to breed in the region. Situated 80 km south of the town of Portoviejo, the Park is also home to sites of archaeological interest such as Agua Blanca, with its remains of the Machalilla culture. Salango Island, where endangered species such as the anteater have found shelter, is also worth mentioning.

[edit] Cuisine

Made of fish, shrimp, or shellfish, ceviche is one of Manabí’s most delectable specialties. In general, all types of seafood are very popular. But what you can find on the table on a daily basis, both for locals and tourists, are fish viche, a soup or stew made with peanuts, and sancocho, a local delicacy made with plantains and fish. In Puerto Lopéz, spondylus ceviche, a dish prepared from the spondylus shellfish, is also quite popular.

[edit] Cantons

The province is divided in 22 cantons.

Canton (Capital)

  1. Bolívar (Calceta)
  2. Chone (Chone)
  3. El Carmen (El Carmen)
  4. Flavio Alfaro (Flavio Alfaro)
  5. Jama (Jama)
  6. Jaramijó (Jaramijó)
  7. Jipijapa (Jipijapa)
  8. Junín (Junín)
  9. Manta (Manta)
  10. Montecristi (Montecristi, Ecuador)
  11. Olmedo (Olmedo)
  12. Paján (Paján)
  13. Pedernales (Pedernales)
  14. Pichincha (Pichincha)
  15. Portoviejo (Portoviejo)
  16. Puerto López (Puerto López)
  17. Rocafuerte (Rocafuerte)
  18. Santa Ana (Santa Ana)
  19. San Vicente (San Vicente)
  20. Sucre (Bahía de Caráquez)
  21. Tosagua (Tosagua)
  22. Veinticuatro de Mayo (Sucre)

[edit] External links

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Provinces of Ecuador
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