Machalilla

LOCATION: Coast

Surface area : 138 320 acres /

between 0 and 2 460 ft (0 and 750 meter) /

Protected since: 1979

PHOTO GALLERY

The land part of the park is about 40,000 ha and includes, in addition to about 50 km of beach, an inland hilly country with dry tropical forest with shrubs, cacti and kapok trees. In the rainy season and especially when the Niño rains fall, the landscape quickly changes from yellow-gray to bright green. It is then humid and very hot.

Nearly 20,000 has its marine reserve and, in addition to the coastal strip with beautiful beaches (such as Los Frailes), also some islands off the coast, such as Isla Salango and the famous Isla de la Plata, which rightfully bears the name Little Galapagos. Blue-footed, masked and red-footed boobies nest on the island (25 km off the coast). Frigate birds, tropic birds and a few pairs of Galapagosalbatrosses also breed there. A small colony of sea lions lives on the beaches below the island’s cliffs.

The best base for a visit to Machalilla is the town of Puerto Lopez. This is also the park’s administrative center, where you can buy tickets and find maps and other information about the park.

In the period July-August you have a good chance of seeing the 15 meter long humpback whales leaping out of the water.

WHY TRAVEL WITH EXPLORE ECUADOR?

Tom - guide in EcuadorI’m Tom from Belgium and I’ll make sure your trip to Ecuador or cruise in Galapagos goes as smoothly and pleasantly as possible. I have been living in Ecuador for a decade and have been working in tourism for 8 years now. Before that, I obtained my guides diploma in Ecuador. Traveling and discovering new places is my passion.
Together with the local travel agency Descubre-Ecuador, we offer tailor-made tours in Galapagos and on the Ecuadorian mainland. Over the years, Descubre-Ecuador has built a reliable partnership with the best hotels and the best nature guides in Ecuador. Our small-scale way of working ensures easy accessibility and a lot of flexibility when traveling.
Customer satisfaction is the essence for us. And even in those rare moments of unforeseen difficult circumstances, we make sure that we are there to make sure your trip runs smoothly.
Explore Ecuador and Galapagos!

WHY TRAVEL TO ECUADOR?

Indian woman from SalasacasIn South America, Ecuador is one of the smaller countries, but the country is hugely diverse in terms of geography, climate and population. You can visit the Andes, the Amazon rainforest as well as the tropical coast without taking extremely long domestic flights or transfers. And then you have the Galapagos Islands, a once in a lifetime experience. The diversity of flora and fauna per square mile is enormous. Ecuador is South America in a nutshell. Moreover, the country is relatively safe and little visited. The national currency is the USD and you have a wide choice of direct flights to Quito and Guayaquil from Europe and the United States.

WAAROM REIZEN MET ONTDEK-ECUADOR?

Tom - guide in EcuadorIk ben Tom uit België en zorg ervoor dat jullie reis naar Ecuador of cruise in Galapagos zo vlot en aangenaam mogelijk kan verlopen. Ik woon al een tiental jaren in Ecuador en werk nu 8 jaren in toerisme. Daarvoor heb ik in Ecuador mijn gidsen-diploma behaald. Reizen en nieuwe plaatsen ontdekken is mijn passie. Samen met het lokale reiskantoor Descubre-Ecuador, bieden we reizen op maat in Galapagos en op het Ecuadoriaanse vasteland aan. Descubre-Ecuador heeft door de jaren heen een betrouwbare samenwerking opgebouwd met de beste hotels en de beste natuurgidsen van Ecuador. Onze kleinschalige manier van werken zorgt voor een vlotte bereikbaarheid en veel flexibiliteit bij het reizen. De tevredenheid van de klant is voor ons de essentie. En ook op die zeldzame momenten van onvoorziene moeilijke omstandigheden zorgen we dat we er zijn om jullie reis toch perfect te laten verlopen. Ontdek Ecuador en Galapagos!