Puerto López is a pleasant small fishing village set in a arched bay, with some 16,000 inhabitants. Towards the north of the beach is very nice and clean, away from the fleet of fishing boats. This is the nearest town from where you can visit the Machalilla National Park.
Many tourists come to Puerto López between June and September for whale watching tours, though this is not the nearest location to do so. But, is a cheap option to the Galápagos islands. There is snorkeling and many other things to do in the Machalilla National Park.
More information about Parque Nacional Machalilla is found at Eloy Alfaro and García Moreno streets. Unfortunately Puerto López has not yet been fully developed for tourists. Note: Whales can be seen from many other locations in Ecuador in shorter trips and with much better conditions.
The specialty of the region is "Corviche caliente" (dough made of flour and banana, stuffed with salty fish), a local delicacy served hot.
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