Country Article / Postcards
R&R for the Soul
Date: 06/18/2006Dear International Living Reader,
Ed and Tania Tuttle keep a spotting telescope aimed at the Pacific Ocean from the deck of their hilltop house near San Jose, Ecuador. From June to October, the telescope offers dramatic close-ups of humpback whales performing the thunderous arabesques that make up their mating ritual in the deep offshore waters. "No matter how many times I see it," says Tania, "It always takes my breath away."
Tania, an artist from Cuenca, and Ed, a former computer consultant from Boston, own and manage Samai, a retreat and spa on Ecuador’s Ruta del Sol. Perched at 300 feet above sea level, and 150 yards from the Pacific, you can stay at Samai, eat organic fare, and undergo a variety of holistic services and programs. The surrounding rainforests of the Cordillera Mountains feature excellent hiking paths and the broad beach at San Jose is only a 10-minute downhill walk. (If you’re not into the uphill return, Tania will be more than happy to pick you up in the SUV.)
In a country known for its world-class bird watching, the birding in the Cordillera Mountains and Machililla National Park, to the north, is exceptional. A project is underway to catalog the wide array of species in the area. Tania says that many of her guests come to watch the birds.
You won’t find the large coastal resorts of the Caribbean and Central America along this stretch of the Ecuadorian coast. Neither will you find the creature comforts that those resorts offer. Except for the surfing mecca of Montanita, five miles to the south, the tourist trade is modest along this part of the coast. What you will find is a breath-taking, sparsely populated landscape, micro-climates that range from rainforest to desert, and life lived in rhythm with ancient customs.
Travel an hour to the north, and you discover the town of Puerto Lopez, built around a charming crescent bay (drive a half hour further north again and you reach the gorgeous--but largely undiscovered--beaches of Puerto Cayo.) Here, you can catch a boat to the Ile de la Plata, dubbed the "Little Galapagos" because of its unique wildlife. You can also catch your supper on one of the city’s charter boats. Several unpretentious restaurants line the beachfront avenue, looking out toward the beach and the fishing fleet moored in the bay beyond. The small but growing community of expats who live in this town of 15,000 rave about the seafood they buy off the incoming fishing fleet.
David Morrill
For International Living
Rate this Postcard:
Rating: 3/5 (16 votes cast)