travel42 Port Guide: Manta

travel42 Professional Cruise Port of Call Review

If you happen to be driving along the central Pacific coast 80 mi/130 km northwest of Guayaquil, a stop in Manta, Ecuador, offers a pleasant few hours.

A busy harbor town, Manta offers the Banco Central Museum (ancient Amerindian artifacts), an artisan market in Plaza Civica, an old wooden church and a picturesque fishing harbor.

The surrounding countryside of Manta has pristine beaches, backed by lush, rolling hills covered in orchards and cotton plantations. The sea has a dangerous under...