Back in Tierradientro, when a fellow Austrian traveller told us about Puerto Lopez and surroundings, he completely bought us (thankfully he was not a travel agent!). Initially, we were not sure whether the 8-hour side journey from Cuenca was worth the time but how can you say no to… whales!
Town and Fish Market
Now, the sleepy fishermen village of Puerto Lopez is far from being your dream destination in terms of general beauty. The main road (where all the shops and supermarkets are) cuts the town in half but all restaurants, travel agencies and hostels developed around the touristy Malecon.
Main road of Puerto Lopez
Nothing really happens in town apart from the daily local fish market (next to the docks) where you can buy the freshest catch of the day for a couple of dollars. Just know that getting here early doesn’t necessarily mean “better” fish, in fact, at different times in the morning you can find different types of fish. The good news is that they’re all tasty! If you have a kitchen, you can’t leave Puerto Lopez without having cooked some seafood!
Accomodation
Sleeping options in town are not many but between booking and AirBnB there’s plenty of choice for all budgets. Truth to be told, whether you’re opting for a dorm, private room or apartment it’s hard to spend less than 20-25$/night per couple even though some local places (bare minimum standards) stand on the 15$/night mark. During our stay we opted for AirBnB and decided to rent a small apartment at Casa Mosaico for 4 days.
Getting Around
To get to Puerto Lopez there are plenty of buses leaving from Guayaquil (4h) or Manta (2h) but less often from Montañita (1h30min), another backpacker hub. Annoyingly enough, the bus terminal (Terminal Terrestre) is located just outside town so you need to get a tuk-tuk to get into town (0.50$/pp).
Things to do
During the year the place attracts a fair amount of tourists who come here mainly for three things: visit the “cheap Galapagos” a.k.a Silver Island (Isla de Plata), explore the Machailla National Park and witness whales migrations.
Silver Island – A beautiful island 1-hour away from the coast which host a great variety of “galapagos” avian fauna such as blue-footed boobies, albatrosses and frigates. Entrance to the island is free but access is restricted to tour companies (tours usually include lunch, snorkelling and hiking around for a total of 6-7 hours – expect to spend 40-45$/pp) which must include a park’s guide. Check our article about Isla de la Plata!
Whales migrations (June to September) – Just for a couple of months per year, local tour agencies organise whale watching tours just off the coast of Puerto Lopez. Be aware that even though they’re advertised as whale watching tours, you’ll spend the same amount of time watching whales as you will, if you go on one tour to Silver Island (45min to 1h). Expect to spend 20-25$/pp for this tour and make sure it includes visiting and snorkelling around Salango Island.
Machailla National Park & Los Frailes – If you’re in Puerto Lopez, you cannot miss a visit to the only coastal national park in Ecuador. There are plenty of hiking trails and horse riding trails (better options from Montañita) but the majority of people opt for an easy relaxing hike to the beautiful Playa Los Frailes. Entrance is free and it only takes an hour to hike through three beaches and two miradors: definitely worth the time!
The village of Puerto Lopez might not be the nicest (and surely not the cheapest) place to visit in Ecuador but its a great spot for getting to know some amazing Ecuadorian nature unique in the world.
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