Ecuador Travel

El Murcielago beach in Manabi

Overview

The beach known as El Murcielago -- which literally means "the bat" -- is the most popular beach and the one with the best services in the large coastal city of Manta, in the southern province of Manabí. This wide, sandy beach is located just beside the central Malecon (boardwalk) meaning that bars, restaurants, public restrooms and even a small craft market are all within easy walking distance. Beach chairs and umbrellas are available for daily rental, and vendors roaming the beach sell everything from hats and sunglasses to fresh ceviche and ice cold beer. A day at this beach is a must for anyone planning to visit Manta and the surrounding areas, since it allows a peaceful relaxed escape from the hustle and bustle of the nearby city. It is rarely crowded during the week, though more visitors generally arrive on weekends and during holidays.

Highlights

Surfing and Kite-Surfing- The beach is a well-known surfing and kite-surfing destination (kite surfing being a relatively new water sport which combines wind-surfing with a kite for an added thrill).

It is an exposed beach break with consistent waves and constant breezes, which makes it such a good destination for kite surfing. Optimum conditions are generally during the spring and summer months, and equipment rentals are available in the area for those wishing to practice either surfing or kite-surfing. Several other recreational aquatic sports, such as diving, sailing, body-boarding and fishing, may also be enjoyed here. For those not inclined to participate in the sports, it is a great spot to watch the acrobatic show of kite-surfers and surfers from the comfort and safety of the beach.

Scenic Malecon - Right next to Playa Murcielago is the Malecon, a place to enjoy the small hand-craft stores, people watching, and have a delicious seafood dish at one of the many restaurants. On weekends, several activities and events are scheduled here such as aerobics or dance competitions.

Restaurants and Entertainment - Thanks to its proximity to Manta, El Murcielago has a wide variety of restaurant options serving local and international dishes, and the beach is home to numerous small bars featuring the mouth watering, fruity, exotic cocktails which are typical of the coast.

The restaurants lining the nearby malecon sell exceedingly fresh and inexpensive fish, shrimp, octopus, calamari, clams, mussels, prawns, lobsters, crabs and scallops: especially recommended are El Mediterraneo (Spanish food), Mima (seafood) and Paraná (seafood), all of which are located along the malecon. El Murcielago is also close to a number of retail stores, supermarkets and banking facilities, and other nearby beaches -- such as the popular beach of Los Frailes in Machalilla National Park. These are within easy driving distance.

Whale Watching - This is also an excellent area for whale watching between the months of June and September. Two to four hour whale watching tours can be easily booked with one of the local agencies.

Lodging - For those wishing to book lodgings on the beach, there are a number of good options available, with pricing ranging from afordable to luxury class.

Getting There

El Murcielago beach is located next to the malecon in the city of Manta and is reachable by both bus and plane from the major cities of Ecuador. The city of Manta has a national airport and airlines such as Aerogal, Icaro and Tame offer flights from the city of Quito. The cost of the round-trip ticket is around $140 and the flight time is 30 minutes.
Using ground transportation; from Quito one can take the route Aloag- Santo Domingo- El Carmen- Chone. Tlength of the trip is about 7 hours. From Guayaquil, one can take the Pedro Carbo-Jipijapa- Montecristi route and it is a 5 hour trip. If taking a bus, the cost from Quito is of $8 and $4 from Guayaquil.