View source for Portal:Peninsula

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<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; letter-spacing:2px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.5); margin-bottom:12px;">[[Main Page|EcuaWiki]] › Portals › The Peninsula</div>

<div style="font-size:2.4em; font-weight:bold; line-height:1.1; margin-bottom:10px;">The Santa Elena <span style="font-style:italic; font-weight:normal; color:#7dd3f0;">Peninsula</span></div>

<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.95em; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.72); max-width:600px; margin-bottom:24px; line-height:1.6;">The westernmost point of mainland Ecuador — where the Pacific shapes eight thousand years of human history, three cities, and dozens of fishing communities unlike anywhere else in South America.</div>

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<div style="font-size:1.6em; font-weight:bold; color:#7dd3f0; line-height:1;">200K+</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.45); margin-top:2px;">Residents</div>
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<div style="font-size:1.6em; font-weight:bold; color:#7dd3f0; line-height:1;">3</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.45); margin-top:2px;">Cantons</div>
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<div style="font-size:1.6em; font-weight:bold; color:#7dd3f0; line-height:1;">8,000</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.45); margin-top:2px;">Years inhabited</div>
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<div style="font-size:1.6em; font-weight:bold; color:#7dd3f0; line-height:1;">1911</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.45); margin-top:2px;">First oil well</div>
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<div style="font-size:1.6em; font-weight:bold; color:#7dd3f0; line-height:1;">80K</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.45); margin-top:2px;">Tourists / season</div>
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<div style="font-style:italic; font-size:1.08em; color:#005f8a; line-height:1.55; margin-bottom:18px; padding-left:16px; border-left:3px solid #0093c4;">"A compact strip of Pacific coast with some of the most diverse beach conditions, archaeology, and marine life in South America."</div>

The '''Santa Elena Peninsula''' is Ecuador's westernmost continental point — bounded by the Gulf of Guayaquil to the south and Santa Elena Bay to the north. Its three cantons — [[Salinas]], [[La Libertad]], and [[Santa Elena (City)|Santa Elena]] — form a continuous urban conurbation that fades outward into fishing hamlets, salt flats, and cliff-edged headlands.

This is not a homogeneous coast. Salinas is Ecuador's premier beach resort, loud with jet-skis and night markets in high season. Fifteen minutes east, La Libertad is workaday and commercial — its Terminal Pesquero one of the most active fishing ports in the country. And inland, the provincial capital Santa Elena guards the '''[[Amantes de Sumpa]]''', the 8,000-year-old lovers who are among the oldest human remains in the Americas.

Beyond the conurbation, the peninsula turns quieter: [[Ancón]] preserves British company-town architecture and Ecuador's first oil well. [[Anconcito]] hauls in langosta by dawn light. [[Ballenita]] offers one of the coast's best whale-watching perches from June to September. And [[Punta Blanca]] stretches its white-cliff beach in near-total peace.


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<span style="font-size:1.25em; font-weight:bold; color:#003d5c; white-space:nowrap;">The Three Cantons</span>
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<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.85em; color:#7a7a7a; margin-bottom:14px;">Politically separated but physically merged — each with its own character, economy, and reason to be here.</div>

