Manabí Province · Ecuador
Where to stay in Manta
Manta is a city in Manabí Province, Ecuador, home to about 259,000 people.
- Best months
- July to October
- Nearest airport
- MEC4 km · Eloy Alfaro International Airport
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/Guayaquil
- Language
- Northern Quichua, Shuar, Spanish
About
About Manta
Manta, also known as San Pablo de Manta, is a city in Ecuador, cantonal head of the Manta Canton, as well as the largest and most populated city in the Manabí Province. It is the seventh most populous in the country.
Manta is a commercial and vacation resort area and is the second largest seaport in Ecuador. The city's main industries include tuna fishing, canning, and processing; coffee and cocoa bean export; and crafting the tagua nut into artwork.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Manta
See
Manta hosts an International Theater Festival every year in September. There are sporting events from January through April. Downtown you can find first rate night clubs, bars, and casinos.
- Banco Central Museum
Do
The evenings is a hive of activity of partying people, loud music and meandering cars that form around the nearby side streets and main frontage of the Malecón that arcs around the bay. Bathed in constant ocean winds, the Malecón is always a pleasant and most refreshing area to walk in the evening and taking in the night breezes.
- Fantasy Casino
- Plaza Casino
- El Murciélago
- Barbasquillo
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Manta
16 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Casa Blanca Hotel Boutique | 14.7 km | |
| Hostal Antares | 2.6 km | |
| Hostal Blue Pacific | 2.7 km | |
| Hostal Rosa Mar | 3.1 km | |
| Hotel & Resort Terrazas del Mar | 21.7 km | |
| Hotel Balandra | 1.8 km | |
| Hotel Los Almendros | 1.6 km | |
| Hotel Mar Azul | 2.0 km | |
| Hotel Perla Spondylus | 1.2 km | |
| Hotel Vistalmar | 2.4 km | |
| Hotels Demarc - Manta (Nazo) | 4.2 km | |
| MantaHost Hotel | 3.4 km | |
| Oro Verde Manta | 2.1 km | |
| Pacoche Lodge & Reserve | 22.5 km | |
| Soga Hostal | 15.3 km | |
| Wyndham Manta Sail Plaza Hotel and Convention Center | 3.9 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Manta
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Manta are July to October. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; February is the wettest, with about 91 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Manta: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC), about 4.2 km from the city centre in a straight line; General Ulpiano Paez International Airport (SNC, 143 km) is also within reach.
Getting around
Taxi service is inexpensive and you can get to most places from one to three dollars. You can also take buses throughout the city, but with an abundance of inexpensive taxis, that is the best option for a tourist. Negotiating the cost of your taxi as soon as you step in is common practice. Carry small denominations of money and have exact change for your taxi fare if possible. If you do not have exact change, taxi drivers conveniently will not be able to make change for you and will try to convince you to leave the change as a tip instead.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
MEC · Eloy Alfaro International Airport
SNC · General Ulpiano Paez International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Manta
Eat
Manta has an amazing selection of fresh seafood. You can find fish, shrimp, octopus, calamari, clams, mussels, prawns, lobsters, crabs and scallops that are especially fresh and cheap. Ceviche and viche de pescado are traditional tropical dishes in Manta. Fresh coconut juice is always available on the beach, and other delicious fresh fruit juices and smoothies are available on the malecon.
Drink
The city water supply is contaminated with mercury and other contaminants. Drink bottled water only and do not use ice in drinks either. Iced coconut water (agua'e coco) is very popular due to the hot temperatures. It is freshly extracted from the coconuts in front of you, and it tastes really good.
Stay safe
Manta is a generally safe city but tourists should take special care in certain areas. Dark unlit streets at night is an invitation for trouble. Taxis are inexpensive in the city, using them even for short distances is a great precaution. Travelers in Manta and other areas are likely to be approached at some point or another by con artists or persons with "sob stories". Ignore such persons and be wary of anyone asking for money under any pretext, including children begging. If you're feeling charitable, Ecuador has lots of legitimate charities you can support. Pickpocketing is done by highly skilled groups of 3 or 4 people.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Manta: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Manta?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Manta are July to October. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C; February is the wettest, with about 91 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Manta?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC), about 4.2 km from the city centre in a straight line; General Ulpiano Paez International Airport (SNC, 143 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Manta?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Manta
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.