Bahía de Caráquez and Vicinity Cruising Guide - ECUADOR

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Bahía de Caráquez and Vicinity Cruising Guide - ECUADOR

ECUADOR - BAHÍA DE CARÁQUEZ AND VICINITY

Waypoints: Approach (from north): 00º 36.6’ S 080º 28.2’ W - this keeps you away from shoals “Waiting Room”: 00º 35.8’ S 080º 26.8’ W – anchor or wait for pilot here for entry over bar. Open roadstead but relatively calm at most times of year.

-- Entry Procedures at BAHÍA DE CARÁQUEZ ECUADOR--

Pilot required for entry (and exit) over bar of Rio Chone. Entry or exit only possible at high tide. Contact Puerto Amistad on Channel 69 upon arrival at “Waiting Room” . If possible, pre-arrange with Puerto Amistad by email (PuertoAmistadEcuador @ yahoo.com) or through SSB net. Around $30 charge payable directly to pilot (about $25/boat if one or two boats entering at the same time, $15/boat for 3 or more). Port Captain monitors Channel 16.
Port Captain or assistant will come out to your boat for a brief inspection before you are allowed ashore. Check in with Port Captain after arrival and inspection (opposite Puerto Amistad dinghy dock). It is necessary to travel to Manta by bus or cab within a week or so of entry to complete immigration procedures if entering Ecuador on an international zarpe. No immigration office in Bahía. (90 day tourist visas may now be renewed in Manta – but are issued once during a 12 month period for a total of 180 days per year.)

-- Services near BAHÍA DE CARÁQUEZ (partial listing only – new ones all the time!) --

• ATM / Bank – Banco de Pichincha; Bolivar at Ascazubi; VISA, MasterCard, Plus, Cirrus. No access fee.
• Banco de Guayaquil; Bolivar at Riofrio; VISA, MasterCard, Plus, Cirrus. $1.50 access fee.
• Alternator and Starter Repair – Taller de Electricidad “Bahía”, Walter Mero. In Barrio Astillero, Av. Ibarra (past Policia building in Bahia, toward Leonidas Plaza)
• Copies – See Internet. Many other places in town as well – look for “Copias” signs.
• Dentist – Doctora Berthalina Andrade de Viteri, Calle España and Esmeraldas, Leonidas Plaza. Tel. 239-9785. Take any local green/white bus to Leonidas Plaza. Pass Parque Central. Get off at the first traffic light after the park, walk down the street to the left. Go 2 blocks, turn left. Office is in the white house on the corner on your left.
• DHL - #1115 Bolivar, in front of Banco de Pichincha. Also Western Union
• Diesel – Repsol station on the Malecon or delivered to boat by Puerto Amistad
• Dinghy Dock – Bahia Yacht Club (members and associates); Puerto Amistad
• Long Distance Telephone – See Internet. Cheapest long distance rates.
• Farmacias – Sana Sana, Montúfar between Antes and Aczázubi; Elianta, Bolivar near Banco de Pinchincha.
• Fed Ex – Guacamayo Tours is agent, Bolivar at Arenas.
• Gasoline – Repsol station on the Malecon or delivery by Puerto Amistad
• Groceries – Mercado Publico, on corner of Morales and Ante; 2 floors; fruits, veggies, meat, seafood, flowers. Micro Mercado Yanina, Mateus between Bolivar and Montupar; best selection in town. Comercial Navia – Simon Bolivar between Ante & Ascázubi, warm friendly folks, clean, good stock of basic items (tortillas in the ‘frig).
• Haircuts – Naza (Maria Marlene), Rio Frio just west of Bolivar, $2-3 each or $4 for two. Poor reports have come back from the following: Loly’s, Bolivar 809 near Checa; cutting ($4), coloring, manicures, pedicures, facials; air-conditioned. Fanny’s (on Malecon)
• Hardware – Auto Repuestos Chavez, Ascazubi between Malecon and Bolivar, English spoken. J&H, next to Police behind Bus Terminal.
• Internet – Systecom, Bolivar near Aguilera, English spoken; Genesis Net, Malecon across from Repsol, English spoken, Spanish language classes. Both have local and long distance phone booths.
• Laundry – Machine wash/dry service at Puerto Amistad; Inquire at Auto Repuestos Chavez for lady who does laundry at home; Hostal Bahia B&B, 2nd floor reception (machine wash, line dry). Blancanieves Lavanderia, Intriago y Plaza (machine wash and dry).
• Pharmacy – numerous, all over town
• Post Office – Aguilera, just off Malecon.
• Propane – Puerto Amistad will fill US style tanks.
• Refrigeration Repair – Simón, in Bahia, tel. 269-0774
• Refrigeration Supplies – small cans of refrigerant (non-resealable) available from Auto Repuestos Chavez. Major supplier of large, resealable cans of refrigerant, as well as compressors, copper tubing, and other refrigeration/air-conditioning supplies is Angloequatoriana, with shops in Manta, Quito and Guayaquil. Manta shop is at Av. 4 de Noviembre y Calle 118 (halfway between El Paseo Mall and Migracion, on the same side as Migracion. Tel. (05) 292-1097, email anglo3 @ ecua.net.ec
• Supermarkets (US style) – see Manta and Puerto Viejo
• Taxis – Many regular and “Eco-Taxis” (tricycle cabs);
• Travel Agencies – E Ceibas Tours, Bolivar and Checa, Luigi speaks English; Guacamayo Tours, Bolivar and Arenas; Bahia Dolphin Tours, Bolivar and Riofrio
• Water – city water available at Puerto Amistad or Bahia Yacht Club dinghy docks, for cooking or cleaning, but not for drinking. Puerto Amistad will deliver 20 liter purified water to boat. Purified water also available many places in town.

