| Ecuador HIGHLIGHTS |  |
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| Villages north of Esmeraldas: | 
Limones | Borbón | La Tola | North from Borbón | | Further Camarones, at the north of Esmeraldas, there are good clean beaches for swimming. Hostería La Fragata (20 km north from Esmeraldas) has a good restaurant, nice cabins and tours for fishing. Reservations: Tel. 701038 - 09-9849889. Río Verde (2 hours north from Esmeraldas), is also a good place to spend some quiet days if you want to relax.  AccommodationHostería Pura Vida.- They offer fishing tours and have rooms and cabins with private bath. Also, restaurant, bar, hammocks, etc. Located on a deserted beach. Very peaceful. Transport: There are frequent buses from Esmeraldas to Palestina. The Hostería
is situated along the road, a couple of kilometers before Palestina. Rocafuerte.- (further Río Verde) It has the best seafood of the region. |  La Tola | | | It is some 125 km north from Esmeraldas. Where you will find a varied rich wildlife, especially for birds. Nearby is El Majagual forest (east of town), this forest has the highest mangrove trees of the world. La Tolita.- (northeast of La Tola) Is located on an island on the northern banks of Río Cayapas. La tolita is a small town, where the tolita culture developed between 300 BC and 700 AD. Several artifacts have been discovered in this site. There
is a small museum with exhibitions of this culture in the village. Accommodation and RestaurantsIf you're planning to spend some days in the village, there is a few basic places to stay such as: Arist, Bero, & EI Jhonny. TransportThere is a frequent bus service between La Tola and Esmeraldas. Also, there are boats running between La Tola and San Lorenzo
which connects with buses to or from Esmeraldas. |  | | Limones | | | Known as Valdéz, the small village has a quite high commercial traffic from the northern part of Esmeraldas. The town's main activity is Banana exports, trading and smuggling with the closest town in Colombia (Tumaco). Nearby you'll find the Cayapa Indians who live upstream the river of the same name. Limones has a couple of small shops selling a good selection of Cayapa basketry. The Cayapa Indians go to Limones occasionally for food supplies especially
on weekends. Though, Borbón is their favorite place. Important note: Unfortunately, the villages of Limones and Borbón have the highest rate of malaria in the country. So, beware! AccommodationAccommodation in Limones is basic and it's not recommended. It's better to spend the night in San Lorenzo. TransportFrequent boat service between Borbón, La Tola and Limones (1 hour), for around US$2, as well as to San Lorenzo (1 hour), for about US$3. Boats can be hired for trips to the mangrove islands nearby. More information is available at the Capitanía del Puerto in Las
Palmas. | | Borbón | | | Borbón is a small busy village located on the Río Cayapas. The town's main activity is the timber industry. The village itself is not safe. To access the Cotacachi-Cayapas reserve, the NGO runs an office through Subir in Borbón, who will help you with full information about the reserve and guiding facilities. Frequent Bus service to San Lorenzo (2 hours), US$2.00. To Esmeraldas (4 hours) with several bus cooperatives. The ticket cost is around US$3. Accommodation and RestaurantsTolita
Pampa de Oro.- Basic. Reservations: 2566075, in Quito. Comedor.- Typical food. The best and only restaurant in town. Located at the bus stop. | | | North from Borbón | | | If you wish to explore the area, upstream the river are the Cayapa Indian villages. To get there hire a boat in Borbón which are available every day running the same route (3 hours). The ticket cost is around US$7 per person. Santa María.- Is a village located further the Cayapas and
Onzole rivers confluence. AccommodationResidencial.- Basic. They organize jungle trips to the Cayapa villages. Camping in this area is for free. There is an elegant lodge at the confluence of the Cayapas and Onzole rivers offering jungle tours and trips to the Ecological Reserve. Book in advance through Stephan Tarjany, Casilla 187, Esmeraldas-Ecuador.Zapallo Grande.- Is a small town located beyond upriver from Santa María with pretty surroundings, a pharmacy, hospital, a school and a church. From this location, you'll be able to see the Cayapa Indians with their canoes much closer. San Miguel.- Is another village nearby, with a few pretty houses set on a hill. A Boat from Borbón to San Miguel (5 hours), is around US$9 per person. An interesting trip.To access the Reserva Ecológica Cotacachi-Cayapas (entry fee
US$5), from San Miguel cost some US$25.00 for a group of 5 people including a guide and an extra US$5 to hire a boat. You may sleep at the rangers' hut which is very basic, or Camp next to it. There is also a residencial in the village where you can spend the night as well. | | | Villages north of Esmeraldas: | | Limones | Borbón | La Tola | North from Borbón | | Esmeraldas: | | Overview
| Accommodation | Restaurants | Fun | Shopping | Transport | General interest | | Around Esmeraldas: | | Muisne | Paya Escondida | Same | Súa | Atacames | Las Palmas | San Lorenzo | | More about Ecuador Coastline: | | Esmeraldas | Manabí | Guayas | Los Ríos | El
Oro |
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| ECUADOR HOT LINKS | 
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| ECUADOR HOT SPOTS | |
| Guayaquil, Ecuador "Pacific Pearl" |
| Discover "The magic of the South Pacific". A complete travel guide to Guayaquil, Ecuador including hotels, tours, travel tips and main attractions. | | Salinas, Ecuador | | The best weather, tours and much more!. Salinas, is considered the best tourist beach resort in Ecuador's Pacific Coastline.... | | Quito, Ecuador | | Ecuador's capital and the country's second largest city. A complete travel guide to Quito, Ecuador including hotels, tours, travel tips and main attractions. | | Ecuador Travel Guide to the Galapagos Islands | | Discover the wonders of the Galapagos Islands including history, tours, travel tips, tour operators, Geology, weather and much more... | | Ecuador "Route of the Sun" | | "Ruta del Sol" is Ecuador's most beautiful coastal scenery road that runs all the way to Esmeraldas..... |
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