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Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
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ISLA DE LA PLATA & LOS FRAILES, ECUADOR
Isla de la Plata
When we went to the island, it was Humpback Whale season and our guide kept us in the choppy ocean an extra hour to find them. We did see the whales, unfortunately I was so sea sick that I didn't have the energy to lift my camera to take pictures. The boats you go out in fit about 8 people and are tiny compared to swells of the ocean. I was doing OK until 3 people in our group started throwing up IN the boat and it slithered up and down the floor.
After leaving the island, you can jump out of the boat and go snorkeling. It is freezing but the tropical fish are gorgeous! Occasionally, there are sharks that wander into the area so be careful. Los Frailes Los Frailes is also part of Machalilla National Park and is a series of beaches and trails. Machalilla National Park is the only protected area in Ecuador which includes representative samples of tropical dry forest. La Playita has black sand, is open for swimming and snorkeling, and is a great place to collect shells.
Bring sandals as you are walking through the stream, not to the side of it and the rocks on the bottom are pretty sharp. Also, please remember your bug juice! We stayed at the beach longer than expected and headed back to our ride around dusk -- primetime for those darn mosquitos (and they love hovering around the stream)! |
The Isla is named after the silver that Sir Francis Drake allegedly stole from the Spanish and buried there. Isla de la Plata has Blue-footed Boobies, Masked Boobies, Red-footed Boobies, Frigate Birds, Tropic Birds, Waved Albatross, Sea Lions, and Pelicans. We booked a trip through Pacarina Travel though there are various tour agencies which run day trips. They all charge USD 25 which includes the use of snorkelling equipment and lunch. Tours are pretty standard and include a walk around the island in the morning followed by an afternoon of snorkelling offshore. The trip from Puerto Lopez is 2 hours by boat. Take limes to smell (cuts down on sea sickness) and motion sickness pills. The weather Mostly hot and tropical, though from June to September it can be quite cool in the evenings. When going to beaches, the tides can be quite strong. Never swim alone and only swim where indicated. Yellow fever, Dengue and Malaria are of concern in Ecuador's tropical coast, though in the areas most popular with tourists these diseases are very much under control.
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Isla de la Plata is the largest island among the island belt within Machalilla National Park. It's located about 60 miles from Puerto Lopez, with an area of 3,000 acres and an elevation of 5,344 feet.The island coast is filled with cliffs and only has one visitor drop-off point - Bahia Drake. The island is home to many of the same animals you find on the Galapagos Islands which is why it is often called "Poor Man's Galapagos." There are two trails on the island - one is a three hour walk and the other is a five hour walk.
Playa de Los Frailes is about 7 miles of white sand and have calm waters for swimming. Los Frailes is located about 19 miles north of Puerto Lopez. We bought a tour in Puerto Lopez which was really just hiring a truck to take us to Los Frailes and pick us up. Our driver picked us up at Alandaluz and took us to the Los Frailes office where you pay a small entrance fee. Then you are pointed to a small dirt road, where you walk until you get to a stream. You follow to stream to the beaches. The walk is about a mile or two. 