Santa Elena: Coastal Towns, Nature and Culture

The province of Santa Elena brings together coastal landmarks, birding areas, forest trails and cultural sites. To plan your trip, you can first decide which themes matter most to you: views and the sea, nature watching, or the region’s history and traditions.

Views, surfing history and the sea

La Chocolatera is the point that projects farthest out from the Ecuadorian coast and the second-farthest projection in South America. Five viewpoints are connected by self-guided trails with information boards. If you are interested in the coastal landscape, you will find several viewpoints here, accessible via trails and interpretation.

Surfing history is also part of the coastal scene: Ecuador’s first national surfing championship was held at La Fae in 1984. Visitors can take surf lessons in Montañita. Its nightlife includes bars that turn into nightclubs, and music on the main streets. These places thus represent different aspects of surfing: a dated sporting history at La Fae, and lessons and nightlife in Montañita.

Tourist boats depart from Muelle de San Lorenzo. They explore the calm blue waters, allow visitors to observe birds, and offer views of Salinas’s buildings from the sea. Another seasonal natural attraction concerns the waters off Salinas: from June to September, humpback whales use them to mate and give birth. This natural phenomenon recurs every year; the time period is therefore a specific guide for trip planning, but not a guarantee of a sighting.

The Reserva Marina El Pelado marine reserve is in the province of Santa Elena and includes the coastal areas of Playa del Palmar, Ayangue and Valdivia. In October 2012, it was added to Ecuador’s national protected areas heritage; it covers 131 km². A statue of Christ was installed off the community of Ayangue, opposite the islet of El Pelado, on December 29, 2011: it is 2.5 m high, weighs 4 tonnes and is 11 m below the water’s surface. Boats visiting the islet can see the statue underwater, surrounded by fish and other marine species; diving around the islet is also encouraged. If you are planning a boat trip or dive, check current options in advance.

Birdlife and nature trails

More than 100 species of seabirds and wading birds live in the Humedal Ecuasal wetland. Around 300 bird species have been recorded in the Loma Alta reserve, including endemic species from the Tumbes and Chocó regions as well as typically Andean species. The two figures highlight different features: Ecuasal is known for seabirds and wading birds, while the list for Loma Alta covers several biogeographic groups.

Another way to experience nature is the Las Cascadas trail in Dos Mangas. It passes through the humid forests of the Chongón-Colonche Cordillera and by several waterfalls. During the rainy season, the main waterfall can reach up to 20 m in height. The season therefore changes a specific feature of the landscape: the maximum height of the main waterfall is explicitly linked to the rainy season.

History, crafts and cultural traditions

Ancón is considered Ecuador’s first oil town and a historical and cultural heritage site. It was founded by the Anglo Ecuadorian Oilfields Company. The Circuito de la Paja Toquilla offers a different perspective on local culture. It takes visitors to places in the province of Santa Elena where the raw material for woven hats is grown and processed. These hats are considered intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In Dos Mangas, women work with the toquilla palm and men with tagua.

In the community of Sacachún, San Biritute is considered a symbolic representation of fertility, rain and love; the figure is widely revered there. The Museo Valdivia focuses on the Valdivia culture of the Formative Period, from 3000 BC to 1500 BC. Its defining features include advanced pottery-making and Venus figurines associated with fertility and agriculture. Check current access arrangements before planning a specific museum visit.

Festivals and hotel search themes

Salinas hosts the traditional Pizza y Pasta Festival on the last Saturday in July. Baño de San Juan is a traditional festival held on June 23 at Playa de San Lorenzo, in the Las Palmeras sector of Salinas. The dates fall at different times of the year; if a festival is a deciding factor for your trip, check the date for the relevant year in advance.

Salinas brings together the boat trips described above, the seasonal whale activity and the festival dates mentioned. In Montañita, surf lessons and nightlife take center stage; Dos Mangas offers the forest trail to the waterfalls described above.

Discover more destinations

Ayangue, Santa Elena, Simon Bolivar, Punta Blanca, Anconcito, Chanduy, La Libertad, Olon, Montañita, Ballenita, Ayampe, La Rinconada, San Pablo, Valdivia.

For the broader travel overview: Ecuador.