The municipal tourism office [05 - 611471] is on Calle 9 and Avenida 4, open Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm, and there's also a helpful booth at the entrance to Playa Murcielago.

Banks. Filanbanco [Visa ATM and traveler's checks] is at Calle 7 and Avenida 4 and Banco del Pacifico at Calle 13 and Avenida 2.

Metropolitan Manta is divided by the Rio Manta between the Tarqui area to the east and the Manta area to the west. Calles in Manta are numbered from one from the bridge, ascending as you go northwest, with numbers of Avenidas ascending from the Malecon as you go southwest. In Tarqui, Calles start at 101 going east, and Avenidas from 101 [Malecon] going inland south — don't ask me why!

|Article contributed by Dominic Hamilton|||