Coco Bongo Hostal -- Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador

VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

Here in Bahia there are several ecologically based volunteer organisations with which you can be connected if that is your interest. Also many young people spend time in the local schools working with the children on environmental and English projects.

Hostal Coco Bongo
ECO TOURISM – Bahia De Caraquez

An exciting new venture has been started by two very dedicated and interesting people offering eco tours of the area around Bahia de Caraquez for those people looking for something a little more challenging and different. The name of the tour company is PITAHAYA. We can show here just a taste to tempt you to see more.

We offer day tours or overnight camps, horse or bicycle trips into beautiful natural dry or wet forest areas, organic farms, bird breeding grounds in the mangroves, sites where recently interesting prehistoric petrified bones have been found. Or a tour can be customed to your personal interests.

Click on pictures for larger view. Click on links for tour descriptions.


Bahia Bicycle Tour	Beach Bike Tour	Small Farm Visit	Island Corozon	Canoa

San Isidro	Tutumbe	Cabo Pasado	Rambuche	Punta Ballena

Bahia Bicycle Tour

Escorted tours of the town and surrounds taking about 2 hours where we can see different projects from Bahia eco city. E.g. a recycling project which is practiced in the town. We can ride to the top of a local landmark and see the whole town showing the old and the new where a large white cross has recently been erected which provides spectacular view over the bay.

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Beach Bike Tour

Tour is for 2/3 hours and includes biking around the town and the shoreline (malecon) . There are many interesting sea species to be seen on this ride and of course beautiful scenery.

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Small Farm Visit

This developing farm which is working towards becoming fully organic is located just a few klm from Bahia. Here you can see the exotic fruit Pitahaya being grown and it is from it that we have named this new and exciting venture PITAHAYA TOURS. It is planned that accommodation will be offered to volunteers interested in working in this environment. Meanwhile volunteers can be accommodated at the hostel Cocobongo in Bahia with meals, if required.

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Island Corozon

This rich mangrove eco system is located about 4 kilometers from San Vicente at San Philipe where the project is developing on the shores of the bay. The journey to the island is in a typically local dugout canoe manned by one of the members of the local community who are organising this project. The journey to the project can be by bicycle or local bus. On the island there are 50 different species of birds and the island is the breeding ground of the spectacular Frigata and the brown pelican.

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Canoa

This beach town is 22 klm from San Vicente and is an easy bike ride also with the option of bus if preferred. Canoa is good surf beach with the best waves in Ecuador. It has good food, friendly people and a great atmosphere.

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San Isidro

Situated 70 klms in the quiet countryside in the hills behind San Vicente you can enjoy the best local produce and culture and see the most beautiful waterfall on the coast, Nuebe Octobre. One option is to camp overnight or another is to return the same day. Here we can enjoy freshly picked fruit and bowls of cacao, fresh milk and cheese.

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Tutumbe

This village is in the same area as San Isidro and is the site of the La Olla waterfall which has a natural waterslide down into the clear pool below. Ancient water collectors in the rocks around this site are an interesting feature as are the monkeys to be seen in the trees. This is an ideal place to camp for the night or to be accessed by bike.
Cheese is also produced here and there is horseback riding available.

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Cabo Pasado

This humid eco system area is on the road to Perdernales. Here we can find an area rich in wild life and also the most beautiful beach with good waves for surfing. Here we can also fish and snorkel. The beach is 7. Km from the road and is an easy walk or can be accessed by bicycle. This would be a full day activity with the option of camping overnight.

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Rambuche

This beautiful community is located about 15 km on the road to Perdernales. It is a farming community where we can learn and observe traditional crops being cultivated and also this community was the site of an ancient cultural village where many tribes lived. We can still see the remains of the burial place of these tribes, caves and waterfalls. Again this is an easy bike ride or by horseback. This would be a full day activity or with the option of camping overnight. Local foods can also be enjoyed here.

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Punta Ballena

This is the ideal place to whale watch during the months July/November. This coastal town is also a small village community living the traditional life of fishing. It is located 65 km along the road to Perdernales. This would be a full day activity with the option of camping overnight.

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