Manta

On the waters of the Pacific Ocean, your cruise now arrives at the most important international Port of Ecuador: Manta. Called Jocay in Columbian, the city was a meeting point for trade with the Incas. Today it is an important tourist centre with its typical features and beautiful beaches.

Our cruise arrives in the charming Manta, which was the cradle of Manteña culture, the last pre-Columbian civilisation in Ecuador that lasted from 500 to 1526 AD. In 1735, the Port of Manta was chosen by Charles Marie de La Condamine, the French mathematician and geographer, as the destination in Ecuador for his mission to calculate the length of a meridian near the equator. Today, despite being a predominantly industrial port, the city is also an important centre for fishing and very popular tourist destination for Ecuadorians, with its extensive beaches and the blue sea, a short hop from the centre.

Not to be missed:

• A visit to the centre of the city

• The characteristic fish market in the barrio Tarqui, on the beach

• A walk along the beach with a swim in the ocean.