Puerto Lopez -

is a small fishing village on the Pacific coast of Ecuador. In the immediate vicinity there is a national park with an extraordinarily beautiful beach, pelicans, dolphins, manta rays and whales with their offspring born here between July and September.

Ultimately, the village consists of 1 promenade with side streets, many restaurants and excursion agencies. It is cozy here. Every day, fishing boats land on the beach and unload their goods. They are attacked by seagulls and pelicans who want their share of the catch. An incredible spectacle. We feel like we're in Hitchcock's film 'The Birds'.

On the beach, about 20-30m away, a family of dolphins circles for the first 3 days - if you dare, you can swim to them (but we are not heroes in that regard).

We prefer to hike in part of the national park. Here, there is a sulfuric lagoon where you can swim. Apart from us and one other person, there is no sign of tourists here. Everyone is focused on whale watching and diving - that is still ahead of us.

If you come here solely for sunbathing, you will inevitably be disappointed at this time of year because it is 'winter' here. That means daytime temperatures of max. 24°C, generally cloudy skies, and a water temperature of 21°C.

In the next few days, we will dive and observe whales, observe the beach of Los Frailles (national park), and the Isla del Plata.

Additional note: We now also have a pet for a few days. An iguana, a beautiful and harmless reptile, lives under our bungalow.