Ecuador - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 612

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By plane Ta m e ( T 02 397 7100) flies Mon-Fri to Macas
from $50 one-way.
By bus The bus terminal is on Amazonas, at 10 de Agosto,
in the centre.
Destinations There are several daily buses to Cuenca (7hr),
Puyo (3hr) and Quito (8hr).
By taxi Taxis around town cost $1.
Tourist information There is a new tourist o ce on
Comin (Mon-Sat 8am-noon; T 07 270 1606, W www
.macas.gov.ec).

province of Manabi , head to Canoa ,
a haven for surfers and sunseekers. Nearby,
the elegant resort Bahía de Caráquez juts
out dramatically on a slim peninsula, close
to mangroves and tropical forest. Further
south is Ecuador's second-largest port,
Manta , a bustling city that is unfortunately
plagued by security problems.

6

SANTO DOMINGO DE LOS
COLORADOS
This transport hub is the most convenient
route from the Sierra to the coast. From
here you can head north to Esmeraldas
and Pedernales or south to Bahía de
Caráquez, Manta and Guayaquil. Parts of
town are dangerous so take care at night.
Try to begin your journey early so that
an overnight stop becomes unnecessary,
since Santo Domingo has little to offer.

ACCOMMODATION
Casa Blanca Soasti, at Sucre T 07 270 0195. Has decent
room s with private bath, cable TV and breakfast included.
$25
La Orquidea 9 de Octubre, at Sucre T 07 270 0970.
A basic boa rding house with firm beds, run by a friendly
family. $22

EATING AND DRINKING
La Maravilla Soasti, at Sucre. Adorned with indigenous
artefacts, and serving a variety of meat dishes and snacks
(mains $3-6).
La Napolitana Amazonas, at Tarqui. Serves pizza, pasta
and barbecue as well as great fish dishes, including tilapia
and trout. Mains $3-8.

ARRIVAL
By bus The bus terminal is 1.5km north of the town centre
(take a taxi for $1 or a public bus).

ACCOMMODATION
Hotel Diana Real Corner 29 de Mayo, at Loja T 02 275
1380. The best mid-range option in th e ce ntre, with
spacious rooms and a restaurant attached. $24

The northern
coast and
lowlands
Travelling up the Ecuadorian coast, the
scenery gets greener and the vibe more
Caribbean. The Afro-Ecuadorians who
make up a large part of the population
of Esmeraldas province give the region
a different cultural feel to the rest of
the country. The locals are exuberant,
extrovert and talkative, a refreshing
change from the mountains.
The main route from the Sierra descends
dramatically via Santo Domingo de los
Colorados , an unattractive transport hub.
Avoid the dangers of grim Esmeraldas
town and head south to a string of beach
resorts. Atacames is the most popular
party town. Further south, the beautiful
beach at Mompiche is emerging as a
popular spot for budget travellers. In the

EATING
Gran Hotel Santo Domingo Rio Toachi, at Galápagos
T 02 276 7950. This hotel has a good restaurant La Tonga
inside. Choose from veggie, local and international food
for around $5.
Timoneiro Av Quito. Just one of the good restaurants east of
the centre serving chicken, soups and filling set meals. $3-5.

ATACAMES
ATACAMES is the busiest, brashest beach
resort on the north coast and, along with
Salinas, the most popular in Ecuador.
Most hotels, restaurants and bars are
situated on the thin peninsula, which
forms the Malecón . The long sandy beach
is lined with bamboo bars serving up
fruit shakes by day and cocktails by night.
During the week it's relatively quiet and
a bit depressing, with staff desperately
trying to lure you into their empty bars,
but at the weekends and on national
holidays Atacames turns into a heaving