Ecuador Travel

Crucita paragliding

Overview

The coastal town of Crucita is a hidden jewel among Ecuador’s beaches. While with each passing year more tourists discover its charms, beautiful Crucita retains its off the beaten track appeal, its low key vibe, and its exceedingly friendly and welcoming fishing village ambience.

Crucita boasts a pleasant ribbon of dark sand beach and a Malecon with plenty of seafood restaurants. The town's relaxed atmosphere shifts slightly on weekends. Crucita's massive cliffs and good wind conditions are conductive to airborne activities.

From beautiful beaches, to adventurous thrills, to delicious food and drink, Crucita has it all – and the booming real estate market makes it an excellent spot to invest in the beach-front property you’ve always dreamed of, becoming one of the many who never entirely leave this hidden paradise.

Highlights

Paragliding – Crucita boasts a 13km long strip of dark sand beach flanked by high, picturesque bluffs and dunes. The thermals against the southern hills make it an ideal site for paragliding, a sport which has quickly become one of the most popular activities for those who visit the beach.

For those wishing to give the sport a try, Raul Tobar is the town’s most highly recommended flying guide. He is well-trained, very capable and, after having spent a number of years in the US, fluent in English. He can be found at Hostal Voladores/Hotel Crucita, a large white hotel located on the bluffs at the southern end of the beach.

Tandem rides – the way to go if you’re a beginner – are a mere $35. Flights take off generally around midday, depending on weather conditions, and last between 10 - 15 minutes for a tandem flight. For those looking to learn how to improve their skills and learn to fly solo, five-day intensive training courses are available.

Whale- watching – Another popular activity for visitors to the Crucita area is humpback whale watching. The whale watching season runs from approximately June to September. During this time, whales are very frequently seen just off the coast, traveling either individually, in pairs, or in groups of sometimes eight at a time.

The whales migrate north from the Antarctic with the Humboldt Current during these months in order to gather in the warm, shallow waters off of the Ecuadorian coast in search of a mate. Whale calves are born and fed to develop fat reserves for their return migration in September/October, while the courting adults perform truly spectacular displays with impressive breach leaps and tail thrashing. Whale watching tours generally last between 2 - 4 hours and set off around midday, though this will depend on the type of company you choose to go with: there are area options ranging from the highly professional to the makeshift, which is often an off-duty fiberglass fishing boat which has been temporarily repurposed for tourism.

Prices range from around $15 - $25, and those with seasickness are advised to take one of the sturdier boat options and bring medication, as the water can get quite rough at times. Whale watching tours are more commonly taken further south, especially out of the main hub of Puerto Lopez near Machalilla National Park, but options are available all along the coast, including directly out of Crucita, during the height of the whale-watching season. Dolphins are also frequently seen playing close to the shore during these months, so be sure to take your camera along!

Food and Lodging – With a population of around 10,000, Crucita still feels like a fishing village, though growing national and international interest in recent years has led to the construction of a number of modern homes and resort developments in the area.

Prices however remain low, especially for the delicious fresh seafood dishes abundantly available at the restaurants lined all along the malecón: a lobster dinner costs around $8 - $12, and typical almuerzos (lunches) are priced between $2 -$3.

Entertainment – While generally not crowded, during weekends and holidays the malecón area of Crucita becomes heavily visited and the numerous beach-front bars come alive with music, dancing, and merriment. The bars serve a variety of elaborately decorated exotic fresh-fruit cocktails which are best enjoyed while watching the sun set over the ocean.

Getting There

Crucita is located on the Ecuadorian southern coast in the province of Manabí, approximately 1 hour north of the city of Manta and 50 minutes from the inland provincial capital of Portoviejo. It is easily reached by bus from the main cities: buses run along the central malecón (boardwalk) and there is frequent service to Portoviejo ($1.00) and Manta ($1.50), and taxi service is also available (approximately $10 to/from Portaviejo, $15 to/from Manta).