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<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; font-weight:bold; color:#0093c4; margin-bottom:3px;">Tourism Capital</div>
<div style="font-size:1.1em; font-weight:bold; color:#003d5c; margin-bottom:7px;">[[Salinas]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.82em; color:#6a6a6a; line-height:1.55;">Ecuador's most famous beach resort. The malecón hums year-round; La Chocolatera merges two ocean currents before your eyes. Best whale watching June–September.</div>
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<span style="font-size:0.82em; font-weight:bold; color:#005f8a;">La Chocolatera</span>
<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:1px; text-transform:uppercase; color:#9a9a9a; display:block;">Must see</span>
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<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; font-weight:bold; color:#003d5c; margin-bottom:3px;">Commercial Heart</div>
<div style="font-size:1.1em; font-weight:bold; color:#003d5c; margin-bottom:7px;">[[La Libertad]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.82em; color:#6a6a6a; line-height:1.55;">The peninsula's largest city. Active fishing port, oil refinery, the main bus terminal, and the freshest seafood market — without a tourist scene to complicate things.</div>
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<span style="font-size:0.82em; font-weight:bold; color:#005f8a;">Terminal Pesquero</span>
<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:1px; text-transform:uppercase; color:#9a9a9a; display:block;">Dawn experience</span>
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<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:1.5px; text-transform:uppercase; font-weight:bold; color:#1d6b40; margin-bottom:3px;">Provincial Capital</div>
<div style="font-size:1.1em; font-weight:bold; color:#003d5c; margin-bottom:7px;">[[Santa Elena (City)|Santa Elena]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.82em; color:#6a6a6a; line-height:1.55;">Home to UPSE university and the Amantes de Sumpa museum. The region's civic and archaeological center — origin of Las Vegas culture, the first in Ecuador.</div>
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<span style="font-size:0.82em; font-weight:bold; color:#005f8a;">Amantes de Sumpa</span>
<span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:1px; text-transform:uppercase; color:#9a9a9a; display:block;">Free museum</span>
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<span style="font-size:1.25em; font-weight:bold; color:#003d5c; white-space:nowrap;">Coastal Parishes &amp; Villages</span>
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<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.95em; color:#003d5c; margin-bottom:3px;">[[Ballenita]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.78em; color:#8a8a8a;">Whale viewpoints · Farallón Dillon · Surf</div>
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<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.95em; color:#003d5c; margin-bottom:3px;">[[Ancón]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.78em; color:#8a8a8a;">First oil well · British architecture · Cliffs</div>
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<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.95em; color:#003d5c; margin-bottom:3px;">[[Anconcito]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.78em; color:#8a8a8a;">Fishing capital · Langosta · Bitumen cliffs</div>
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<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.95em; color:#003d5c; margin-bottom:3px;">[[Punta Blanca]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.78em; color:#8a8a8a;">White cliffs · 3.7 km beach · Family-friendly</div>
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<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.95em; color:#003d5c; margin-bottom:3px;">[[Baños de San Vicente]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.78em; color:#8a8a8a;">Thermal springs · Mud volcano · Interior</div>
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<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.95em; color:#003d5c; margin-bottom:3px;">[[Chanduy]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.78em; color:#8a8a8a;">Salt flats · Flamingos · Traditional fishing</div>
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<div style="font-size:1.1em; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom:6px;">From the Peninsula to Manabí</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.88em; color:rgba(255,255,255,0.75); line-height:1.55; margin-bottom:14px;">North of Salinas, the [[Portal:Ruta del Spondylus|Ruta del Spondylus]] (E-15) runs through [[Ayangue]], [[Manglaralto]], [[Montañita]], [[Olón]], and beyond — surf towns, fishing coves, and cloud-forest headlands. The peninsula is the departure point, not the destination.</div>
'''[[Portal:Ruta del Spondylus|→ Ruta del Spondylus guide]]''' &nbsp;·&nbsp; [[Beaches|Beaches]] &nbsp;·&nbsp; [[Understanding Public Transportation in La Peninsula|Getting around]]
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<!-- ── GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE ── -->
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<span style="font-size:1.25em; font-weight:bold; color:#003d5c; white-space:nowrap;">Geography &amp; Climate</span>
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<div style="font-weight:bold; color:#8b6344; margin-bottom:5px;">Physical Setting</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.86em; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.6;">The peninsula is the northernmost extension of the West Coast desert system. Bounded south by the Gulf of Guayaquil and north by Santa Elena Bay — an arid plateau with dramatic Pacific cliffs on the outer edge.</div>
