Journey With Jeannie

January 16, 2026, Friday

Weather: 83° F Sunny and hot

We stopped at Manta, Ecuador. I’m not sure what the attraction is to stop here, except you can buy authentic Panama hats made in nearby Montecristi. Real Panama hats are not actually made in Panama, but Ecuador.

We chose to walk around the port area and explore. The beach is right next to the port area. It was early around 8:00am so people had not started coming out yet.

Interesting rock with scattered shells on the beach. There were a lot of chairs to rent, if you wanted to just sit and watch the water.

Manta is a coastal port along Ecuador’s Pacific Ocean and known as the world capital of tuna fishing. We headed to the fish market by foot. On the way we saw a huge new park.

We walked about 12,000 steps today. The fish market was indeed at least 45 minute walk from the port. That doesn’t sound like a lot but the walk meanders along a busy street, the new park, as well as some vacant stinky parks. The weather was hot. Some people took a taxi to the fish market and then to Montecristi. That probably was a good idea.

My Thoughts: We got our steps in today, even though I’m still nursing my strained right foot. That night we ate in the main dining room. The food is especially good there. It features small portions, well presented, and seasoned. Unfortunately something didn’t agree with me and I was sick all night.