Tranquilo Tours Coastal Ecuador Tour
- tranquilotours
- Aug 5, 2025
- 4 min read
A Wild Week in Coastal Ecuador with Tranquilo Tours
Last month, our small group of travelers took off on an unforgettable weeklong journey along Ecuador’s stunning southern coast. Starting with a quick flight into Guayaquil—Ecuador’s largest city and coastal gateway—we took the opportunity to recover from our flights and stretch the legs by doing a walking tour and gondola ride to better see the city. Walking the over 400 steps up to the Light House was well worth it for the spectacular view of the city and it was a great window into the vibrant local daily life where the locals sing, dance, and create colorful art murals all the way up to the top. We of course had to stop for a snack with a view looking out over the Guays River on our way down. The next day we were leaving the hustle behind and headed west toward the laid-back fishing village of Puerto López, where the real adventure began.
🌊 Whale Watching and Wildlife Wonders
Puerto López is famous for its seasonal whale migrations, and we were lucky enough to arrive right in the heart of the action. Within minutes of boarding our boat tour, we were surrounded by breaching humpback whales, their massive tails crashing into the Pacific just a few hundred feet away. It was pure magic. We also were lucky to see manta rays leaping out of the water almost looking like they are going fly away only to come crashing back down to reality.
But the wildlife didn’t stop there. On our day trip to Isla de la Plata—sometimes called the “Poor Man’s Galápagos”—we spotted blue-footed boobies, nesting frigate birds, sea turtles, and even a few giant manta rays gliding through the deep. On land, a small trail through the dry tropical forest revealed lizards, snakes, and blue footed boobies that were only feet off the trail doing their mating dance. Every day felt like stepping into a wildlife documentary.
The next day we took a hike on the Sendero el Sombrerito trail that went along a breath taking rocky beach just north of Puerto Lopez that truly took my breath away (partially because of the intense ups and downs of the trail and the lack of harness repels 😳). Talk about adventure! You are required to have a guide on this trail because of how technical the hiking terrain is and the fact that part of the trail gets covered by the ocean during high tide.
🍤 Seafood Straight from the Source
After a day of exploring, there’s nothing better than sitting down for a meal just steps from the sea. My favorite meal we had this trip was after a long hike we settled down at this small resturant located as close to the beach as the ocean would allow. While trying to decide what we wanted our waiter walked up with a large fish in his hand. In my experience when the locals make a suggestion as strongly as waving a fish in your face you better do it. And boy did it not disappoint. Fried and then smothered in a local garlic sauce this fish came out topped with shrimp, clams, squid and herbs this mouthwatering fish was devoured amongst our group. Hands down one of the best meals I’ve ever had. I now lay awake dreaming of making it back to that restaurant.
🏝️Live the Life Resort
One of the my favorite parts about coming to Pureto Lopez, Ecuador is getting the chance to stay at Live the Life Resort. Here you will get a much different experience than staying at larger all inclusive resort. At Live the Life they focus on quality not quantity. Atop the hill above town this resort gets you away from the hustle and immediately transforms you into a quite relaxing state. Between the georgous private pool and hot tubs, to the wonderful ocean views, to the feeling of being immersed in the jungle you can’t beat this accommodation. Everything we ate at this resort was grown pesticide free on property or caught right out of the sea. After a few days of eating good clean food my body and mind felt like it had a much needed restart. Torrin the property owner has an energetic passion for Ecuador that if your not careful might just be contagious.
🏄♂️ Vibes in Montañita
Midway through the week, we continued north to the vibrant surf town of Montañita, known for its colorful streets, mellow beach scene, and fun-loving local energy. While Surf lesson are available we spent most of our time wandered the art markets, enjoyed local live music, or indulged in more coastal eats. Whether you wanted to relax or party a little, Montañita had you covered.
✨ Why Ecuador with Tranquilo?
What made this trip special wasn’t just the stunning landscapes or once-in-a-lifetime wildlife—it was how seamlessly everything came together. With two guides on the ground, every detail was handled so our travelers could focus on soaking it all in. We believe travel should be adventurous, not stressful, and this trip was the perfect example of that philosophy.
Ready for your own coastal Ecuador adventure? Join us next season as we head back to the Pacific in search of whales, wildlife, and the perfect bowl of ceviche. Stay tuned for upcoming dates—or reach out now to get on the list.
🧳🌍 Travel differently. Travel Tranquilo.
Love all the beautiful photos - it makes me feel as if I was there with you!