- Restaurants -
• Hugo’s – almuerzo only, set menu changes daily; clean & friendly neighborhood atmosphere and cheap. Rio Frio & Morales.
• Puerto Amistad – Open every day for cena except Sunday or if closed with a large party. High quality & creative but not the cheapest around.
• D’Camaron – delicious shrimp, low prices
• Arena Pizza – Reports are of acceptable (but tomato-sauce-free) pizza. Bolivar
• Pepitos – Bolivar & (approx. Estada). Palapa style open restaurant, opens around dusk. Great grilled meat/veggies. Pop and beer only.
• Muelle Uno – excellent food, especially parrillada, large portions. Higher prices than other parrillada places, but good value. Watch out for ants.
• Chifa Lau – inexpensive and plentiful Chinese food
• Tropihelado – ice cream, hamburgers, papi-pollo, salichipapas
• Big Boy Robin – hamburgers, other fast food
• Pollo Dorado – great roasted chicken, $2 for a huge quarter plus sides
• LOTS of others!

-- Land Transportation around BAHÍA DE CARÁQUEZ ECUADOR--

- Eco-Taxi -

The least expensive way to get around Bahia is the pedicab or “Eco-Taxi” – great for getting your mercado purchases down to the dock or laundry to and from the lavanderia. about $0.25/person.

- Taxi -

Yellow taxis, about $30-35 all day, Fernando’s pick-up truck ($35 all day); Roberto’s taxi, 269-0233 or 269-0037 ($30-35 all day); Margarita Lopez Quiroz, 239-9394 or 09-754-5374 ($30 all day). Geovanny Alvarado has a truck and a car, 098161330.

- Buses -

• Local Bus - around town and to Leonidas Plaza. Green and white.
• Buses to and from Bahia de Caraquez
• Puerto Viejo - about $2.25, 2hrs.
• Manta – Change buses in Puerto Viejo, $0.90/ 30 minutes further. (Some buses with no change required in Puerto Viejo – check at bus station for times)
• Guayaquil – Exjecutivo class, reserved seats, bathroom, air-conditioned with movies, around $7, 6 hrs. Seats in front row have less legroom. Reina de Camino. 7:15, 9:30, 11:30am among others.
• Quito – Reina del Camino, Ejecutivo class, air-conditioned with movies, comfy seats, 8-9hrs. day (9am, approx. $9, arrives about 5:10pm), or overnight. Goes through Chone (buy food and drink here) and Santo Domingo. Day bus stops for almuerzo at about 1:45pm. Driver side of bus has best view going TO Quito; right side on the return trip. Arrives Terminal Terrestre in Old Town and then continues to Reina del Camino terminal in New Town.

