Totally enfolded by the beautiful reserves of the Machalilla National Park, Puerto López might just have one of the most enviable locations on the entire Pacific coast of Ecuador. But for all the handsomeness of its setting – nestled between hills of verdant scrub and lined by a bay of shimmering golden sand – the town itself can seem a little flimsy. Navigate the breeze-block builds and the rickety shacks, though, and you're bound to discover the reasons that has so many people visiting here. For starters, there's the sun-kissed malecon, lined up with restaurants serving up seafood as fresh as can be. Then there are boat trips from the new pier to the bird-spotted Isla la Plata, whose abundance of marine life keeps Puerto López tour guides in the whale watching business (the best season for that is between April and August). The uncrowded trails of Machalilla are another famous draw, weaving between desert like terrain to Los Fraiels, clearly one of the prettiest beaches in Ecuador!