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<div style="font-weight:bold; color:#8b6344; margin-bottom:5px;">Ocean Currents</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.86em; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.6;">Two currents converge at La Chocolatera: the cold Humboldt Current keeps water clear and nutrient-rich; the warmer equatorial current keeps swimming comfortable on the northern shore year-round.</div>
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<div style="font-weight:bold; color:#8b6344; margin-bottom:5px;">High Season (Dec–May)</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.86em; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.6;">Beach season. Salinas at capacity. Warm water, calm surf on the bay side. Book accommodation early; prices roughly double January to February.</div>
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<div style="font-weight:bold; color:#8b6344; margin-bottom:5px;">Low Season (Jun–Nov)</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.86em; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.6;">Cooler, windier, fewer tourists, lower prices. Prime [[Whale Watching Season|whale-watching season]] — humpbacks arrive in June and are visible through September from Salinas, Ballenita, and Anconcito.</div>
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<!-- ── HISTORY ── -->
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<span style="font-size:1.25em; font-weight:bold; color:#003d5c; white-space:nowrap;">History in Brief</span>
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<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.75em; font-weight:bold; color:#0093c4; letter-spacing:1px; text-transform:uppercase; margin-bottom:2px;">6800 BC</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.88em; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.55;">'''[[Las Vegas culture]]''' — the first documented human settlement in Ecuador — flourishes on the peninsula. The Sumpa cemetery contains 200 burials, including the [[Amantes de Sumpa]]: a couple buried facing each other in an 8,000-year embrace.</div>
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<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.75em; font-weight:bold; color:#0093c4; letter-spacing:1px; text-transform:uppercase; margin-bottom:2px;">Pre-contact</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.88em; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.55;">'''Valdivia, Machalilla, and Chorrera cultures''' succeed Las Vegas. The Spondylus shell becomes a sacred trade item, giving name to the modern [[Portal:Ruta del Spondylus|Ruta del Spondylus]] that follows these ancient exchange routes.</div>
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<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.75em; font-weight:bold; color:#0093c4; letter-spacing:1px; text-transform:uppercase; margin-bottom:2px;">1911</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.88em; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.55;">'''[[Ancón]] 1''' — Ecuador's first commercial oil well — is drilled by the Anglo-Ecuadorian Oil Company. British engineers build a company town whose architecture still stands today, a designated heritage geosite.</div>
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<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.75em; font-weight:bold; color:#0093c4; letter-spacing:1px; text-transform:uppercase; margin-bottom:2px;">1977</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.88em; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.55;">Karen Stothert's excavations at Sumpa uncover the pre-ceramic cemetery, establishing it as the most meticulously documented archaeological site in Ecuador.</div>
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<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.75em; font-weight:bold; color:#0093c4; letter-spacing:1px; text-transform:uppercase; margin-bottom:2px;">2007</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.88em; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.55;">'''Santa Elena Province''' is created, separating from Guayas. The three cantons gain their own provincial administration for the first time.</div>
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<!-- ── NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ── -->
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<span style="font-size:1.25em; font-weight:bold; color:#003d5c; white-space:nowrap;">Natural Environment</span>
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<div style="font-size:20px; margin-bottom:6px;">🐋</div>
<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em; color:#1d6b40; margin-bottom:3px;">Humpback Whales</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; color:#6a6a6a; line-height:1.5;">June–September offshore. Best from Ballenita's Mirador Caracol or Salinas boat tours.</div>
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<div style="font-size:20px; margin-bottom:6px;">🦭</div>
<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em; color:#1d6b40; margin-bottom:3px;">Sea Lions</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; color:#6a6a6a; line-height:1.5;">Year-round colony at La Lobería, Salinas. The Humboldt Current keeps fish stocks rich enough to sustain a permanent group.</div>
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<div style="font-size:20px; margin-bottom:6px;">🦩</div>
<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em; color:#1d6b40; margin-bottom:3px;">Flamingo Salt Flats</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; color:#6a6a6a; line-height:1.5;">Seasonal colonies near Chanduy. Best birdwatching early morning in low season.</div>
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<div style="font-size:20px; margin-bottom:6px;">🌿</div>
<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em; color:#1d6b40; margin-bottom:3px;">Tropical Dry Forest</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; color:#6a6a6a; line-height:1.5;">Ancón's interior preserves a rare dry forest remnant with endemic and migratory birds.</div>
