Manta is not a pretty town, but it is interesting to see local activities involving boat building and repairs, fishing and fish market. The visit to the hat factory and museum/ mausoleum in Montecristi were the highlights. The guide and driver were excellent, but there were too many shopping stops disguised as places of interest.

We really had a great time, super interesting to get to know more about this region. Thanks to Fernando and his family. See the different production processes was very interesting.

Well organised tour - small 12 seater vehicle. Knowledgeable guide - excellent English. Competent driver. Well planned day visiting fish market, boat builders, chocolate factory, hat makers, museum and mausoleum, rain forest and lighthouse. Lunch was included. All very good except we felt the visit to the rain forest was not appropriate for the ages and abilities of our group. Two very good guides but as the terrain was, to say the least, difficult, we were not able to enjoy our surroundings as we were watching our footing all the time. Had we been told of the level of difficulty we would not have undertaken the trek. Some of our group were less able bodied and, seeing the start of the rain forest path opted to miss out completely on the experience. Otherwise it was a good, varied day and value for money.

The cacao farm tour was wonderful! Experienced a local cacao farm and local snacks and fruit. And a stop at a small batch chocolate producer factory. Shown all about the creation of chocolate from the tree to hot cocoa and chocolate bars. There was a short walk over rough ground among the cacao trees at the farm to really experience the growing cacao pods and harvest (maybe a kilometer total) . Even saw an iguana. Great lunch stop too. Our time was limited as it was a cruise ship stop but Manta SOS made good use of our time and delivered us back to the port on time. Thank you Fernando!

I'm so happy that we chose this tour company. We exchanged many, many emails because I had so many questions. They were always quick to reply and were extremely professional. We had a great tour guide named Jimmy and a wonderful driver named Javier. They both made sure that we had a fantastic day. They even found us a fabulous fish restaurant on the beach and we were able to get massages there. All in all, it is one of my best experiences ever.

Guide drove us around Montecristi hats, told us about history n independency 1830, I learned Panama hats not made Panama, made in Ecuador! Took us eat tonga, good local dish, wrapped up in banana leaf! Has rice chicken, sweet plantain n peanut sauce! Saw monkeys at Rain Forest, would Highly Recommend Manta dos service

This was an excellent shore excursion/tour We were met in the cruise terminal. The reps were very easy to find. The van was comfortable. The fish market was great! So was the Hat and Button factory. Very interesting presentations. We also went to a museum in the town center. Just the right amount of time. I would highly recommend.

Fernando was great guide, experienced and knowledgeable. We had an opportunity to learn something new and witness life of regular coastal Ecuadorians. I will recommend this simple and not overly time consuming trip.

This was an interesting tour. Fernando was an amazing tour guide, very knowledgeable. The background he provided to each site we visited made it come alive. We will always remember this experience. Wish the hauling monkeys came out to see them...next time

We booked a tour to Vinca Agroturistica El Perezoso and could not have been happier with the experience. Fernando was an incredible guide. We know a small amount of Spanish, but Fernando's english(which is on point) filled in all the blanks and made the excursion all the more better. He answered all of our questions on the 1.5 hour ride to and from the farm, handled all the translation while there, and even navigated the Dulche shop in Rocafuerte, and the Granzinado stop along the highway. Bonus: he asked if he could stop and grab a Tonga on the way back to Manta and we said "Of course, we need to get one as well!" Probably the best place we have eaten from so far. A little restaurant on the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere is usually the best food, and this one did not disappoint. We have another 2 months here in Manta, and will definitly be booking another excursion through them. Seriously, this guide group is phenomenal.

This was an amazing chocolate farm tucked away about 1 1/2 hr from Manta. Many cocoa and fruit trees. Delicious coffee with fruit and chocolate samples. Worth the bumpy drive! Guide Fernando and our driver were very friendly. Very enjoyable!

We were staying in Manta and I used Manta SOS tours to arrange our tour to Isla de la Plata. Since I didn’t want to pay for a private shuttle we took the 615 am bus from Manta to Puerto Lopez. It took close to three hours since there were a lot of stops. From the bus station we took a tuk tuk to our meeting point at Hotel Ruta del Sol and made before our scheduled meet time of 930zMet the designated people there and then we waited for our guide Silvano who showed up with about a dozen people already in tow. While my correspondence and payment was to Manta SOS ( absolutely no complaints ) I think we then joined another group. From Puerto Lopez it was a little over an hour boat ride to Isla de la Plata. It was a smooth ride. The hike on the island started off level and then segued into 150 wooden uneven steps up. Add in the hot equatorial sun and it was a bit challenging for those of us not young and in athletic shape. I was glad I brought a hat but I wish I had brought more water. At the top of the steps there’s a nice covered shelter to catch your breath. From there you. An opt for one of two trails. A guide will accompany each group. We opted for the less strenuous path to the cliff and to see the Blue footed boobies. ( There was a pair hanging out in the shelter posing for us.) The scenery along the cliffs is stunning. We saw lots of blue footed boobies, some Nazca boobies and some frigates. Prior to docking on the island we got bananas and banana bread. Once back on board we got lunch which consisted of a cheese sandwich and a tuna sandwich and a soda drink. While the crew doesn’t actually provide water bottles they have water for refills so do bring your own. After lunch we went snorkeling for 45 minutes close to shore. Watermelon post snorkel. We also saw a small group of sea lions basking, a sea turtle when we anchored and two humpback whales ( very fortunate) on the way back. Silvano was very informative and attentive . We were back in Puerto Lopez by 4 pm. Although I have been to the Galapagos I thought this was an amazing day trip. I had a wonderful time.

We enjoyed our tour yesterday so much and learned a lot about the area and Ecuador in general. Great tour guide and yummie food.

Manta has a cruise terminal with high end products and welcoming vendors. Carefully knitted covers for artisan chocolate, Panama hats, jewellery and handbags. The town has a good promenade and shopping malls. Dockside tuna are offloaded into waiting container trucks. The large tuna sign in the town emphasises the point. A bus drive out to Montecristi presents a small courtyard with a demonstration of how Panama hats are actually made. It’s intricate, back breaking work. A whole family shows us how. It’s a bit uncomfortable to watch. However, the sales team are keen and helpful. Buy a souvenir for life, to support them.

Have to do this in English. Soy Canadianse. This was a great tour with Fernando as guide. He speaks very fluent English (he actually lived in Canada for quite a while for all you fellow Canadians), was really nice company and very informative about the history and culture of the area. We saw lots of interesting stuff, but a highlight was a visit to Modesto’s Panama hat shop in Montechristi, a really nice family-run business where we watched him make a hat. Highly recommend.