Bahia de Caraquez [which everyone calls Bahia] is the most upmarket playground of the Manabi coast, where politicians and a former President own vacation residences. “Bienvenidos a Bahia, Eco-Ciudad,” trumpets a sign as you arrive by road or ferry. After the damage wrought by El Nino and later earthquakes, Bahia has attempted to re-invent itself as an eco-city: its market is the only one in Ecuador to recycle its waste, and there are many conservation and environmental education programs underway. In the downtown area, the streets are clean, the roads well-paved, the squares welcoming, and there are many smart new buildings. Expensive pleasure boats lie at anchor in the estuary, and even the road from Quito is relatively fast and well-maintained. Unfortunately, the beach isn't up to much, and there isn't a whole lot to do in the town, but nevertheless Bahia is by far the most pleasant town on the coast for changing money, washing clothes and checking email.

Background. “Ecuadorian nationality was founded in Bahia with the balsa sailors,” according to the proprietor Bahia Dolphin Tours, Patricio Tamariz. “They were the Phoenicians of the Americas who sailed as far as Chile in the south, and Mexico in the north.” From prehistoric coastal cultures, our conversation moved on to the Incas, the Spanish conquistadors and the French astronomical expedition to Ecuador at the beginning of the 18th century. Not only was Bahia a focus of an ancient maritime civilization, but centuries later it became a base for Spanish ships exploring the Pacific coast of South America, and a base for their expeditions into the interior.

More recently, Bahia de Caraquez was an important banana shipping center. Ecuador is still the world’s leading banana republic, though most exports are now shipped through the bigger ports of Guayaquil and Machala down the coast. While still functioning as a port, tourism is increasingly important for Bahia. It is one of the country’s leading and best-appointed coastal resorts, even if it might seem a tad sedate for those who prefer the party mood and beach culture of hangouts like Atacames.

|Article contributed by Dominic Hamilton|||

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