The Ecuadorian Pacific coast and western lowlands locally known as "la costa" is formed by the following densely populated provinces, from north to south: Esmeraldas, Manabí, Los Ríos, Guayas and El Oro. The Coast covers about 70'000 qkm, less than one third of the surface of Ecuador, but 50 % of the population live in this region, mainly in and around the city of Guayaquil, the pulsing and modern major business and economic center and main port of Ecuador.

The region’s climate varies from hot and arid on the Sta. Elena peninsula to hot and humid in the alluvial plains and interiors between Esmeraldas and the gulf of Guayaquil. The average temperature is 24°C (18ºC to 30ºC); the climate is very much influenced by the ocean currents El Niño (warm) and Humbold (cold). The warm and humid rainy season (winter) lasts from December to May, and the cooler und less humid dry season (summer) from June to December.

This influence has led to three dominant ecosystems on the coastline: the tropical rain forest in the north, tropical savannas and cloudforest in the center and southwest, and a dry forest on the peninsula of Sta. Elena. Also worth mentioning are the inlets and the tidial areas along the coast where mangrove forests and marine environmennts provide a habitat ideal for fish and shell fish. The lay out of shrimp farms on a large scale in the late eighties, far to often right in the mangrove forests, has provided profit and employment on a short term but it has also caused the destruction of huge mangrove areas. Now governmental and private initiatives work on conservation of the mangrove swamps and control of the shrimp industry.

Many national parks and protected areas provide endless opportunities for ecoadventurers and travellers: Cayapas-Mataje Ecological Reserve, Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve, Machalilla National Park, Manglares-Churute Ecological Reserve, Puyango Petrified Forest and Santa Clara Wildlife Refuge. >> more protected areas
In June giant humpback whales arrive from the cold waters of the Antarctic to mate and reproduce in the warmer waters right in front of the ecuadorian coast. Here these noble animals sing and dance to the enchantment of their impressed onlookers, untill October when they head back to the polar waters of the Antarctic.

In the interior of the coastal lowlands agriculture and stock-farming are important activities. Crops as bananas, rice,soybean, sugar, cotton, tobacco, coffee, cacao, tropical fruits are produced for both export and domestic markets and it seams that timber will be important too in the near future..

More than 1,000 km of coastline with wonderful beaches, cliffs, lovely bays, national parks and protected areas and a well-developed tourist infrastructure along the coast offer excellent opportunities to relax and entertain in a tropical paradise. Whale watching, eco touring and comunity tourism are the booming activities of recent years. Recreational activities such as surfing, jet-skiing, windsurfing, scuba diving, paragliding, fishing and all kind of water sports are also offered and affordable.

Discover the Coast, its beautiful virgin fishermen's beaches and modern cities, its pre-columbian culture and archaeology, its protected forests with our selected tour operators, lodges and beach hotels. Whether you're looking for an adventure tour, rainforest or cloudforest hikes and expeditions, whale watching, birdwatching and wildlife observation tours, community-based ecotourism programs, an eco-lodge or a luxury beach hotel with steaming hot showers and a gourmet restaurant next to the turqouise blue pool, - these serious and experienced operators hotels have exactly what you are looking for.