We visited Ecuador on our recent cruise of South America. Our stay was short but we were able to get a feel for it, especially the Ecuadoran port city of Manta. When we docked at Manta, we immediately noticed the fishermen with their full nets. In fact, Ecuador is known as “the tuna capital of the world” which was obvious, even from the balcony of our ship!
Quito is the city usually associated with Ecuador. It is a gorgeous city that has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. In fact, I would love to visit it but that will have to wait for another time!
Our focus was Manta which we toured with a group from our cruise ship. We toured a number of craft shops and I was surprised that the focus of the tour was Panama hats. We had expected to see the hats in Panama – certainly not Ecuador! In fact, we found out that although the hats were sold in Panama, they were made in other locations-of which Ecuador was one. We were able to watch the crafts people make the hats-from start to finish! I believe this was the reason that many of the hats were enormously expensive!
Manta is also known for beautiful beaches and world-class seafood! If you have the time, go to Quito or La Paz. If you are especially ambitious, take a trip to the Galapagos Islands!
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