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Los Frailes beach, with its large, sweeping expanse of sand framed by high bluffs, is one of the most memorable and pristine stretches of coastline in Ecuador. Part of the protected Parque Nacional Machalilla since 1979, the beach is one of the most visited areas of the preserve, but only a small part of the 55,000 hectares of coastal land home to a variety of marine life such as dolphins and sea lions, over 200 species of birds, howler monkeys, anteaters, deer, squirrels, iguanas, and lizards. A visit to peaceful Los Frailes beach provides visitors with opportunities to relax and view unique habitats and wildlife regardless of the season.
It’s possible to visit Los Frailes Beach and Parque Nacional Machalilla year-round. January through April, during the green rainy season, the southern coast is hot and humid, but also clear and sunny, providing ideal weather for sunbathing and swimming. May through December, the dry season, the sky is often clouded and temperatures are refreshingly cool and perfect for taking long walks or hikes through the cloud forest, or visiting the pre-Columbian archeological sites within Parque Nacional Machalilla and nearby towns.
The high season is in July and August when the humpback whales migration is at its peak and tours take eager travelers offshore to watch the whales breach and hear them sing on their journey from their Antarctic feeding grounds to the equator where they mate and calve. The area is also very popular during the rainy season when sunbathers and swimmers find the temperatures warmest.
Los Frailes beach is one of the most memorable and pristine stretches of coastline in Ecuador...
Machalilla National Park
Parque Nacional Machalilla is in the Manabí Province in the northern section of the coastal route known as the Spondylus Route. This is a famous stretch of beach running north from Parque Nacional Machalilla down south to the Santa Elena Penninsula. Parque Nacional Machalilla is Ecuador’s only coastal national park and helps protect one of the most threatened tropical forests in the world. The park includes a variety of different microclimates and protects 40,000 hectares of cloud forest and tropical dry forest, 20,000 hectares of ocean dotted with islands like the popular Isla de la Plata and Salango, and 50km of beach, of which Los Frailes beach is the largest and most inviting.
Most people access Parque Nacional Machalilla and Los Frailes beach from Puerto López, a popular fishing town because of its charm and proximity to many destinations along the Spondylus Route. In Puerto López many tour guides offer combined day trips to Los Frailes beach and a visit to the sulfur baths and archaeological museum in Agua Blanca for $25 per person. In whale watching season, trips composed of snorkeling around Isla de la Plata are combined with whale watching for around $30 per person. Other trips explore the cloud forest in San Sebastian and Julcuy or offer horseback riding or diving tours which can be a unique and memorable way to explore Parque Nacional Machalilla. However, travelers can certainly visit Los Frailes beach on their own without a guide.
How to get to Los Frailes beach in the Machalilla National park
The turn off for Los Frailes beach is just before the town of Machalilla and 10km north of Puerto López. To find the beach by car, enter the park, and then travel 3km past the ranger station where tickets, sodas, and water are sold. Taxis from Puerto López cost around $7 one-way, or under $15 round-trip. Taxis will normally leave and come back at an agreed upon time. Alternately, busses from Puerto López headed to Jipijapa cost $0.25, take about 20 minutes, and drop passengers off at the park entrance. From there travelers without a car can often catch a moto taxi which costs $3, or take one of the walking trails to the beach. The left fork is a 30-minute walk, and the right fork is an incredibly scenic 4 kilometer circular trail which takes about 2 hours, but is well worth it.
Hiking inside the Machalilla National Park
Those who enjoy hiking and nature should take the longer trail which meanders through unique dry forest vegetation with bottle-shaped trees adorned with heavy spines and spindly cacti, past rock formations, viewpoints, coves, and islets. The trail leads past two beaches, La Playita Negra, a small black-sand cove, and Playa La Tortuguita where spiky rock formations jut out of the turquoise water. From Playa La Tortuguita walkers can continue on the main path to Los Frailes Beach, or follow another fork that leads through fragrant trees and up to a clearing that provides views of the coastline. Walkers are rewarded with glimpses of such diverse wildlife as blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, lizards, deer, and of course the undeveloped and open white sand beach of Los Frailes.
Los Frailes beach is often said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Ecuador, and many say in South America. The admission fee and the protection of the Parque Nacional Machalilla has kept it undeveloped, clean, and quiet besides the crabs and seabirds. Although the crescent shaped bay has very few waves and the waters look tranquil and inviting, swimmers and snorkelers should be careful of the strong undertows. It’s best to swim with a friend, and only bathe at the ends of the bay where the undertow is less strong. Travelers should also bring plenty of water, sunblock, and a large brim hat or beach umbrella as shade is scarce and the view often keeps travelers on the beach for longer than they intended.
The admission fee to the park is around $20, lasts 5 days, and covers all areas of the park including the islands. For those wishing only to explore Los Frailes beach and the mainland areas of the park, the admission fee is around $12. Visitors can buy tickets at the park headquarters in Puerto López which shares a building with a regional tourism office, or at the ranger station at the entrance of the park. Insist on a receipt and carry it with you while you explore.
