Western Slopes to the Pacific Coast - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 257

of the nicer hotels in the area can arrange for an airport pickup from
Esmeraldas. By car, the turnoff for the highway west to Atacames,
“Vía a Atacames,” is at the major traffic circle a few miles south of
Esmeraldas on the main highway from Santo Domingo.

Súa-Same Area
Just a fewmiles down the coast fromAtacames is the fishing village of
Súa. Here you'll find a transformation in the land, a return to the nat-
ural, with lowmountains and patches of wet and dry tropical forests.
Súa is great as a day trip fromAtacames or as a destination in itself if
you're interested in the culture of a fishing community. Expect to find
better rates but fewer choices for beachside accommodations.

Just a few miles southwest of Súa lies the isolated resort getaway of
Same, lined with a nice stretch of gray-sand beach. A popular retreat
for the affluent, Same is the last of the resort areas belowEsmeraldas
along the north coast. From here, the main road stretches inland and
upward before returning to the coast and ending at the port and is-
land town of Muisne.

By bus or car, the Súa-Same area is a couple of miles beyond
Atacames on the Vía a Atacames Highway from Esmeraldas.

Muisne & Mangrove Forests
For a complete change of pace, head to the small port town of Muisne,
where shrimp farming and shipping dominate the economy andman-
grove estuaries line the shore. Muisne, on an island across the bay, is
one of the last places along Ecuador's coast where undisturbed man-
grove forests remain intact. Primarily because of its distant location
and active support from a foundation known as FUNDECOL,
Muisne's mangrove forests have successfully resisted coastal devel-
opment and conversion to shrimp-rearing ponds. Motorized boats can
be hired in town to visit the extensive estuary and mangrove forests.
Alternatively, FUNDECOL, located a block off the plaza, 5-480-

167, offers guided tours into mangrove estuaries, lowland rainforest,
and a bird sanctuary.

Take the Vía a Atacames Highway from Esmeraldas all the way to
the end of the road at El Relleno , across the estuary from Muisne.
From Esmeraldas, get on a bus heading all the way to Muisne, a few
hours away. Or catch a bus from Atacames, Súa, or Same. At the end
of the highway in El Relleno, hop into a motorized water taxi for the
10-minute ride across the Río Muisne to the village of Muisne. At
Muisne, follow the main “road” into the village center and on to the
ocean.