The capital of the province of El Oro, this booming agricultural city is the centre of the surrounding banana- and shrimp-producing region. There is an annual international banana fair in September. The city is not particularly clean, safe or attractive, but it does have more and better facilities than Huaquillas at the border.
The spacious Parque Juan Montalvo, has a nice church. There aren’t many sights in Machala and the nearest beaches, at Jambelí, are dirty. Puerto Bolívar, the banana export port, can be visited as can mangrove islands in the Archipiélago de Jambelí. iTur (25 de Junio y 9 de Mayo, iturmachala@hotmail.com, Mon-Fri 0800-1230, 1500-1830), has regional brochures and information.
Warning: Machala has serious public safety problems, mind your valuables and avoid deserted areas. Do not leave your hotel late at night.
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