Esmeraldas Cruise Shuttles

A tropical haven for cruise ships passing through North Ecuador, the Esmeraldas Cruise Port offers a quiet introduction to a boisterous city nestled in the tropics. A fishing pier along the river, the Esmeraldas Cruise Port is located north of the downtown area, in a region filled with fishing boats and shipping cargos. Transfers into the actual main downtown area can be difficult due to lack of public transportation, but reserving a private transfer ahead of time can easily take care of that. Choose between various rides ranging from simple sedans to spacious SUVs for the freedom to explore with ease, whether it be toward boardwalk games or interesting downtown museums. Meet-and-greet services add to the convenience with drop offs ranging from local personal drivers who can find the best regional seafood, to taxis who can carry passengers from point A to point B without distractions.

A small coastal city home to just a few square miles, the tropical-urban community of Esmeraldas is one that perfectly reflects its English translation, ‘Emerald’. Start the day with what’s closest to the cruise port, walking along the sands of Playa de Las Palmas for an afternoon of shelling, or watching boats along the Puerto Pesquero de Esmeraldas, AKA ‘Fishing Pier of Esmeraldas’, for a view of the famous dock lined with blue boats. A couple exhibits are in downtown, including the Regional Archaeology Museum’s old indigenous artifacts that include ceramics, fashion and instruments, while Carlos Mercado House of Ecuadorian Culture brings a specially curated look at the country’s overall history. If time permits, watch the sunset from the epic Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve, an often quiet oasis home to tranquil coves, hidden waterfall jumping spots and random herds of oxen grazing the land.