NATIONAL PARK MACHALILLA

The Machalilla National Park is located in the Western center of the Coastal Region of Ecuador to the south West of the county of Manabí near the town of Puerto López on the Ecuadorian coast.

The Machalilla National Park has an extension of 56.184 hectares, and it was created 20th November 1979 with the Official Registration 69.

The Machalilla National Park is one of three protected areas of the coast region. It has a altitude rang of 0 meters to 850 meters above sea level. The areas of the M.N.P are very varied in life with tropical dry forest and vegetation that is in almost primary state. Only along the Ecuadorian Cost can you find these areas: Tropical thicket Desert, Thorny Weed Tropical, Tropical Dry Forest, and Thorny Weed Pre-Mountain. there are many species of flowers, including orchids and bromelías are the most common in the area. There are many beaches in the park from puerto Rico all the way north but one of the nicest beaches is the over priced los frailes.

In the park are many island (las islas de La Plata and Salango, and los islotes La Tortuguita, La Viuda, Sombrerito, Sucre and Horno de Panshe) and in 1990 the park was declared of international importance.

In the island of La Plata are many sea birds including pelicans, frigates, tropical birds, marine wolves, the red and blue footed booby's and masked booby's.
Discovered in the park are several archaeological places. In the old river towns - Río Buenavista, Rio Chico, Salango and Agua Blanca are relics of over 5000 years old. In these communitys you can view these artifacts from a time before columbus. It is necessary to highlight that in this area there are archaeological remains of the most important cultures (la Valdivia, Machalilla, Chorrera Engoroy, Bahía, Guangala, Manteña.) all on the coast of Ecuador.

Ecological Importance

Machalilla is famous for its high levels of endemic floral it is considered that 19 percent of the woody plants in the park are endemic including the tagua palm (Phytelephas aequatorialis). Most of the big mammals have been hunted and at the moment they are in danger of extinction at a local and regional level, including the white line deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and the gray deer (Mazama gouazoubira). Sometimes ocelots can also be observed, although they are also threatened and are scarce.

The park consists of 128.000 hectares of marine and coastal habitat along the mainland and around the Islands of Salango and the Island de la Plata. The surrounding ocean contains the only continental coralline reef of Ecuador. The limits of the marine park protect 40 percent of the coastal fisheries of the country. The Isla de la Plata is an important feeding area for many species of coastal birds, among those that are pelicans, frigate birds and piqueros, and the only well-known population of albatros. Also, the hunchback whale has there breeding area inside the limits of the park.

Threats

The park is threatened by several factors, As much terrestrial as marine. In the park the most serious threats are the deforestation for the production of commercial charcoal, the increased land for cows and sheep, the development of tourism and the loss of wild life due to hunting. Inside the park 1.200 hectares approximately have sucome to agricultural ends (mainly for coffee, corn, bananas and citrus) and near 8.000 hectares they are land for cows. Other initiatives of regional development represent an imminent threat as they use the park for the electric power lines and petroleum. At the moment, the tourism concentrates on archaeological places near the community of Agua Blanca and along the beaches near the town of Machalilla.

In the park the marine area is threatened by the loss of animals due to commercial fishing and the destruction of one of the few protected areas of the marine turtles in the Ecuador. Also, the development of tourism threatens important places like Isla de la Plata and in the beach Los Frailes.

Specific recommendations to visit the Machalilla N.P

To the visitors of Los Frailes, you are not permitted to camp, to have bonfires, to pick up animals, plants and other marine organisms.

The visit to The island de La Plata should be carried out under the responsibility of a naturist guide's service. It is forbidden to extract plants, animals and marine resources. For security, the landing is carried out exclusively in Drake Bay.

General normal's