Andrew Payti
A beach in the port city of Manta
Manta is a port city in Ecuador that has grown steadily in recent times to become one of the largest cities in the country. A very important industry here is fishing, as well as shrimp and tuna processing. Manta’s beaches are popular among Ecuadorian vacationers. One can sit on the beach or go swimming while watching the fishing fleets on the horizon. Manta is also well known for weaving the internationally-recognized “Panama” hats—a product native to Ecuador, not Panama!