The Coast   

The Ecuadorian coast, from the desert-like southern border with Peru, to the tropical northern border with Colombia is a coast of contrasts.  It’s a broad alluvial plain drained by several rivers, including the Guayas River, which is the largest river on the west coast of South America.  The coast also boasts the largest city in Ecuador, Guayaquil, Quitos political rival.  Costeños (the people from the coast) and Serranos (people from the highlands) have long butted heads over the direction of the country, politically and economically.  Both sides would begrudgingly admit that they need each other.
 

The coastal climate is affected principally by two ocean currents that converge off of the country’s southern coast; the cold Humboldt current that runs up the South American coast from Antarctica counter-clockwise heading west off the southern Ecuadorian coast, and the warm, but relatively weak South Equatorial current comes in from the west. The presence of the cold Humboldt current off of the southern coast brings semi desert-like conditions to this area.  However, seasonal fluctuations in the offshore ocean currents bring a marked wet and dry season to the area.  In December the Peru current retracts southward and stops reaching the Ecuadorian coastline, bringing a  rainy and hot season through May.  From June through November, the southern coast gets low coastal fog called garúa, much like what the Northern Chilean and Peruvian coasts get this time of year.   In the northern half of the coast, the warm South Equatorial current brings warm humid air and substantial rainfall to the area, making it quite lush with vegetation year round.  The northern coast too is affected by the Humboldt current, and when it retracts southward in December, this coast goes into rainy and hot season as well.  During El Niño years, the coast is particularly affected, especially in the south where heavy rainfall is not common.  In the 1998 El Niño, much of the southern coast’s infrastructure was destroyed by heavy flooding.  However most of it has since been repaired.

The 2,000 km (1,300 mile) Ecuadorian coast is generally warm, and humid (more so on the northern coastline) averaging  about 25 degrees C  to 31 C (76 degrees F to 90 degrees  F). The rainy season, from December to May, is warmer and down right muggy. The dry season is less humid but not very dry. Ecuador’s coastal region is made up of 4 provinces;  El Oro, Guayas, Manabí and Esmeraldas.

Esmeraldas, in the north is verdant and tropical and the most tropical of the coastal provinces.  The coastline is a combination of golden sand beaches and lush jungle and mangrove swamps.  Esmeraldeños, the people of the province are some of the most diverse.  Many of them are of African decent and the culture shows it.  Many Esmeraldeños owe their presence in the province to a ship wreck in the 17th century.  During a storm, a Spanish slave ship wrecked and most of the slaves survived, settling on the coast of Esmeraldas.  Their descendants live here to this day.  The food here is among the best in the country.
 

The relatively sparsely populated province of Manabí boasts some of the best beaches on the South American Pacific coast.  It consists of predominately tropical dry forest, which during the wet season turns a lush green dotted by many colored flowers.  Whales migrate past here, and sea lions, blue footed boobies and various other marine birds frequent its coast.  Manabí is known for having the most important Pre-Incan cultures of Ecuador, such as the cultures of Valdivia and Machalilla.  Many caverns and tombs have been found here.
 

The province of Guayas is home of the country’s largest city and the South American Pacific’s largest port, Guayaquil.  It is the country’s commercial power, thus has not been a tourist destination in the past.  Recently however, efforts have been made to beautify the city and attract tourism.  A few hours from the city, in Playas, Salinas and Montañita, are some excellent beaches and some of the best surf in the country.
 

The southern province of El Oro is one of the least visited in the country. It is the largest banana producing province in Ecuador.  Despite the fact it is not visited often, it offers some excellent opportunities to see some pristine mangrove stands, old gold mining operations, as well as an unadulterated look into the Ecuadorian coastal culture.

 

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