Information Sheet Last Updated: 2005

Esmeraldas

Population: 433,984. Named either for the luminous green of its vegetation or its azure waters, Ecuador’s ecologically rich northernmost coastal province boasts lush cloud forest, thick lowland jungle, rapidly vanishing mangrove swamps, and the closest beaches to Quito. It is also the center of black culture in the country with a population largely descended from escaped African slaves known as maroons.

Air access: General Rivandaneira Airport 30km outside Esmeraldas. One flight daily on Tame.
Buses from Quito:
To Esmeraldas city: hourly from Terminal Terrestre, various companies.
To Atacames: three direct buses daily with Transportes Esmeraldas.
Travelers to other destinations can change in Esmeraldas or at the San Mateo police checkpoint before the city.
Buses from Ibarra: there are regular buses to San Lorenzo on the extreme north coast
Train access: none*

*For the moment, the former Ibarra-San Lorenzo "Autoferro" is running only as far as Río Blanco in Carchi province. It is unclear if and when service to the coast will resume.

Information given for:

Esmeraldas & Las Palmas
Atacames
Borbón
Muisne
Qunindé (Rosa Zárate)
Rio Verde / Rocafuerte
Same
Súa
San Lorenzo

ESMERALDAS
Population: 125,914. Reputedly a bit sketchy at night, this provincial capital has little to offer the tourist. It is, however, the traffic hub for the nearby beaches.

Hotels

Apart Hotel
Tel: 728-700
Libertad 407 y Ramon Tello
s/. 225,000 (+22%) single
s/. 290,000 (+22%) double
s/. 370,000 (+22%) triple
Rooms with private bath, hot water, TV. Casino and piano bar. Good focus of nightlife.

Hotel del Mar
Tel: 723-707
Kennedy y Palmas
s/. 88,000 single
s/. 131,000 double
s/. 161,000 triple
Cold water only.

Restaurants

Más o Menos Supermarket
Decent selection of American and Colombian goods

La Sultana de la Valle
On the way to Las Palmas (see below). Very good seafood

Miscellaneous

Exchange money at Filanbanco and Banco Popular between Canizares and Pledrahita on Bolivar. Money exchange is upstairs in both banks.

Cine Esmeraldas is the best theater in the city

Artist co-op
Sucre y Olmedo
Nice African and Cayapas artesanía.

LAS PALMAS
This is Esmeraldas’ beach suburb, hopping but rather littered and dangerous at night.

Restaurants & Clubs

Buchinche's
Off park, good grilled sandwiches.

Hotel Cayapas Restaurant
Great.

Son Latino Salsateca
Authentic salsa club. Thursday through Saturday. Women shouldn't go unescorted.

ATACAMES
The closest beach resort to Quito, this is the destination of choice for young Quiteños during the high tourist season (July - December & major holidays). It's a fun party beach with a string of discos. While tranquility can still be found, it is generally best sought elsewhere (e.g. at Súa or Same to the west or Muisne to the southwest).

Hotels

Cabañas Roger
South down the beach beyond Atacames. Quiet place, beautiful grounds. Bring mosquito net.

Hostal de Manglar
German-run, good reviews

Hostal Jennifer
Tel: 710-482, 731-055
s/. 50,000 per person
Cold water.

Hotel Tiburón
Tel: 731-145
On the Malecón
s/. 80,000 per person
Cold shower.

Villas Arco Iris
Tel: 731-069, Fax 731-437 / 442
On the Malecón
Quito 525-544
s/. 280,000 per person
Hot water.

Restaurants & Clubs

Caipiriñha
A Brazilian cocktail made with cane liquor and popular locally.

Ludo's discoteca
Can't miss it on Malecon heading north

Paco Foco
Great seafood plates, reasonably priced. Try the Arroz marinera.

Pizzeria Pan e Vino
Three story-structure, look for the giant Italian flag

San Baye discoteca
The best disco in Atacames.

BORBON
This unattractive and dangerous river port, developing as a timber center, is the starting point for a visit to the Cayapa Indian villages upstream. The trip to Borbón is four-hour trip by ranchera from Esmeraldas (use El Pacifico). Alternatively, get off at La Tola and cross the river.

Pampa de Toro Hotel
about $4 per person
Best in town, they provide mosquito nets

Authentic marimba
Can be found at the house of Papá Roncón's (just ask directions in town). For a beer or two he will put on a one-man show.