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<div style="font-size:20px; margin-bottom:6px;">🐠</div>
<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em; color:#1d6b40; margin-bottom:3px;">Marine Reserves</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; color:#6a6a6a; line-height:1.5;">Reefs near Anconcito support dive sites. Punta Blanca sees seasonal manta ray aggregations.</div>
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<div style="font-size:20px; margin-bottom:6px;">🫧</div>
<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em; color:#1d6b40; margin-bottom:3px;">Bitumen Seeps</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.8em; color:#6a6a6a; line-height:1.5;">Natural oil seeps on the Anconcito cliffs, predating Ecuador's oil industry by millennia. Accessible at low tide.</div>
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<!-- ── PRACTICAL LINKS ── -->
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<span style="font-size:1.25em; font-weight:bold; color:#003d5c; white-space:nowrap;">Living &amp; Getting Around</span>
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<span style="font-size:17px; margin-right:8px;">🚍</span>'''[[Understanding Public Transportation in La Peninsula|Public Transportation]]'''
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.76em; color:#8a8a8a; margin-top:1px; margin-left:25px;">Routes, fares, Terminal Sumpa</div>
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<span style="font-size:17px; margin-right:8px;">🚕</span>'''[[Taxis and Taxi Apps|Taxis &amp; Apps]]'''
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.76em; color:#8a8a8a; margin-top:1px; margin-left:25px;">Fair prices, which apps work</div>
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<span style="font-size:17px; margin-right:8px;">🏦</span>'''[[ATM & Banking|Banking &amp; ATMs]]'''
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.76em; color:#8a8a8a; margin-top:1px; margin-left:25px;">Which machines work, cash tips</div>
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<span style="font-size:17px; margin-right:8px;">🏥</span>'''[[Medical Services]]'''
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.76em; color:#8a8a8a; margin-top:1px; margin-left:25px;">Hospitals, clinics, pharmacies</div>
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<span style="font-size:17px; margin-right:8px;">📋</span>'''[[Cédulas|Cédulas &amp; Residency]]'''
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.76em; color:#8a8a8a; margin-top:1px; margin-left:25px;">Paperwork explained step by step</div>
| style="border:1px solid #d0dce8; border-radius:5px; padding:10px 12px; vertical-align:middle; background:#ffffff;" |
<span style="font-size:17px; margin-right:8px;">🌐</span>'''[[Internet Service Providers|Internet &amp; WiFi]]'''
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.76em; color:#8a8a8a; margin-top:1px; margin-left:25px;">ISPs, hotspots, mobile data</div>
|-
| style="border:1px solid #d0dce8; border-radius:5px; padding:10px 12px; vertical-align:middle; background:#ffffff;" |
<span style="font-size:17px; margin-right:8px;">🛒</span>'''[[Supermarkets]]'''
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.76em; color:#8a8a8a; margin-top:1px; margin-left:25px;">Where to find imports</div>
| style="border:1px solid #d0dce8; border-radius:5px; padding:10px 12px; vertical-align:middle; background:#ffffff;" |
<span style="font-size:17px; margin-right:8px;">🍽️</span>'''[[Restaurant Directory La Peninsula|Restaurants]]'''
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.76em; color:#8a8a8a; margin-top:1px; margin-left:25px;">Community-reviewed listings</div>
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<!-- ── SIDEBAR: AT A GLANCE ── -->
<div style="border:1px solid #d0dce8; border-radius:5px; overflow:hidden; margin-bottom:16px;">
<div style="background:#005f8a; color:#ffffff; padding:9px 14px; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:2px; text-transform:uppercase; font-weight:bold;">At a Glance</div>
<div style="padding:12px 14px;">
{| style="width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.86em;"
|-
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; font-weight:bold; color:#1a1a1a; width:45%; padding-right:8px;" | Province
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; color:#4a4a4a;" | Santa Elena
|-
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; font-weight:bold; color:#1a1a1a; padding-right:8px;" | Cantons
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; color:#4a4a4a;" | Salinas, La Libertad, Santa Elena
|-
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; font-weight:bold; color:#1a1a1a; padding-right:8px;" | Population
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; color:#4a4a4a;" | ~205,000
|-
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; font-weight:bold; color:#1a1a1a; padding-right:8px;" | Coastline
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; color:#4a4a4a;" | ~75 km perimeter
|-
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; font-weight:bold; color:#1a1a1a; padding-right:8px;" | Nearest city
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; color:#4a4a4a;" | Guayaquil (~2 hr)
|-
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; font-weight:bold; color:#1a1a1a; padding-right:8px;" | Currency
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; color:#4a4a4a;" | US Dollar (USD)
|-
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; font-weight:bold; color:#1a1a1a; padding-right:8px;" | Time zone
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; color:#4a4a4a;" | ECT (UTC−5)
|-
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; font-weight:bold; color:#1a1a1a; padding-right:8px;" | Languages
| style="padding:5px 0; border-top:1px solid #e8eef5; color:#4a4a4a;" | Spanish · English in Salinas
|}
</div>
</div>


