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Los Frailes – Ecuador’s most beautiful beach
Los Frailes Beach is often referred to as Ecuador’s most beautiful beach for good reason. With pristine sand on a gently sloping beach surrounded by cliffs on either end of a crescent shaped bay, Los Frailes Beach provides an environment perfect for relaxation. Located a few minutes north of Puerto Lopez, Los Frailes Beach is inside Machalilla National Park and often free of people. Rare July blue sky On an unusual sunny day in July, the beach is as full as I have seen it since February’s Carnaval holiday. Typically, the Ecuador coast has sun during the rainy season (explanation here) and clouds during the dry season. By “clouds,” I…
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Horseback Riding – Las Tunas to Ayampe, Ecuador
Want to go horseback riding on Ecuador’s coast? I found the perfect spot in Las Tunas, Manabí, a few minutes south of Puerto López. During our two hour ride, we galloped on a beach, crossed a river, watched butterflies on a forest trail, and rode along the top of a hill with a spectacular ocean view. Finding horses to ride in coastal Ecuador Finding horses to ride in Ecuador is not difficult. Finding good, healthy, well trained horses to ride in Ecuador is not easy. I rely on Tsafiki Resort to find good horses. They scout area horses and guides so they are always up to date regarding who…
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Zapatos in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Puerto Lopez is hard on zapatos (shoes). As I explained in Mototaxis, walking is the most popular way to get around town. Paved streets bake in the sun, in turn wearing down shoe soles. When it rains, dirt roads turn to sticky mud, threatening to become one with your footwear. Puerto Lopez shoe repair When your shoes are falling apart, you buy new shoes or repair the ones you own. The Zapateria above has repaired my ten year old Teva sandals twice. I wear them nearly every day so they are well worn but still going because of Zapateria repairs. I am wearing them in the…
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Yellow Orb Over Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
A Yellow Orb (YO) arrives every morning in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador at 6:30, dazzling us with it’s beauty. It silently preys on our eagerness to celebrate beneath it. It’s primary victims are tourists, freshly arrived from cooler climates, where they have been protected by clothing for months. They arrive, strip off most of their fabric and offer their skin up to the YO. Ecuador is named for the equator, which runs through the middle of the country. Did you know? The Earth is closer to the sun at the equator than elsewhere because of our planet’s Equatorial Bulge. As it spins, the Earth forms an oblate spheroid rather than a sphere.…
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eXpat Creates Kids Skating Club in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge #WATWB
Skating and rollerblading are relatively uncommon in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. It is becoming more common thanks to one man. Matthew Meinzer, a former semi-professional hockey player, has introduced Puerto Lopez kids to the joys of skating with a kids skating club. Kids flock to his practices and the participation level increases weekly. I have watched many girls transform from unsure on their wheels to beaming, confident skaters. The following 2:10 video is from March 9, 2018. (You can watch on YouTube here.) With more than 10 years of coaching experience in New York City, Matthew is able to adapt practices to the skill level of the participants. Each skater receives…
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Workout on Puerto Lopez beach, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
After a few days in Puerto Lopez, you have snorkeled, dived, hiked, ridden horseback, swum and kayaked. Now you are wondering where you will do your pullups and rope climbing. I have great news for you! You can do them right on Puerto Lopez beach! If you are looking for more diversity in your workout, you can pull some large tires around in soft sand. Recruit a friend and make it a competition! The folks in the next photo even had people sit on the tires. Start children young and workouts become part of their routine. I admire the dedication these folks have. Many of them show up every day…
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Visitor Center, Machalilla National Park, Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Machalilla National Park surrounds Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. Two monkey species and more than 270 bird species, including the endangered Waved Albatross live in the park. Whales mate and birth just off the coast and turtles hatch on the beaches. If you like active outdoor vacations, this is the place for you! Activities in Machalilla National Park Hike, bike and horseback ride Dry forests – from sea level to midway up the hills, the dry desert-like flora is brown for about half the year, waiting for water Cloud forests – always green hills where monkeys, orchids and a wide variety of birds live Hike beaches – Playa Los Frailes is often referred…
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Ultralight Flight Over Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Sunday, 5:29 PM “You did what?!” “I know you’ve said they are deathtraps, Dad. Before I went, I… “Ultralights ARE deathtraps, Emily!” “…weighed the risks verses my desire to see Puerto Lopez from the air…” “It’s not worth your life!” “…and decided it was more likely I would land safely on the beach than crash into the ocean.” So it went when I told my retired pilot father about my first ultralight flight. Friday I first saw the plane Friday afternoon. The pilot took off, looped the bay, and landed on the beach. I watched several takeoffs and landings, timed the flights (about 4 minutes), and yearned to…
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Tiendas – Puerto Lopez, Ecuador’s neighborhood stores #AtoZChallenge
Neighborhood tiendas (stores) are part of the fabric of Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. They supplement larger grocery stores by stocking single rolls of toilet paper, small containers of milk, yogurt, ice cream, cooking oils, sugar, and other daily essentials. Tiendas have daily necessities Let’s say you are seven years old and helping your siblings fix a bike in front of your home. Your mom is making dinner and realizes she is out of milk. She calls to you, hands you money and sends you to get milk. Tienda door visible on far left Two tiendas are about a minute from your house, one in each direction. The tienda uphill…
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Sunrise in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
My favorite place to watch the Puerto Lopez sunrise is the south end of the bay. For an overhead shot of this area, click Boats in Puerto Lopez. As the sun rises over the eastern hills, I love the reflections in the bay. If you read my post, Rainbows and the rainy season in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, you know overnight cloud cover is common this time of year. I took the first three photos on the same day as the clouds shifted while the sun rose. They managed to hide the sun itself the entire time. We do sometimes have clearer skies during sunrise. I personally prefer the sunrises with…
