Esmeraldas Province - Ecuador

It is a city in Ecuador, called a green province because it enjoys abundant vegetation throughout the year. It is located 318 km from Quito. It has a population of 154,035 inhabitants in 2010. It is the eleventh most populous city in the country and one of the most important ports in Ecuador.

Esmeraldas is the province of the Ecuadorian coast that is further north. The territory is flat, with small hills of a maximum of 30 meters above sea level. Small existing elevations. The climate of Esmeraldas varies from tropical subhumid, subtropical humid and subtropical very humid, with an average temperature of 23 ° C. Much of its economy depends on the export of shrimp and bananas. In addition to this, cocoa, tobacco and coffee are produced.
Fishing, petrochemical industry and tourism are important. It has black coral carving crafts, tree cloth (damahagua), ramp basket and musical instruments. Its main attraction is its coasts, especially the beaches of the southern sector as well as its ecological reserves - such as the Cayapas Mataje ecological reserve, to the north, all of which makes the province one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country

Esmeraldas Province Relief

This northern province is located in the lowlands, where the highest altitudes do not exceed 600 meters above sea level; it is crossed by several foothills that are extensions of the western mountain range of the Andes; To the east are the Cayapas and Toisán mountain ranges; and to the west the mountains of Muisne, Atacames and Cojimíes.

Hydrography Esmeraldas Province

The hydrographic system is important since several of its rivers have become natural access roads for transporting products to different places, both inside and outside the province. Among the main ones are: Cayapas, Santiago, Esmeraldas and Blanco.

Climate Esmeraldas Province

There are two defined seasons "tropical monsoon", with a percentage of dry humidity of 40% that goes from the months of June to November with an average temperature of 21 ° C. and "tropical humid", with a humidity percentage of almost 100% that goes from November to May in the central basins and northern outer coast, whose average temperature is 28 ° C.

Flora Province of Esmeraldas

The province of Esmeraldas is called the "green province" for the incredible flora. Within the flora we find: trees of fine wood, rubber, ceibos (vegetable wool), tagua (vegetable ivory), banana, fibers such as abaca and toquilla, the latter used to make hats that are well received in foreign markets .

Fauna Province of Esmeraldas

The fauna is extensive in the jungle, in the lowlands of the Coast there is an equatorial fauna such as: the jaguar or the American tiger, the sloths or "light parakeets", anteaters, macaws, parrots, toucans, little chickens, boobies, terns, lizards, poisonous snakes.

Orography Province of Esmeraldas

This province is located in low areas, it is crossed by several foothills that are extensions of the western Andes mountain range. The foothills of Cayapas and Toisán meet to the east and to the west the mountains of Muisne, Atacames and Cojimíes.

Esmeraldas Province Nature Reserves

Ecuador reserves 20% of its territory as Protected Areas (SNAP), with the idea of ​​conserving biological diversity and genetic resources in those regions. Some of them qualified as Natural Heritage of Ecuador. The province of Esmeraldas belongs to the Coast Region of this Protection System, which covers the following ecological reserves under its mantle.

Cayapas-Mataje in the Province of Esmeraldas

The Cayapas-Mataje Mangrove Ecological Reserve is primarily and largely characterized by a large mangrove forest that covers a large area of ​​its surface. This mangrove is mixed with areas of ranconchales, estuaries, dryland jungles and varied beaches to constitute a particular habitat. Which is composed of various genres closely related to each other that stand out for their great salt water permissiveness.

Mangrove was the primary source for the generation of tannin used in tannery activity, through the 40s and 50s specifically. An office that largely razed these groves until 1975, when the total limitation of subtraction of tannins from its surface was instituted. In parallel, the massive exploitation of mangrove wood was maintained until the 1960s.

Cotacachi-Cayapas in the Province of Esmeraldas

It was created on September 24, 1968 and its location is shared between the province of Esmeraldas (Canton San Lorenzo, Canton Eloy Alfaro and Canton Río Verde) and the province of Imbabura (Canton Cotacachi, Canton Urcuquí and Cantón Ibarra) with an extension of 243,638 hectares Furrowed by the Santiago-Cayapas, Esmeraldas and Mira rivers. Its temperature varies from 4 ° C to 24 ° C

The territory of the reserve is made up of very sinuous moors crossed by rivers and streams full of rocks, with wide areas of swamp and many lagoons of varied extensions. Further west, the ground suddenly descends towards the wide esplanades of the coast by a group of sub-slips and blades.

