Manglaralto Town and Coastline

View of Manglaralto town and coastline up to Montañita. © Ecuador Beaches

Manglaralto Beach – North

View of about 2 km of beach to the north toward Montañita © Ecuador Beaches

Manglaralto Beach – Center

A few blocks behind the church, the beach is very narrow.

Manglaralto Beach – South

View of another 1.5 km of beach to the south © Ecuador Beaches.
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Playa Manglaralto

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Known for beautiful sunsets, Manglaralto is a peaceful little town just south of the surf mecca Montañita. To the north, it has a long wide beach, and you can literally walk it all the way to Montañita. Because it is so close, Manglaralto is a popular resting stop for surfers that want to get away from the bustle for a bit more tranquility. Or during peak season events such as the annual surf championship which takes place in April. There are several hostels in town, but not much in the way of bars or restaurants.

Most of the beach is lined with large rocks at the back, to protect the shoreline from erosion. The beach itself is split in two where the shoreline juts out a bit in the middle. On either side the golden sand beach is quite broad and generally empty. The exposed shore front can be a little windy and the sea is quite rough with big breakers rolling in. There are no decent surf breaks here.

The hills behind Mangalarlto are part of the tropical dry forest that covers the Machalilla National Park. The word Manglaralto literally means high Mangrove, and there are several mangrove swamps in the area. From the hills, on a clear day, there are excellent ocean views west and south west, and to Montañita in the north. This is a great place for hiking and bird watching along numerous trails. You can organize guided hiking tours in this area in the town or from travel agents in Montañita.

Beach activities include:
 Type of beach  Golden sand
 Length of beach  1.8 mi / 3 km
 Wind Direction  On-shore
 Restaurants and Cafes  Few in town
 Distance to Salinas  40 mi / 64 km
 Distance to Guayaquil  104 mi / 168 km
 Distance to Manta  84 mi / 135 km
 Distance to Quito  336 mi / 541 km
Shrimp larvae farming: Around the Managlaralto area there are several shrimp lavae farms and laboratories.

Accommodation: One of the coolest hostels to stay at is the Tagua Lodge. They have clean rooms and a communal outdoor kitchen. Luis Chavez, the owner is a keen organic farmer, and tries to supply his kitchen exclusively from his own farm Finca Experimental AgroEcologica in El Pechiche nearby.

Manglaralto is easy to find. It is directly off of La Ruta del Spondylus, about 4 km south of Montañita. Just turn off the road, and you are 4 blocks from the beach. There are two entrances. One at the south end right next to the Tauga Lodge and another at the north end.

Hotels and Hostals around Manglaralto Beach

NameServicePrices
Tagua Lodge Hostal
Hostal Bamboo Paraíso Hostal
La Polita Cabañas $10-20
Manglaralto Sunset Hostel Hostal $15-25
Hostería El Bosque Hostal $15-25
Hosteria Maracaya Hostal $15-25
Hosteria Arandú Hosteria $25-50
Montanita Estates Hotel $50-100