Pedernales - Manabí - Ecuador

It is a canton of the Province of Manabí in Ecuador, Pedernales was a settlement of the Jama-Coaque culture, which was found by the Spaniards on the banks of the river of the same name.

Pedernales is also known as "A paradise in the middle of the world". Its main attraction is its beaches, because they are wide, extensive and of serene waters, adorned by palm trees, unique in the Ecuadorian coastal profile.

It has ample and thick vegetation to develop adventure tourism and excursion. In this canton is the ecological reserve Mache Chindul, with large waterfalls and conditions for sport fishing. Its gastronomy is rich in seafood, for having high production of shrimp, shell, crab and guariche. Pedernales was a settlement of the Jama-Coaque culture, which was found by the Spaniards on the banks of the river of the same name and from which some ceramic vestiges are preserved. It is crossed by the Equatorial Line. The mouth of the Cojimies River is 40 km. of extension, part of it limits the provinces of Manabí and Esmeraldas. In Pedernales a historical event took place: in 1736 the Geodesic Mission was commanded by Charles Marie de la Condamine, who in Punta Palmar considered the first point for the measurement of the arc that would determine the shape of the earth.

Flora Canton Pedernales

Extremely rich in the herbaceous, shrub and epiphyte strata, represented by the families Araceae, Piperaceae and Gesneriaceae. We also have: Epiphytes and climbers, guarumos, raft, red apple, mamey, guava, coconut and aguacatillo. The knowledge of the flora is insufficient to determine the endemism in the area, but there have been registered species of great interest, considered unique in the region as the Cinnamomum and two of Matayba, which could be new to science.

Faun Canton Pedernales

Enter the birds there are crows, earwigs, prince sparrowhawk, trogon, toucans and parrots. In mammals, there are howler monkeys, monkeys, tatabra, deer, guatusa, guanta, cougar, sloth, mate's head, white-tailed deer, saino, jaguar, mountain cat, squirrel and tigrillos.

Economic development Cantón Pedernales

Its economic activity is livestock, agriculture, fishing and tourism.

Typical Foods Pedernales Canton

Bolones de verde: Made basically of roasted or fried banana crushed and stuffed with cheese or pork rinds.

Fried fish: It is served, rice, fish, patacones and salad.

Shrimp Ceviche: Prepared with boiled shrimp, lemon juice, sour orange juice, mustard, tomato sauce, cilantro, pepper, paiteña onion. It is accompanied with chifles or canguil.

Tourist Places of Pedernales

Cojimies; Sun and the breeze are the conjugation to enjoy a day at the beach, where freshly caught seafood is prepared with the renowned manabita seasoning to delight the most demanding palates.

Cojimies is formed by the mouth of the Mache River in the Pacific Ocean.

International Festival of the Corvina: To the east festival national and foreign tourists arrive with the intention of fishing the largest croaker to obtain the so desired first place. During the event several activities are carried out such as sailing regattas, presentations, artistic, dances, construction of sand castles and the election of the queen of the festival.

Gastronomy: As for the gastronomic offer, shrimps, lobsters, prawns, various types of fish, clams, crabs, crabs, shells and many more fruits of the sea are available to visitors, in small food stands on the beach for the locals.

Attractions in Cojimies

• Beach: Cojimíes has 22 km of beaches, surrounded by a corridor of coconut palms
Extreme sports such as surfing, paragliding and others.

• Cojimíes River Estuary: has an area of ​​32 km and allows activities such as sport fishing, water skiing, bird watching that have their habitat in the mangroves.

Protective Forest Cerro Pata de Pájaro in Pedernales

Pedernales is crossed by the coastal mountain range with its highest elevation: Cerro Pata de Pájaro, which is approximately 845 meters above sea level. This mountain range extends from the Jama canton to the province of Esmeraldas.

As geographical features include the tips Palmar, Pedernales, Surrones and the Cojimíes peninsula.

The Protected Forest Cerro Pata de Pájaro these mountains are the highest between Manabí and Esmeraldas corresponds to a Tropical Humid Forest declared in the year of 1995 with an extension of 4,333 hectares. Its elevation starts from 300 masl to 845 masl, being one of the highest elevations of the Ecuadorian coast.

The whole forest presents abundant epiphytes which gives it a lush appearance. Fig trees and tasty red are common in this forest.

Island of Love in Pedernales

Beach flanked and deserted islands inhabited by crabs and filled with lagoons of crystal clear waters are only part of the tourist attractions offered by the canton Pedernales located on the north coast of Manabí.

The so-called Island of Love is a sand bank that extends to the ocean from the mouth of the Cojimies River, attracts lovers who get lost in this piece of land surrounded by the sea.

This three-hectare piece of land attracts hundreds of couples every weekend.

Beautiful place where you can perform various activities in a fresh and familiar environment.

Attractions Island of Love in Pedernales

• The so-called Island of Love, a sand bank that extends to the ocean from the mouth of the Cojimies River, attracts lovers who get lost in this piece of land surrounded by the sea.

• The crests of the waves that are observed on the horizon fall apart when they reach the shore, so calm characterizes these beaches. The area is a kind of lagoon where the tide of the tide almost disappears.

• Strolling around the beach, rocking in a hammock or fishing on a boat are the other alternatives offered by the island of Love.

Ecological Reserve Mache Chindul

The Ecological Reserve Mache - Chindul contains one of the last remnants of very humid tropical forest of the Ecuadorian coast, characterized by its high biodiversity and surprising levels of endemism.

It is the source that feeds the rivers of Muisne, Atacames, Teaone and Dógola in Esmeraldas Coaque, Cojimíes and Cheve in Manabí. Crystal clear water hits the rocks. This combination creates a beautiful image: the attractive waterfalls that descend towards pools, lagoons and rivers. It represents the largest forest reserve on the Coast.

The territory of the Reserve, has been ancestrally the home of the Chachis ethnic groups, like the one of San Salvador and black as in El Gallo, Tigrillo, Agua Clara and Tigua.

Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve: The Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve (REMACH) is one of the 33 natural areas that make up the National System of Protected Areas (SNAP), administered by the Ecuadorian State through the Ministry of the Environment (MAE). It covers an area of ​​119,172 hectares. In this region, REMACH protects one of the few remnants of tropical moist and dry forests in Ecuador. As well as a great variety of endemic species of flora and fauna, many of which are in danger of extinction.

• Tourism - Spas and beaches: Near the Reserve you can find beautiful beaches, such as Muisne, Agua Dulce de Tabiazo, Atacames, Sua and Same, which have all the services and enjoy an unbeatable climate.