Taste of Ecuador: Fish Market, Forest trail, Local Food & Crafts

Discover Manta’s culture, nature, and history. Visit the Fish Market, explore Pacoche rainforest, savor local cuisine, and shop in Montecristi.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Plage de Tarqui - Begin the adventure with a convenient pick-up from Manta, followed by a scenic drive through downtown Manta. This bustling coastal road leads to the heart of the local economy, the fish market.
  • Pacoche Wildlife Refuge - Explore the lush forest of Pacoche Reserve, home to howler monkeys and a vibrant array of tropical…
What's Included
  • Hotel/port pickup
  • Hotel/port drop-off
  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
  • Lunch
  • Driver/guide
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Local bilingual guide (English/Spanish)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Our most complete day tour in Manta. Immerse yourself in the culture, nature, and history of Manta and Montecristi.
Visit the engine of the local economy, the Fish Market, and the boatyard.
Explore the lush rainforest of Pacoche and spot howler monkeys in their natural habitat. Pacoche offers a glimpse into the vibrant diversity of Ecuador’s tropical…

Location
Avenida Malecón
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(26 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Odieuk
Mar 24, 2026
A company that understands what customers want - This review is for a cruise port excursion for a small group visiting fish market, jabancillo museum, lunch, monkey forest and panama hat making. Our contact at Narwell was Gabriel, who throughout the booking for different couples within the group was always professional and caring. A day or two before docking, gabriel made contact to say our stop at the archeological site had to be cancelled (due to safety reasons / bad weather). However we would still go to the museum. Each of the guests were fine about this. On the day of the tour, narwell were there to meet and greet us all. Our guide was brilliant and caring. He and the driver understood we were a group of older people - some on walking sticks - and made sure throughout our tour everyone was well looked after. The museum - small but very educational. The monkey forest - yes we saw monkeys and the worlds second smallest frog! Panama hat making - that was fun to watch Lunch - in a semi jungle setting, everyone enjoyed the local selection. Fish Market. Ecuadoreans are proud of their fishing tradition. We all loved seeing fresh from the sea The whole day was a delight, and everyone in the group (12-13 of us) were pleased we had booked with Narwell Tours. Would we recommend them? Yes without question yes yes!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Denise_r
Feb 25, 2026
Great sights and adventures in Manta area - Tony was a most kind and wonderful guide through the touristic highlights of Manta. He loves his city and we loved every stop. Highly recommended. First we enjoyed the exciting fish market, then a walk in the woods where we met small creatures. Then a walk up to a lighthouse for exciting views. Delicious ceviche lunch on a great beach. Then a terrific presentation on Panama Hats and the complicated process of production. Every stop was a fun adventure.
Review provided by Viator
Yi_l
Dec 8, 2025
The tour was great. We... - The tour was great. We went to fish market, wildlife refugee, hiked a little bit to a mountain and had great view of the coastline. Both of our tour guides were great, pleasant.
Review provided by Viator
Velda_h
Nov 28, 2025
A most pleasant way to spend the day in Manta - This tour provided a wide array of experiences. We visited a fish market, a wildlife preserve in a cloud forest, had excellent ceviche at a restaurant on the beach, and checked out an interesting lighthouse. We also bought Panama hats at Montecristi and toured Ciudad Alfaro. A most interesting day. Anna our tour guide was excellent. She was well-spoken, knowledgeable and most kind.
Review provided by Viator
Laura_i
Nov 26, 2025
Great experience! - We really enjoyed this tour. So nice to have this experience with a smaller group, our tour guide Anna was wonderful. She explained everything very well and took time to make sure everyone was comfortable. I would definitely recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
1950fish
Apr 19, 2025
Great tour - Excellent all around. the guides were very good. The tour was as described. The jungle tour was amazing. Everything was done well/on time and comfortable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christopher_l
Apr 7, 2025
Day tour in Manta - Our tour guide Caori was very friendly, knowledgeable and speak fluent English. She introduce the culture, economy, history and the difference of each region to us. We tried the fresh seafood in the fish market, learn about the rain forest and saw how the Panama hat was hand made.
Review provided by Viator
David_v
Nov 22, 2024
Great experience - We really enjoyed the fish market and visiting Montecristi. The boat construction was fascinating. I recommend starting early.
Review provided by Viator
Pauldm8
Jul 24, 2024
From the sea to the jungle. - Highly recommend this professional company. Correspondence was very efficient pre cruise. From pick-up to drop off we had a wonderful day. Guide and driver were fantastic. Although we didn't see any monkeys, it wasn't for a lack of trying, but it's nature, nothing is guaranteed. BUT...seeing the tiniest frog, think a fingernail, and a snake that had caught a larger frog, to watching whales playing just offshore, definitely made up for it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandra
Mar 8, 2024
Our guide Gabby was knowledgeable and very proud of her town and country. Her explanations were clear she was awesome - Perfect day with Gabby is a credit to the company. We had a great experience she is a true professional. Excellent driver helpful and polite
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $105
up to 14 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).