Ecuador Travel

Kite y Surf Spondylus Route

Kite y Surf Spondylus Route

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Overview

The Spondylus Routh is a trail down Ecuador’s coast that combines many of the elements that comprise the country’s culture. Much more than just a “Ruta del Sol,” a trip down the Spondylus Route features the history and archaeology of Ecuador’s pre-Colombian cultures, the pristine wildlife of its nature preserves, the adventure of its inland mountains, the relaxation of its sandy beaches, and the delights of its unique gastronomy. Named after the Spondylus shell, a red shell with paramount significance to the Valdivia natives, this trail can begin as far north as Esmeraldas and make its way South through major cities, small towns, preserved land and sandy Pacific shoreline. The Spondylus Route winds all the way through the South and continues on into Peru.

To visit the Spondylus Trail is to take a journey back thru time and discover the Las Vegas Culture, which was the first known culture that prospered in America more than 11,000 years ago and to see the remnants of the Valdivia Culture that was one of the first cultures in the Americas to shape clay into sculptures and utensils (4,000 B.C.). To be on the Spondylus Trail is to be where Pizarro landed for the first time in South America and where he initiated his conquest of the Incan empire. Also, to be here is to see where the Toquilla straw originates and how the world famous straw hats are weaved.

A recently developed route, the Spondylus Route is the best way to experience the rich and diverse culture of Ecuador’s coast. Travelers can hop on with a pre-arranged tour or pick and choose their top destinations and set South on their own. The region has plenty of exceptional transportation options, as well as lodging, dining, and tour options. Whether travelers crave seafood, sun, sandy beaches, archaeological sites, or mountains, the Spondylus Route has plenty of each.

History

The Spondylus Route passes through Ecuador’s Southern Coast, a region rich in culture whose Valdivia people date back almost 11,000 years. The Valdivia natives were some of the most advanced of their time, crafting utensils and ornaments out of clay as early as 4000 B.C. The Valdivia people were also significant for their maritime skills, sailing along the Pacific shoreline as far South as Chile and as far north as Mexico.

The Spondylus shell (“Mullu” in the native Quechua) was a huge part of the Valdivia’s religion and economy. This red, spiky shell was revered as sacred to the Valdivia people. It was a ritual symbol of fertility and prosperity. The Spondylus shell was used to predict periods of drought. It was a sacred icon of guidance in pre-Colombian, pre-Incan society. The Spondylus shell was also a ceremonial offering and became the primary cross-cultural currency. The Valdivia people traveled hundreds of miles by sea in their balsawood boats and traded the Spondylus shell with cultures in Central America and Pacific Mexico. By all means, the Spondylus shell is the emblematic artifact of Ecuador’s advanced indigenous culture.

The Spondylus Trail shows us more than 11,000 years of history in museums, archaeological sites and excavations. Learn about the social organization of the main pre-Columbian cultures and their supernatural interpretation of their environment very connected to life in the ocean.

The Spondylus shell (Mullu in Quechua), was used thousands of years ago to predict droughts, times of abundance, and was traded all the way up to middle America ( the modern territories of Mexico and Central America) by the navigators of the Manteña balsawood sailing vessels; and was known as the Red Gold of the Incas.

The route is also historically significant for being the first place the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro landed and the place in which the world-famous Toquilla straw hats originated.

Attractions

The first of many types of attractions along the Spondylus Route is the appeal of its preserved archaeology and rich history. The region has plenty of museums, documenting the unique epoch in pre-Colombian South America. Guayaquil’s Casa de la Cultura exhibits a valuable Collection of prehistoric gold, most coming from the coastal natives of Ecuador. Archaeological artifacts are also on display including clay whistles, headdresses, and plenty of stonework. Guayaquil also features the El Museo Municipal, presenting ample collections in each of its four sections (Archaeology, History, Colonial Art, Modern Art).

The city of Manta also has a great pre-Colombian museum, the Museo del Banco Central de Manta. This museum has a permanent archaeology exhibit that displays artifacts from the Valdivia, Machalilla, Chorrera, Jama Coaque, Bahía, Guangala and Manteña cultures. Bahia de Caráquez features a great museum of its own with the Museo Arqueologico Bahia de Caráquez.

Get to know the ethnic groups that inhabit picturesque villages located on the beaches and to the interior of the coastal regions including from national cultural heritage cities like Zaruma. As the heirs of ancestral cultures, they form an important part of the conglomeration of live cultures of Ecuador.

Enjoy the diversity of the indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian groups, the montubios and mestizos of the coastal region and the native people of the southern Andes. Share with these cultures their music, religious customs, exquisite cuisine and handicrafts. Come and experience the Cultural Mosaic of the Spondylus Trail.

The Spondylus Route also features plenty of outdoor archaeological sites. These include Valdivia and Sumpa in the Santa Elena province, La Tolita Pampa de Oro in the Esmeraldas province, and Agua Blanca, Japoto, Cerro de Jaboncillo, and Chirije in the Manabí province.

In addition to the wealth of culture along the Spondylus Route, travelers can also delight in the natural beauty. There are thirteen areas of natural conservation along the Spondylus Route, making it a great way to see Ecuador’s flora and fauna. On the northern end of the route is the Cayapas-Mataje Mangrove Ecological Reserve, easily accessible from Esmeraldas. This reserve has the world’s tallest mangrove trees. As you head south, the coastal Machalilla National Park combines continental preserved land with unique island like Isla de la Plata. Isla de la Plata hosts the blue-footed booby and other species only found on this island and the Galapagos Islands. Humpback whales frequent the area from June to September to perform their mating rituals. Machalilla National Park is best accessed from Puerto Lopez.

Further south lays the Gulf of Guayaquil and its estuaries as well as the Morro Channel and the Jambeli Archpelago. These are great areas for dolphin watching and are best reached from Guayaquil. Continue your trip south down the Spondylus Route with visits to Arenillas Ecological Reserve outside of Machala. Finish all the way south with the Puyango National Forest and Podocarpus National Park, both easily accessed from the city of Loja.

The cuisine along the Spondylus Route is a huge attraction. The shoreline provides much of the route with the freshest of seafood and the diverse culture makes for very unique gastronomy. Most dishes combine seafood with vegetables and one-of-a-kind sauces. Try the ceviche or the arroz marinero. The Esmeraldas portion of the Spondylus Route is known for its encocados, entrees based with coconut. Peanut based dishes are the specialty in Manabi.

Adventure enthusiasts will also delight in the opportunities for hiking, hangliding, paragliding, canopy tours, canyoning , and mountain biking. These activities can be done in many of the protected lands along the Spondylus Route. Crucita in the Manabi province is considered to have on e of the best takeoff sites for hanggliding and paragliding in all of South America. Canyoning can be done in areas like Dos Mangas, Sinchal, and Loma Alta.

And of course any route down the coast has the beach and all of its attractions. Popular activities are sailing, surfing, diving, and snorkeling.

How to get there

Flights are best going into Quito or Guayaquil. Once within Ecuador, it depends on where you want your journey to begin. If you plan to start in the North, a bus from Quito to Esmeraldas takes about 8 hours. If beginning in Guayaquil, a bus from Quito takes about ten hours. Expect to pay about one dollar per hour on the cheapest bus with higher prices for more luxurious buses.

When to go

The climate varies along the coast. As a rule of thumb in Guayaquil and the rest of the South, January to May is the hot and rainy season while the rest of the year is more dry and cool. June to September is especially attractive for the humpback whale breeding period though it also attracts large crowds and higher rates. If possible, try to travel in between seasons during months like September. These months have milder weather and fewer crowds.