Its vegetation is composed of varied evergreen forests at different heights, herbaceous moorland and gelidophitia. 2,017 genera of vascular trees have been classified in the buffer zone, which means 13.8% of the total indicated in the Catalog of Vascular Plants of Ecuador. 139 genera of mammals, 500 and 600 types of birds, and herpetofauna 235 species, of which 124 corresponds to amphibians and 111 to reptiles.

Mache-Chindul In the Province of Esmeraldas

Located to the southwest of the province of Esmeraldas and to the north of the region of Manabí, on the Western Serrania, it was created on September 19, 1996. It has 119,172 hectares of extension and oscillating temperature of 18 to 36 ° C. Its hydrographic networks are composed of the tributaries Teaone, Dógola as well as Cojimíes and Muisne. The recognizable vegetation types are humid and sub-humid evergreen forests and dry forest.

In the Reserve 1,434 species have been cataloged, related in 624 genera and 149 families. The most present and varied families are: Araceae, Orchidaceae, Rubiaceae, Fabaceae, Gesneriaceae, Poaceae, Melastomataceae, Dryopteridaceae, Piperaceae and Moraceae. In the information managed, 8% (111 species) are related to endemic species; a large part presents a low risk of disappearance. 136 races of mammals, 491 of birds, 54 of amphibians and 38 of reptiles make up their fauna.

Mining in the Province of Esmeraldas

Its mining abundance is located in gold washes, additionally there is platinum, palladium, osmium, iridium, radio, plaster and limestone. In the province of deposited and treated oil that comes from the Amazon through the Trans-Andean pipeline.

Agriculture in the Province of Esmeraldas

Its economy has great dependence on banana exports. Cocoa, tobacco and coffee production is added. One of the areas with the greatest potential in the province is its forest abundance. There are several kinds of great utility to cover the most varied and capricious market demands.

Esmeraldas Province Culture

Music, dance, literature and with them the oral tradition are components of the cultural heritage of this province. They are authentic values ​​that identify our region and are currently transferred to Ecuador and the world. All this relevant cultural potential has served to qualify this province as the capital of Afro-Ecuadorian Culture.

Esmeraldas province music

Music is one of the most authentic representations and which has supported the people in maintaining their identity. It is the traditional expression where the roots of the black community of Ecuador are most confirmed. Among the most popular are:

The bomb: The most traditional and proper demonstration of Afro-Ecuadorians, is executed by a trio or a quartet: a bomb, two guitars and sometimes maracas.

La Marimba: The instrument that gives its name to this musical genre, is usually assisted by cununos, guasas and maracas. At his pace the blacks perform exciting dances all of them of marked lust.

The Arullo: Try to "open the sky" so that the soul of a dead child can reach God. It is a type of singing whose content is usually religious.

Typical food of the Province of Esmeraldas

The delicious dishes of this region are based on sea species (shrimp, fish, donkey's snail, lobster), others are made with coconut, green banana, ripe spices such as chillangua and chirarán, while with wild animal meat like the guanta and the tatabra there are also preparations.

The tapao: fish meat dried in the sun and cooked with banana.

The encocao: It can be from bush meat, shellfish, crustaceans or Creole chicken, they offer coconut milk as a basic element.

Ceviche: Different varieties are offered such as shrimp, shell, fish, mixed, served with patacones and rice.

The pusandao: made with pork, banana and cassava.

Rice with shrimp: One of the succulent and most proven dishes in the canton, consisting of rice with breaded shrimp, served with salad and lemon slices.

Tourist Attractions Esmeraldas Province

Mompiche Beach Esmeraldas Province

Mompiche Beach can be considered a natural paradise surrounded by beauty and tranquility. This tourist site is located in the province of Esmeraldas 8 km from Muisne and 400 km from the city of Quito. The place turns out to be ideal for those who like to surf, since the beach has large waves almost a kilometer long. On this site there is one of the last marine-coastal wetlands of Ecuador, in addition to the beautiful landscapes and excellent cuisine contribute to make every visitor's stay enjoyable.

This beach covers an area of ​​6.5 km and the temperature ranges between 21 ° C and 32 ° C. The beach is part of the dry tropical forest, and the sand is fine where weathered conglomerate conglomerates, and flat or undulating surfaces can be seen. Mompiche Beach can be classified as a beautiful seaside resort, which has extensive vegetation, in which both the flora and fauna of the place have been adequately conserved. The tourist activity that takes place in Mompiche is mainly aimed at ecological tourism. Visitors will be able to contemplate the 70 hectares of tropical forest of the place, especially in the Ensenada de Mompiche.

