Welcome to Puerto Lopez

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.

Puerto Lopez has been undeniably blessed by mother nature, which has endowed it with more than 35 tourism attractions. These include tropical rainforests and dry forests, cliffs, coral reefs and island and islet systems, all of which contain unique flora and fauna. These treasures are a joy to both locals and visitors alike and position tourism as a major economic opportunity - one that should be pursued properly and reasonably. The exploitation of tourists, particularly those from abroad, is unacceptable. Visitors must be treated as human beings, rather than goldmines, so that their time in Puerto López is wonderful and memorable. The city's hotel infrastructure is at its maximum capacity, while at the canton level it is at 90%. The canton’s hospitality industry is comprised of hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts and boarding houses. There are also restaurants and tourism agencies, which are most busy between June and September, the high season during which the number of national and international tourists reaches its apex. According to records kept by Machalilla National Park, tourism activity hit a low point in 1998, barely reaching 10,349 visitors – 6,172 nationals and 4,177 internationals; this coincided with the El Niño effect. Inspired by the striking beauty of Puerto López's beaches, tourists have christened it the "little Galapagos,” the “Ecuadorian Acapulco,” the “cradle of ancient cultures” and the “Coast of Magic and Culture” – or, as suggested by the municipal government, the "first ecological canton."