A worldwide popularity of ecotourism grew with an amazing pace in recent years. Hunters and fishermen of yesterday more and more realize today that showing the nature's riches of their country to tourists turns out to be much more interesting and profitable than extirpating the already decreasing populations of wild animals. And this is particularly true in the situation with whales, the largest animals on Earth.

Just half a century ago the only way to gain some profit out of whales was killing them to further use their meat, baleen and blubber, but today even the most active whalers have changed their job and become defenders of whales. It’s no wonder, a demand for travel packages including whale watching today far exceeds a demand for whale products, and ocean ecotours on boats for whale watching bring more than $100 billion a year to its providers worldwide. This is much more than you can make on hunting.

One of the most important objects of the whale ecotourism is a humpback whale. Some of its biological features make this species very convenient for watching, and wide areas of habitat allow travel agencies to organize sea travels for watching these whales in different parts of the world. Best of all, a humpback whale is really very interesting and convenient for tourists!

Isla de la Plata (Silver Island) is one of the major attractions of Parque Nacional Machalilla (Machalilla National Park). Both its unique population of resident and migratory birds and its stunning scenery make this idyllic place the perfect eco-tourism destination. The Island also boasts huge historical and cultural importance as it was used as a refuge by the pirate Sir Francis Drake, and as a hiding place for treasures stolen from Spanish galleons. It was also a ceremonial site for Manta culture leaders. In order to visit the island, Puerto López has a number of tour operators offering trips to Isla de la Plata all year round.
Once you have boarded your boat, the tour lasts all day, allowing you to enjoy some birdwatching of species such as frigates and blue-footed boobies, as well as diving in the Island’s marine territory. Between June and August, our tour operators can offer you our most famous eco-tourism attraction – the chance to watch humpback whales, which come to mate along the Ecuadorian coastline. This is one of the major tourism attraction of Parque Nacional Machalilla. Goggling-lovers will gaze in wonder at the coral reefs around Isla de la Plata and neighbouring islands Salango and El Ahorcado (The Hanged Man), as well as nearby islets and rocks.

The Valdivia and Manteño cultures of the past were able navigators and excellent fisherman – a form cultural heritage that has survived into the 21st century. Like their ancestors, Puerto López’s current inhabitants live from the sea and its riches; fishing is their life’s blood. Artisan fishing is the predominant form. All of the Canton’s fishermen set out in their small boats to earn their living in the great blue sea. Wooden rowing boats and rafts with sails have all but fallen out of use. Instead, most fishermen currently use fiberglass boats with outboard motors, which allow them cover longer distances in less time. The fishing boats usually set sale in the afternoon to spend the night exploring their fishing spots and checking their lures, and then return to the beach at dawn. The fishermen practice their trade using sophisticated tools, such as longlines, trammels and cast nets, although in some instances, they use harpoons. The most frequent catches are, in descending order, sea bass (corvina), mote sculpin (camotillo) and mullet (cabezudo).

Welcome to Puerto López, your tourism destination in Ecuador. We hope your visit here on your travel through Ecuador will find a special place in your heart. The wonderful town of Puerto López is a peaceful and quiet place that boasts more than 35 tourist attractions, the foremost of which are trips to observe humpback whales and seabirds. During your stay, you can visit the museums of Salango and Agua Blanca, the island paradise of Isla de la Plata, the Bola de Oro and El Rocío trails, various beaches such as Playa Rosada and Playa Tortuga, our coastal areas and unforgettable landscapes, and many more attractions…

The region’s cuisine includes typical Ecuadorian meals, as well as a variety of fish and shellfish dishes for those with more demanding palates…

One of the most important archaeological zones in Latin America, Puerto López stands for tourism, nature and science.