Beautiful island Esmeraldas Province

Isla Bonita is an extension of the coastal coastline of the province of Esmeraldas, which is isolated by a sea inlet, at the same time located next to the Las Manchas community, in the Muisne Canton, in the south of the province of Esmeraldas. To get to the island you must take a boat and the journey takes approximately 25 minutes from Muisne. Due to the tranquility that exists on this island visitors can experience a spiritual rest, as it is an ideal place for tourists to enjoy nature.

The sand of the place is light gray and the water around the island has a bluish green color in the west that would be the Pacific Ocean and in the eastern part the water is semiturbia that would be towards the estuary, the latter is the area that is recommended for bathing because the waters are calm. The island has a bushy vegetation, where there are palms, palmiche and red mangrove. In the case of wildlife, gulls, pelicans and certain crustaceans such as crab and crab can be seen.

According to the location of Isla Bonita, it is possible to observe a large section of the coastal profile of the Muisne canton. Similarly, to the north you can see the beach of Muisne Island to the tip of the Cape of San Francisco and to the south area you can see the entire Mompiche Beach. The weather on the island is pleasant and the temperature is approximately 25 ° C. Visitors have the possibility to take boat rides and appreciate an arm of the sea between the mangroves.

Atacames Beach Esmeraldas Province

Atacames Beach is located on the north coast of Ecuador, 30 km southwest of the city of Esmeraldas. This resort turns out to be the most visited in the country, and has an extension between 5 and 6 km. In Atacames there is one of the largest hotel infrastructure in the province of Esmeraldas, so this place attracts a large number of tourists throughout the year. Both in the city and on the beach visitors can find all the facilities to enjoy a full tropical vacation.

Atacames Beach offers visitors wide swaths of gray sand which offers the possibility of enjoying a pleasant atmosphere for sand or water sports. The calm waters, in addition to the shallow depth of the beach, make this place an ideal place to rest and enjoy the surroundings.

This place belongs to the tropical dry forest life zone, where the beach is bordered by coconut trees and 300 meters away is the Atacames estuary, where a mangrove is preserved. Visitors will also be able to tour the Atacames Canton, which represents an interesting alternative as they will be able to discover country landscapes, a variety of typical crafts and various gastronomic offers.

Tonsupa Beach Esmeraldas Province

Tonsupa Beach is located 26 km southwest of the province of Esmeraldas and has a wide infrastructure to accommodate tourists. The climate of this beach is privileged where the temperature ranges between 28 ° C and 36 ° C. The town of Tonsupa can be classified as quiet, where there is a wide variety of hotels, resorts, apartments, cabins, inns, pensions and nightclubs for visitors, in addition to the excellent conditions offered by the beach.

The spa of Tonsupa was created in 1995, and is characterized by having a high urban and tourist development today. This beach turns out to be one of the favorite by national tourists due to its tranquility and the beautiful surroundings. The beach has about 4 km of extension, and its sand is soft.

Same Beach Esmeraldas Province

Same Beach is located 30 km southwest of the province of Esmeraldas and 6 kilometers from Atacames, the average temperature in this area is between 21 ° C and 32 ° C. Visitors who choose this alternative can rest in a quiet and pleasant environment. The beach has an approximate extension of 6 km and a width of 500 meters. Its climate is tropical during most of the year, so the realization of activities is ideal both day and night.

This beach is beautiful and tourists can enjoy a pleasant holiday. The tranquility of its waters accompanied by the intense sun makes it the ideal place to rest within the natural environment that this environment offers. The beach is surrounded by a variety of vegetation, and visitors can experience a lively nightlife and practice water activities such as banana, jet ski, boat ride, among others.

The cuisine offered at Same Beach is characterized by being varied and very rich, and tourists can also buy handicrafts made from black and red coral. Another attraction to highlight would be that during the time of sighting of humpback whales, where visitors can take a boat ride to see these cetaceans.

Chocó Forest Esmeraldas Province

The Chocó Forest is located between the provinces of Carchi and Esmeraldas, it also has the peculiarity that it has unique characteristics, due to the influence that exists from the air currents coming from the coast and because it is an extension of the Colombian Chocó, which is characterized by having a high animal and plant endemism. This area manifests a high biodiversity and natural beauty, besides it is a territory of the Awá culture, Chachis and Afro-Ecuadorian groups.

