Galera San Francisco

For years it has been suspected that the coastline and marine environments of the villages of Galera, Estero de Platano, Quingue and San Francisco - located in the southern part of Esmeraldas province - contain a biological diversity comparable to that of the Galapagos Islands. This suspicion was confirmed in 2008 after years of work by various entities. As a result of this work and the active participation of the local community, it was declared Ecuador's first continental marine reserve.