SUBIR (office across from Papá Roncón's house), is an NGO working in the Cotacachi-Cayapas ecological reserve. INEFAN can also provide information

Excursions

RIVER TRIP
A trip into the river network above Borbón (Zapallo Grande, San Miguel, other villages) highly recommended. Affords amazing view of different rhythm of life among the indigenas and black river communities. Launch operator at Cayapas. Ask for Don Franco at the waterfront. Approx. price $8

PLAYA DE ORO
At the end of Rio Santiago, a five-hour canoe ride in the wet season. (Also accessible from San Lorenzo) Well-preserved African native culture. Ask SUBIR office in Borbón for specifics. A must-see.

MUISNE
Set on the tip of a peninsula between the sea and a mangrove estuary, Muisne gets contradictory reports ranging from tranquil and wonderful to dirty and a bit dangerous. In any event, it's popular with budget travelers and a good place from which to visit the mangroves.

Hotels

Hostal El Oasis
on the beach

Hotel Galápagos
Tel: 480-289
Calle Manabí across from Colegio Alfredo Pérez Guerrero
$3 per person with private bath

Hotel Playa Paraiso

Hotel Calade
150 m down on the south side of the beach.

Las Cabañas
150 m down on the north side of the beach

Mapara Hostal
Tel: 480-147, in Quito: 434-147
Isla San Cristóbal 1586 y Seymour (on the beach)
E-mail: mapara@accessinter.net OR mapara@aol.com
$10 per person
SAE member discount: 10%. Prices include breakfast. Spanish, English, French spoken. Tours offered. Has library, board games.

Restaurants & Bars

Antojitos Bar / Cafe
left of the boat landing at the end of the road

Bar Azul

El Tiburón

Mai Tai
Popular local disco.

Suizze-Italiano
Has pastas, pizza, lasagne

QUININDE (ROSA ZARATE)
This small town is on the road to Esmeraldas from Quito via Santo Domingo.

Hotel Sanz
on the main road

Bilsa Biological Reserve / Research Station
through Fundación Jatun Sacha in Quito
Tel: 441-592, 250-976
E-mail: mccolm@jsacha.ec
The field station, part of a reserve that protects 769 acres of rare high tropical wet forest (up to 800m), accepts individual and group visitors as well as researchers and volunteers. Forest fauna includes small jungle cats, jaguars, howler monkeys and over 200 bird species.

Río Verde / Rocafuerte
Separated by just a few kilometers, these two coastal villages north of Esmeraldas city offer cheap accomodation and tasty food along some lovely, unpopulated stretches of beach. The road is frequently washed out, so traffic gets diverted to the beach! Trans Esmeraldas has one direct night bus from Quito to Río Verde (arriving about 4 am).

Hostería Pura Vida
just south of Río Verde
$8 per person
Swiss-Ecuadorian owned, good facilities and food, on private beach, lovely

SAME
About 10-12 km south of Atacames, this quiet fishing village has a long, attractive, palm-lined beach. Cheap accomodation is problematic.

Hotels

Cabañas La Terraza
Tel. in Quito: 544-507
on the beach
s/. 350,000 for four, private bath
Cold shower.

Cabaña Same del Sol
the last cabin on the beach

Seaflower
on the hill by the sea
Restaurant.

Restaurants

El Unicornio
Fish dishes for about $1.

Seaflower
(see above)
catch of the day for about $2.

SUA
About 5-6 km south of Atacames, this attractively set, busy fishing village has fewer tourists and lower prices.

Hotels

Hotel Bouganvillas
Tel: 731-008
facing the sea
s/. 75,000 per person

Hotel El Chagra Ramos
Tel: 731-006
facing the sea

Hotel Las Acacias
Tel: 731-021
Malecón

Hotel Malibú
Tel: 731-112

Hotel Mar y Sol
Tel: 731-293
facing the beach
s/. 40,000 per person
s/. 70,000 for two
s/. 85,000 for three
Cold shower.

SAN LORENZO
Set amongst mangrove swamps and a network of canals, Ecuador's northernmost town is an interesting destination with friendly people and a good place to see marimba music or make incursions into virgin rainforest. Once the western terminus of the autoferro from Ibarra, it is now reachable by bus along the same route or by boat from Borbón (see above) or La Tola.

Hotels

Gran Hotel San Carlos
Tel: 780-240 (720-267), Fax 780-284
Calle Imbabura near train station

Hostal Continental
Tel: 780-125, Fax: 780-127
Calle Imbabura y 10 de Agosto
s/. 80,000 per person
Air-conditioning.

Hotel Carondelet
Tel: 780-202
on the plaza
s/. 40,000
s/. 35,000

Hotel Imperial
Tel: 780-242, 780-221
Calle Imbabura near train station

Volunteering

Assoc. of English Teachers / Luis Valencia
Ask for Alos profesores de inglés or Luis. (See member trip report.)