Canoa

Canoa is a pleasant, laid-back fishing village on the Pacific coast of Ecuador in the Manabi Province. Popular with travellers and yet not overrun by them, it's an excellent place to chill-out for a few days on the beach or practice your surfing skills.

Understand
Canoa suffered serious physical and financial damage in the April 2016 earthquake and the subsequent period of reconstruction and reduced tourism. The hospitality industry is still recovering with some businesses having closed and new ones opening.

The area of interest to voyagers is eight blocks long and two or three blocks wide west of the main road. Buses from the south travel along Román Centenio for most of the town, turn east on Xavier Santos for two blocks to Parque Central then continue to the north. Xavier Santos runs westward to the beach ending at the Malecón and a large 3D CANOA sign. Street names are hardly used and street signs are rare.

Get in
Every 30 minutes there is a bus connection with San Vicente or Bahía de Caráquez. From Bahia 4 buses daily leave to Quito (two in the morning (06:30, 09:00) and two in the evening). There are now direct buses to Quito and Guayaquil to and from Canoa.

There is also a bus route up the coast to Pedernales. The Sundown Inn has excellent maps of Canoa and the region.

There are direct buses between Canoa and Montañita and Manta. For Puerto López take a bus to Jipijapa and change busses.

Bus companies have offices along Xavier Santos in the three blocks before Parque Central. For buses to San Vicente, Bahía de Caráquez and other areas to the nearby south, buses can be hailed along the main road.

Do

 * Surfing: Canoa has some nice surf to learn or perfect your skills. 16 km (10 mi) of beach break with no rocks, no reef and no riptide means nice conditions for beginners and moderate waves in peak surf season which is from January through April.
 * Beachcombing The mostly pristine, mostly deserted beach runs for ten miles. At low tide it is very flat and wide. Walking along the beautiful beach at Canoa can be quite rewarding as some beautiful tropical sea shells wash up. Canoa is known for its ecological pride, but rubbish does wash up from other coastal areas. Even if you are not staying at Hotel Bambu, they will give you one free cocktail if you fill a bag up with rubbish - you can fill a bag quite quickly and it's a free drink and a great way to keep the beach clean, so everybody wins.
 * Take a trip to Rio Muchacho Organic Farm. They offer 1-3 day tours with activities including horse trek to howler monkey forest and waterfall, making chocolate and coffee from the bean, making necklaces, bowls, and rings from natural materials, and lots more. They also offer volunteer programs for the farm and eco-schools. You can get more information on Rio Muchacho or other tours in Ecuador at their office in Canoa which also sells fair trade items.

Learn

 * Canoa Spanish School''' is a great place to learn Spanish while enjoying the beach. It is located at the Sundown Inn on the beach just south of town. You can get a 4-week program with private beachfront room, all meals and 80 hours of private tutoring for around $800.

Buy

 * There are several tourist shops in Canoa.
 * There is no bank or ATM in Canoa. There is an ATM and bank in San Vicente.

Eat



 * Restaurante Genesis, Javier Santos #306 (main road), has cheap and decent fish dishes. They may try to get more money out of you by bringing more (or more expensive) dishes than what you ordered.
 * Restaurante Genesis, Javier Santos #306 (main road), has cheap and decent fish dishes. They may try to get more money out of you by bringing more (or more expensive) dishes than what you ordered.

Stay safe
Thefts are very common on the beach, especially at night. Do not leave valuables on the shore when you are in the water and be very careful if camping on the beach at night.

Apply insect repellent to feet, ankles and lower legs when going to the beach around dawn and dusk as a precaution against sand flies ( Lutzomyia spp. ).