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 Bahia the Caraquez is one of most important and cleanest Ecuadorian
tourist places at the coast with splendid, clean and quiet range. It
is located in the province of Manabi and only takes some five hours
to reach Bahia by car from Quito and four hours from Guayaquil.
Bahia de Caraquez suffered two natural disasters in 1997 and 1998, the
"El Niño" phenomenon and an earthquake in august of the later year.
Mudslides and floods devastated much of the town and the surrounding
agricultural hinterland. During the reconstruction, local
residents with the support of foreign NGOs aimed their efforts towards
more sustainable development.
As a result Bahia was declared an Eco-city on February 23,
1999, for which development activities are being carried out with the
purpose of a better use of its resources, and for the conservation of
the ecosystems.
At present the population of Bahia may be estimated in 30.000 people
located on the urban area and its surroundings. The town is a relaxed
and very safe place to live in with a constantly tropical temperature
of between 23 and 36 degrees centigrade.
Bahia de Caraquez has shown an important development during the last
15 to 20 years, since it has become one of the country's most
attractive resort areas due to its beauty and relative closeness to
the cities of Quito and Guayaquil, the two biggest cities in the
country.
 Bahia offers first-class hotels and many places to relax
or have fun. One of its principal tourist attractions is the
opportunity to sail up the Chone River by motorboat, all the way to
San Vicente. Visitors today are able to visit the lookout point of the
Cross, and experience the unique display of nature with a panoramic
view of the Pacific Ocean, the bay, beaches and mountains. They will
also find interesting archaeological sites in the area.
This city combines the remains of an ancient and rich cultural
history with the activities of a 20th-century Latin American resort. continues...
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