- Ferry Service to San Vicente -

Passenger Ferry (Panga) – from Muelle 1, about $0.30/person
Car Ferry – passengers ride free

-- LAND TRIPS - Bahia de Caraquez and Vicinity La Tortuga “Miguelito” --

A Galapagos tortoise brought to Bahía in 1920 and later adopted by the Escuela Fiscal de Niños Miguel the tortoise (and learn stewardship of nature as the result) and it’s clear the nearly 100 year old tortoise enjoys the children. Bring fruits or veggies for Miguelito and school
supplies for kids.

Museo de Bahia de Caraquez
Excellent regional museum, concentrates on local north-western Ecuador pre-Columbian cultures. On Malecon in Banco Central building. Also includes art gallery featuring local artists and exhibits which change monthly, museum shop, library, restoration and research area. Around $1 entrance to museum, library free (use side door). Closed Mondays. Tour available in English (worthwhile to arrange, as exhibits are all labeled in Spanish) from
Jacob Santos (museum director) or Carlos, his assistant.

Chirije Archeological Site
This site, about 15km from Bahia on the coast, is owned by Bahia Dolfin Tours, who have developed a small “eco-resort” on the premises. Day trips to the small museum, archeological digs, hiking through the property and along the beach are available, as well as overnight or multi-day visits. The day trip is $15/person, and includes transportation and a delicious lunch. Because the site is accessible only by driving along the beach, day visits are limited to 3 hours on each side of low tide. Potshards, other pre-Columbian remains, and fossils are literally everywhere. Anything found on the property must be turned in to the owners. However, anything found OFF the property, such as on the beach, are yours to keep. You need a group of 6 people minimum for the $15 rate, altho you may be able to join another tour group if you can’t find enough cruisers. Inquire at
Bahia Dolfin Tours or with Jacob Santos at the museum, who often acts as a guide.

San Vicente Take panga from muelle uno (small fee) or gabarra (car ferry, free).

Canoa
A short bus trip north of San Vicente. Neat little surfer town. Nice almuerzo at Hotel Bambu.

Sosote
Local source for inexpensive tagua nut jewelry and decorative items (most $1-$5). Will sell loose beads as well as finished items. Shops arrayed on both sides of the road from Bahia to Puerto Viejo. Several lunch spots; the restaurant on the left side of the road after the last tagua workshop as you go toward Puerto Viejo is clean, good selection of local dishes, TV, hammocks to sleep off your lunch, and clean bathrooms. Take bus from Bahia to Puerto Viejo but check with driver or ayudante that it passes through Sosote. On return trip, catch bus to Bahia.
Montecristi See Panama Hats being made by the few remaining artisans. A wide range of qualities and prices are offered.

Isla de Corazon
Mangrove island, bird watching. Tour with English-speaking guide through tour agencies in town, OR take public transport (ferry to San Vicente then bus) or dinghy yourself up the river to the visitor’s center on the San Vicente side of the river. You will be taken by cayuca from the visitor center to the island and through the mangroves to the Frigate Bird nesting site. Local guides give tour on the island itself, but only in Spanish. There is an interpretive boardwalk through the mangroves. This trip is only possible at high tides, so check
ahead before going up there.

Crucita
Seaside town south of Bahia known for beaches and parasailing. Hostal Voladores, Calle Principal y Nueva Loja, can arrange tandem demo rides. Also, lessons leading to certification. Contact Luis Tobar, proprietor of the hostal at 05 234 0200 and email hvoladores @ hotmail.com. To get there, take a taxi for about $30 for the day or bus from Bahia to Portoviejo and then connect to local bus for the short trip to Crucita.