This natural reserve and protected area has a great variety of plants that are in danger of extinction, and it was also declared as one of the areas that contemplates from the biological field greater diversity within the planet. The extension of this forest is 300 thousand hectares of tropical and montane humid forest, together with the identification of 25 life zones that appear in Ecuador. Likewise, different studies carried out recorded the presence in the Chocó Forest of more than 6,300 plant species, of which 1,500 are in danger of extinction, mainly due to deforestation. Visitors can visit this protected area and appreciate the benefits that nature offers and its great diversity.

Cascade of Princess Tari Esmeraldas Province

The Princess Tari Waterfall is located within the Cayapas Ecological Reserve in Mataje, Esmeraldas province. Visitors can find in this place all the natural elements to enjoy a restorative experience, through the fresh torrents that this waterfall offers. In the winter this imposing waterfall has an incredible aspect, since its flow increases.

This site is surrounded by a popular legend, in which it is said that a beautiful indigenous princess who used to take a bath every morning, accompanied by a little maidens, in the cool waters of this waterfall, all as pate of a purification ritual On the other hand, it is a necessity to contribute to the conservation of this natural sanctuary. Tourists will be able to enjoy a tour of this natural area and they will also be able to carry out various activities in addition to the relaxing bath. The climate on this site is pleasant and humid where the temperature varies between 21 ° and 31 ° C.

Escondida Beach Esmeraldas Province

This beach is located between Tonchigüe and Punta Galera. The site is a beautiful virgin beach and an ecological refuge of more than 100 hectares, located 14 km from the city of Esmeraldas. The beach has warm pools full of marine life and spectacular rock formations with cave and tunnels formed by wind and waves. This hidden place of tropical climate constitutes a small hidden bay at the mouth of the Malpelo River, in addition the beach has great waves to practice activities such as diving.

Paya Escondida is 400 meters long and approximately 40 meters wide, visitors can enjoy an average annual temperature of 25 ° C. This spa is a naturist beach, where you can experience a rugged environment, with cliffs and dunes of great beauty. When you find the beach away from the city you can see a great variety of birds such as pelicans, hummingbirds, beach, horns, parakeets, caciques, frigates, among others. This site can be classified as a sanctuary of peace, tranquility and silence, ideal for travelers who pursue serenity facing the sea.

Island of the Birds Province of Esmeraldas

This islet is formed by sand sediments that are washed away by sea currents. Part of the surface of the island is covered by capers and a reddish mantle in constant motion, integrated at the same time by fast and small crustaceans. The island is the center of nesting and reproduction of various birds. In this way it has been transformed into a natural habitat for birds, mainly due to the absence of rodents, silence and the minimum presence of man, in addition to the abundance of adequate food.

Among the variety of species present on this island are the pelicans, the herons, the boobies, the pinillos, among others. The waters that surround the island are calm and crystal clear, as well as warm, which represent ideal conditions for tourists to enjoy the place, and the small lagoons of clean water for the little ones. The Island of the Birds can be accessed by boat from the Atacames Beach or Súa Beach, which is located 8 minutes away, when low tide it is possible to walk to the islet from Súa Beach.

Jupiter Island Province of Esmeraldas

Jupiter Island is located in front of the Bolivar parish in Canton Muisne, south of the province of Esmeraldas. This island is 4.1 km long and 1.7 km wide, the surrounding water is clear bluish green. On the west side of the island you can see that the beach has a light brown sand and on the east side the beach is more pronounced and its waters are quieter. The island has a bush-like vegetation, where there are coconut palms, royal palm, palmiche and mangrove forests.

In certain seasons the island serves as a site for the spawning of sea turtles. The island is inhabited by few people, and they are located on the east side. The main activities carried out by its inhabitants are artisanal fishing and the extraction of mollusks. The transfer to the island is from the town of Bolívar.

Source:

• https://www.ecured.cu/Provincia_de_Esmeraldas_(Ecuador)
• https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincia_de_Esmeraldas
• https://hablemosdeculturas.com/provincia-de-esmeraldas/
• http://www.eficienterexplorer.com/es/html/la-provincia-de-esmeraldas.html

Images:

• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ecuador_-_Same_-_Esmeraldas_-_020.JPG