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Overview
Located in the southern province of Manabí, the beautiful Parque Nacional Machalilla is Ecuador´s only coastal national park. The park occupies 40,000 acres of land and 20,000 hectares of ocean, including a number offshore islands, of which Isla de la Plata and Salango are the most important. The park is located near to the tiny fishing village of Machalilla, to the north, and the larger and more developed port town of Puerto Lopez, to the south. From December to May, it is sunny and hot, with frequent short rainstorms. From June to November it is cooler and often overcast. The park is best visited during the month of July when the weather is still somewhat sunny and the whales are beginning to arrive.
Machalilla takes its name directly from one of the pre-Columbian cultures that inhabited the area from about 800 BC to 500 BC. Many of the park’s archaeological remains date from the slightly later Manta period, which began around 500 AD and lasted up until the conquest. It is possible to visit several of the archeological sites within the park, including the well-known site of Agua Blanca, which is still under study and excavation. The site is located 7.5 miles north of Puerto López, and about three miles off of the main highway running through the park. There is a local community with ancestors who date back to the Manteña Culture which inhabited the area from 800 AC to 1532 AC. The small community-run museum can be visited with a guide, and tours introduce you to ancient burial customs, typical dress, and religious practices and include a mile-long walk through the surrounding forests, where you can bird-watch and catch views of the river valley and lagoon.
The beautiful Parque Nacional Machalilla is Ecuador´s only coastal national park...
The Machalilla National Park was established in 1979, and in 1990 it was named an internationally important wetland area under the Ramsar Convention. The influence of the warm Humboldt Current in the Pacific ocean helps to preserve the amazing combined ecosystem of the park, which features long stretches of tropical dry forest interspersed with sections of humid cloud forests in the upper reaches of the territory. The park protects most of the remaining preserves of this ecosystem to be found in Ecuador. Vegetation includes opuntia cactus, palo santo trees and kapok trees. Over 200 species of bird have been recorded in the park, including a range of coastal parrots, parrotlets and parakeets, as well as seabirds such as frigate birds, pelicans and boobies (some of which nest on the offshore islands). The park is the only habitat outside of the Galapagos of the waved albatross. Other wildlife to be found includes deer, squirrels, two species of monkeys, armadillos, anteaters and a variety of lizards, snakes and iguanas. Many of the large mammals are regionally and locally endangered.
The park is threatened by a number of factors, including deforestation, commercial fishing, and poaching, and in 1991, the Nature Conservancy, USAID, and a group of partner organizations began contributing funds for conservation as part of the Parks in Peril (PiP) program. An on-site center for educating visitors about the ecology of the park and conservation issues was opened as a result, and the park has also hired community members to serve as guards, thus increasing local awareness of the importance of the park and its ecosystem.
Isla de la Plata
One of the main attractions of the park is Isla de la Plata (Silver Island), so named at the end of the 16th century when the pirate Francis Drake ostensibly robbed treasure from Spanish ships and hid it on the island. According to legend, much of this treasure was never claimed and is still hidden somewhere on the island. Isla de la Plata is also known as the "poor man’s Galapagos" since it is possible to see many of the same species found on the much pricier and more distant Galapagos Islands. You will find nesting colonies of blue-footed boobies, red-footed boobies, masked boobies, frigate birds, and albatrosses, as well as sea lions, iguanas, and a variety of interesting plant life.
The island has two guided hiking routes which may be explored, and the local guides are generally well-versed on the flora and fauna and can provide visitors with detailed information and answer questions. In addition to the land based attractions, the island is surrounded by a series of coral reefs which are populated by a variety of colorful and fascinating marine-life, perfect for viewing while snorkeling or scuba diving. Humpback whales gather in the area every year between the months of June and September, and it is often possible to combine a trip to Isla de la Plata with a whale-watching tour. During the months of July and August, good sightings are almost always guaranteed, while in June and September sightings may be brief or distant.
Scuba Diving at Isla de la Plata
Isla de la Plata is by far the biggest hot spot for scuba diving on the Ecuador coast, because even though the temperatures are at a cool 60 to 65 degrees fahrenheit, the sea temperature is higher than 68 ºF. The island is surrounded by coral reefs so the marine life is exciting and plentiful.
