Pacific Coast

On the west side of the Andes the mountains meet the Pacific Ocean. This part of Ecuador is known as La Costa (The Coast). The coastal line was once covered by thriving rain forest, tropical dry forest, and mangroves, but starting from the turn of the century, this land was put to agricultural use. The deforestation process of the area is the main cause of the now frequent flooding that occurs during the rainy season.

The fertile coastal land is popular for banana, cacao, coffee, sugar cane and rice cultivation. On the creeks and estuaries and on what was once swampland, shrimp farms are now in place. There is still, however, a low mountain range that maintains its natural coastal virgin forest, called the Mache-Chindul. Here you can still find the native community of the Chachis.