<!-- ── SIDEBAR: SEASONAL ── -->
<div style="border:1px solid #d0dce8; border-radius:5px; overflow:hidden; margin-bottom:16px;">
<div style="background:#005f8a; color:#ffffff; padding:9px 14px; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:2px; text-transform:uppercase; font-weight:bold;">Seasonal Guide</div>
<div style="padding:12px 14px;">

<div style="display:flex; gap:10px; padding:7px 0; border-bottom:1px solid #e8eef5; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.84em;">
<span style="font-weight:bold; color:#005f8a; min-width:64px; flex-shrink:0;">Dec–May</span>
<span style="color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.4;">High beach season. Best swimming. [[Carnival en Salinas|Carnival]] in February.</span>
</div>

<div style="display:flex; gap:10px; padding:7px 0; border-bottom:1px solid #e8eef5; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.84em;">
<span style="font-weight:bold; color:#005f8a; min-width:64px; flex-shrink:0;">Jun–Sep</span>
<span style="color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.4;">[[Whale Watching Season|Humpback whales]] offshore. Cooler, fewer crowds, lower prices.</span>
</div>

<div style="display:flex; gap:10px; padding:7px 0; border-bottom:1px solid #e8eef5; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.84em;">
<span style="font-weight:bold; color:#005f8a; min-width:64px; flex-shrink:0;">Oct 7</span>
<span style="color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.4;">[[Santa Elena Provincialization Day]] — the province's biggest civic holiday.</span>
</div>

<div style="display:flex; gap:10px; padding:7px 0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.84em;">
<span style="font-weight:bold; color:#005f8a; min-width:64px; flex-shrink:0;">Dec 22</span>
<span style="color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.4;">[[Cantonización de Salinas]] — week of festivities &amp; aquatic races.</span>
</div>

</div>
</div>


<!-- ── SIDEBAR: EMERGENCY ── -->
<div style="border:1px solid #d0dce8; border-radius:5px; overflow:hidden; margin-bottom:16px;">
<div style="background:#7a0000; color:#ffffff; padding:9px 14px; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:2px; text-transform:uppercase; font-weight:bold;">🚑 Emergency Numbers</div>
<div style="padding:12px 14px;">
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:1.05em; font-weight:bold; color:#7a0000; margin-bottom:10px;">General Emergency: 911</div>
* [[Hospitals & Clinics|Hospitals &amp; Clinics]]
* [[Police & Security|Police &amp; Security]]
* [[Pharmacies on Duty|Pharmacies on duty]]
* [[Emergency Contacts|Full directory]]
</div>
</div>


<!-- ── SIDEBAR: NOT TO MISS ── -->
<div style="border:1px solid #d0dce8; border-radius:5px; overflow:hidden; margin-bottom:16px;">
<div style="background:#005f8a; color:#ffffff; padding:9px 14px; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:2px; text-transform:uppercase; font-weight:bold;">Not to Miss</div>
<div style="padding:12px 14px;">

<div style="display:flex; gap:10px; padding:8px 0; border-bottom:1px solid #e8eef5; align-items:flex-start;">
<div style="font-size:18px; width:34px; height:34px; background:#e0f4fa; border-radius:50%; text-align:center; line-height:34px; flex-shrink:0;">🏛️</div>
<div>
<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em; color:#003d5c;">[[Amantes de Sumpa|Amantes de Sumpa Museum]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.78em; color:#6a6a6a; margin-top:2px;">8,000-year-old couple in an embrace. Free entry.</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display:flex; gap:10px; padding:8px 0; border-bottom:1px solid #e8eef5; align-items:flex-start;">
<div style="font-size:18px; width:34px; height:34px; background:#e0f4fa; border-radius:50%; text-align:center; line-height:34px; flex-shrink:0;">🌊</div>
<div>
<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em; color:#003d5c;">[[La Chocolatera]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.78em; color:#6a6a6a; margin-top:2px;">Two currents meet at Ecuador's westernmost tip. Free entry.</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display:flex; gap:10px; padding:8px 0; border-bottom:1px solid #e8eef5; align-items:flex-start;">
<div style="font-size:18px; width:34px; height:34px; background:#e0f4fa; border-radius:50%; text-align:center; line-height:34px; flex-shrink:0;">🛢️</div>
<div>
<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em; color:#003d5c;">[[Ancón|Ancón Heritage Site]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.78em; color:#6a6a6a; margin-top:2px;">Ecuador's first oil well (1911) &amp; British company-town.</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display:flex; gap:10px; padding:8px 0; align-items:flex-start;">
<div style="font-size:18px; width:34px; height:34px; background:#e0f4fa; border-radius:50%; text-align:center; line-height:34px; flex-shrink:0;">🐋</div>
<div>
<div style="font-weight:bold; font-size:0.88em; color:#003d5c;">[[Whale Watching Season|Whale Watching]]</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.78em; color:#6a6a6a; margin-top:2px;">Humpbacks June–September. Best viewpoints listed.</div>
</div>
</div>

</div>
</div>


<!-- ── SIDEBAR: CONTRIBUTE ── -->
<div style="border:1px solid #0093c4; border-radius:5px; overflow:hidden; background:#eaf5ee;">
<div style="background:#1d6b40; color:#ffffff; padding:9px 14px; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:10px; letter-spacing:2px; text-transform:uppercase; font-weight:bold;">🏗️ Help Build This Page</div>
<div style="padding:12px 14px; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:0.86em; color:#4a4a4a; line-height:1.6;">
This portal is a living document. If you live here and know something the wiki doesn't — add it.
* [[Special:WantedPages|Articles most needed]]
* [[Special:Upload|Upload a photo]]
* [[Wiki Guidelines|Contribution guidelines]]
* [[How to Donate|Support the project]]
</div>
</div>


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<!-- end two-column table -->

[[Category:Portals]]
[[Category:Peninsula]]