Every diver who wants to dive at Isla de la Plata must get a dive certification card and logbook, as is the case with any registered agency around the world. (PADI, NAUI, SSI, ACUC, DIVA, CMAS, FEDAS, YMCA, DEWA ETC...)
Diver to dos before inmersion:
• Sign the document of liability release and own risk assumption.
• Be in a good condition health wise to take recreational dive activities.
• Not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Scuba diving schedules and timing at Isla de la Plata
When the dive excursions take place in the Machalilla National Park coast, the distances between Puerto Lopez and the different dive sites are relatively small. The departure time from Puerto Lopez will be at 09:00 am (the navigation times vary between 15 to 40 minutes), and the time to return will be at 14:00, after two dives. The most visited dive sites are: Roca de los Ahorcados, Salango Island, Rocas Ballenita, Punta Mala, Punta Piqueros, Horno de Pan, Bajo los Frailes, Punta Machalilla, La Viuda, Islote Sucre, Islote Pedernales and Bajo de Cantagallo.
When the dive departure takes place headed for the La Plata Island, the navigation time to Puerto Lopez is about one hour 30 minutes to Bahía Drake (National Park Office), but it depends on the weather and sea conditions. If the sea conditions are bad, then the navigation time will take from 2 to 2 hours 30 minutes. The most visited sites are: Punta Escalera, Punta Palo Santo, Punta el Faro, Punta Machete, Roca Honda, El Acuario and Los Islotes.
The sea floor along the coast is made up of rock with massive coral reef patches and sand. Above the rock bottoms, divers can find coral fans (Gorgonians) in a variety of colors. La Plata Island bottoms are, most of the time, made up of rock combined with massive coral reef patches in good condition, coral fans (Gorgonians) and sand areas. The fauna is very rich and interesting. There are big groups of reef fish like: angelfish, butterfly fish, trumpet fish, flute fish, jacks, sea basses, puffer fish, balloon fish, morays, snappers, trigger fish, parrot fish, scorpion fish, manta rays, guitar rays and white tip sharks. Divers can also see some green marine turtles, different species of sea stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.
Isla de la Plata, How to get there
Numerous tour companies offer trips to Isla de la Plata, some of which are licensed and some of which are not. A standard licensed tour costs $35 (not including the park entrance fee) and includes transport to and from the island, lunch, a guided hike and a brief opportunity to snorkel. The trip to the island takes over an hour at fairly rapid clip and can be rough, so be sure to take motion sickness medicine as necessary and bring a wind breaker to protect against the wind and spray. Licensed tour boats come equipped with life jackets, radios, and basic toilet facilities. The majority of the agencies offering tours are to be found along General Córdova and Malecón Julio Izurieta in the town of Puerto Lopez.
Other tours in Parque Machalilla include horseback riding, kayaking, fishing, snorkeling, and diving, with tour operators being found primarily in Puerto Lopez. If you are planning to visit Isla de la Plata and the mainland areas of Parque Nacional Machalilla, you should buy the combined entrance ticket for the island and the mainland for $20 ($5 for Ecuadorians). Otherwise, entrance to the island is $15 for foreigners and $3.50 for Ecuadorians, while the entrance to the mainland park areas is $12 and $2 for Ecuadorians. Multi-day passes are also available.
Visitors to Parque Machalilla may camp (though only basic services are available) or stay at one of the various hotels in the nearby towns of Machalilla or Puerto Lopez. Of the two choices, Puerto Lopez has more options and a better-developed tourist infrastructure, and is also a good place from which to book tours to Isla de la Plata or other area attractions. One interesting lodging option is the Hostaria Andaluz, a unique ecolodge located directly on the beach near to Machalilla, which features lush gardens, sustainably built bamboo cabins and food made from fresh, local, organic ingredients (http://www.alandaluz.com/, $24 - $48 per person per night; area tours also available). Parque National Machalilla is reached by regular bus services which run along the Ruta del Spondylus.
