Ayampe and surrounds offer the best conditions for scuba diving and snorkeling activities in continental Ecuador.
In this area we find a mini archipelago with several islets such as El Ahorcado, El Pelado and islands like Salango or De La Plata which offers the best diving conditions in this side of the Pacific.
Need not to travel more than a few minutes to start your underwater adventure. At Finca Punta Ayampe we can help you immersed in the perfect organization of your subaquatic experience:
• Boats
• Complete Diving Equipment
• Must have a diving certificate (PADI, NAUI, SSI, ACUC, DIVA, CMAS, FEDAS, YMCA, DEWA, etc.)
• Custom two-dives Tour for U.S. $ 90.00
Some of the best diving areas are:
• Isla De La Plata
• Los Ahorcados
• Salango
You cannot pay a Galapagos tour? … Why bother. For only $ 43 you can take the next wonder: La Isla de la Plata. Dubbed as “poor man’s Galapagos”, for the similarity in abundance and diversity of wildlife; its world class diving, snorkeling, bird and wildlife watching, hiking, and much more makes this island the next best choice to visit.
Boat distances between Puerto Lopez harbor and the various dive sites on the PNM Machalilla National Park islands are relatively small. 09h00 is the usual embarkment at Puerto Lopez. Return time around 14h00, after two complete dives. It should be noted that the navigation times may vary between 15 and 40 minutes. The most popular dive sites are: Salango, Rocas Ballenita, Punta Mala, Punta Piqueros, Horno de Pan, Bajo los Frailes, Punta Machalilla, La Viuda, Islote Sucre, Islote Pedernales y Bajo de Cantagallo.
The seabed along the coast is composed of rocky shores, large areas of coral reefs and big extensions of sand. Under the rocky shores divers can find multicolored coral fans (gorgonians). Isla De La Plata seabed is mostly rock and coral based in good condition with gorgonians and sandy areas. It has a rich and interesting fauna. Here you find large groups of reef fish like angelfish, flute fish, trumpet, jacks, blowfish, balloon fish, moray eels, snappers, stingrays, guitar rays, and the ocean shark. It is also possible to see green turtles, several species of starfish, and sea cucumbers.