Manta, Ecuador Shore Excursions

When your South American cruise port of call is Manta, Ecuador, shore excursions are designed to show you the most diverse and exciting experiences around. Manta cruise passengers will enjoy its lovely beaches, pristine waters, welcoming people, interesting history, and vibrant culture.

Take advantage of a Manta cruise excursion that offers a chance to simply sink your toes in the golden sand of San Clemente beach, the premier beach along what is fast becoming South America’s “gold coast”. After a refreshing ocean swim, continue to enjoy the beach or sip a cocktail poolside at the beachfront Palmazul Hotel.

For a spectacular day of guided snorkeling in Manta, Ecuador, shore excursions to Salango Island, part of the Machalilla National Park, are an excellent way to spend a day in port. Board a boat equipped with all the snorkel gear you’ll need, and motor over to Salango for an unforgettable day of underwater discovery at a protected coral reef.

Meet village fisherman and learn about the business of tuna fishing, a serious livelihood in Manta, Ecuador. Shore excursions that begin with a visit to a busy local fish market, where you’ll see the fresh catch and hear about long-held fishing traditions, are entertaining as well as a great way to gain cultural insight. Visit the Cancebi Ethnographic Museum, located in the former Hotel Aragones, to see artifacts that reveal how life was lived by the seven different civilizations of Manta.

Spend an enjoyable day at the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site, Montecristi, so designated due to its acknowledged birthplace of the toquilla, the brimmed straw hat known the world over as the Panama hat. Watch as artisans take dried fibers of the Carludovica palmata and weave them into the iconic hat row by row. Continue your artisan crafts tour with a visit to a Cubaya workshop that produces handwoven bags.

For another kind of cultural immersion, sign on for a South American shore excursion to Pacoche, a lush natural sanctuary. Attend a cooking class at a restaurant, where you’ll hear about local foods and customs and learn how to prepare a traditional and well-loved appetizer, bolon de verde (stuffed roasted green plantain balls). Stop at a tagua nut factory to discover why the tagua nut is called “vegetable ivory,” and shop for some fabulous treasures.