Machalilla National Park (Parque Nacional Machalilla) is a protected natural area in the Pacific coast of the Coastal Lowlands region of Ecuador.
Understand
[edit]The park covers an area of more than 75,000 hectares.
History
[edit]The park was created as part of the Ecuador national parks system in 1979. In 1990, it was designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance.
Landscape
[edit]The coastal landscape is mostly rocky beaches and cliffs that abut the ocean. The park includes several small offshore islands. The inland areas are mostly dry grasslands, dry forests, and moist fog forests. The vegetation is mostly drought-tolerant species, including cactus and kapok.
Flora and fauna
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The park is mostly dry with tropical scrub desert and dry forest covering most of the terrain. It has cactus and other drought-resistant plants. A moister area of fog forest has flowers and vines that pull moisture from the air and are green throughout the year.
Birdwatchers will find about 270 species in the park, including toucans, macaws, and more local species like the Peruvian screech owl, Golden olive woodpecker and the whooping motmot. Except for the Galapagos Islands, the park is the only place where you can see the Waved albatross.
Climate
[edit]Get in
[edit]The nearest major airport with scheduled commercial flights is Guayaquil International Airport (GYE IATA) (officially, Aeropuerto José Joaquín de Olmedo). From Guayaquil you can take a bus or hire a driver to take you to the park.
By bus
[edit]From Guayaquil, buses leave from the Terminal Terestre every hour for Machalilla. If a direct bus is not leaving soon, you may be able to go to Jipijapa and catch an onward connecting bus. The direct bus takes 2-1/2 hours to make the trip and costs US$15 per person.
Fees and permits
[edit]Get around
[edit]See
[edit]- Los Frailes: beautiful beach with soft, powdery sand and clear waters. Part of the beach is open to visitors while part is closed to protect sea turtle nesting areas.
- Isla de la Plata: the island is popular among snorkelers and scuba divers who can observe the richly diverse undersea life around the island including sea turtles, tropical fish, and manta rays. Humpback whales can often be sighted offshore. The island is also popular among birders who come to see the various types of boobies, including blue-footed, red-footed, and Nazca boobies.
- Agua Blanca: visitors who appreciate archaeology and anthropology will want to see Agua Blanca which has a site museum that explains the six different cultures that are known to have inhabited the area from pre-Colombian times. Walking tours of the archaeological site are available.
Do
[edit]- Snorkel
- Hike: the park has several well-marked, tourist-friendly trails
- Isla de la Plata Trail - easy, tourist friendly loop trail around the island. The trail is 6.4 km in length and provides panoramic views of the island and seascapes.
- Monkey Trail - 5 km trail through the Pacoche Forest, the trail gets its name from the large number of monkeys who live in the tree canopy overhead. The trail is fairly easy and will take about 2 hours to complete.
- Frigate Trail - 2.7 km out-and-back trail that provides panoramic ocean views and opportunities to spot many of the park's 270 bird species (so bring the binoculars).