Your base for your Pacific Coast exploration is the Hosteria Alandaluz, a 15 minute drive south of Puerto Lopez, on a wide stretch of private beach. From Puerto Lopez, it is journey of about an hour and half across the Pacific Ocean to Isla de la Plata. If you are lucky, pods of dolphins can be spotted year-round, while from June to September humpback whales congregate in the waters around the island to mate.
Beyond Puerto Lopez, the road continues into Machalilla National Park with side roads leading inland to the village of Aguas Blancas, the old centre of the pre-Inca Manteno civilization with a small museum and trails through the cloudforest. A few miles on, a road leads to the coast and the perfect sheltered bay of Playa Los Frailes with its sweeping sandy beach.