Discover Valdivia

Valdivia can be understood through two distinct travel contexts: the archaeological site of the Valdivia culture and the Comuna Valdivia’s inclusion in the Ruta del Spondylus. The first leads to cultural history, while the second relates to a coastal tourism route. The wider destination of Santa Elena also provides a regional setting with its own natural and cultural attractions.

Archaeological Heritage and the Coastal Route

The 1997 declaration of national cultural heritage describes the Valdivia archaeological site as having a 1.3-hectare first-order zone. It identifies this as the main archaeological site, where the first remains of the Valdivia culture were found. The size and the context of the find convey different aspects: the 1.3 hectares indicate the extent of the zone, while the remains establish its connection to the Valdivia culture. The year 1997 refers to the declaration of national cultural heritage and does not date the finds or the culture.

The Comuna Valdivia is part of the Ruta del Spondylus, a coastal tourism route. This offers a different perspective from the archaeological description: it places the comuna within the context of coastal tourism, while the archaeological site represents the history of the Valdivia culture. For travel planning, each detail answers a different question: the declaration provides the historical focus, while the Ruta del Spondylus places the comuna in a coastal tourism context.

Nature and Culture in the Wider Destination of Santa Elena

La Chocolatera is the westernmost point of Ecuador’s coast and the second-farthest coastal promontory in South America. Five viewpoints are linked by self-guided trails with information panels. This highlights two distinct aspects of the place: its geographical significance and the routes between its viewpoints.

The natural attractions in the wider destination of Santa Elena also vary by location. 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 typical Andean species. These details have different emphases: Ecuasal focuses on seabirds and wading birds in the wetland, while Loma Alta is notable for its greater number of species and the biogeographical groups mentioned.

Santa Elena’s cultural attractions include Ancón, considered Ecuador’s first oil town and a site of historical and cultural heritage. The town was founded by the Anglo Ecuadorian Oilfields Company. The Circuito de la Paja Toquilla takes visitors to places in Santa Elena where the raw material for woven hats is grown and processed; these hats are considered part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Ancón’s historical significance and the connection to woven hat production complement Valdivia’s archaeological perspective with other cultural attractions in the wider destination.

Discover more destinations: Santa Elena, San Pablo, Montañita, Olon, Ayampe, La Libertad, Anconcito, Chanduy

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