Atacames
Encyclopedia
Atacames is a beach town located on Ecuador
's Northern Pacific coast. It is located in the province of Esmeraldas
, approximately 30 kilometers away from the capital of that province, which is also called Esmeraldas. In 2005 Atacames's population was 11,251 inhabitants. Atacames has one of the lowest rates of poverty in the province of Esmeraldas (68% in 2005). Click here for a map of Atacames.
During Francisco Pizarro
's second conquest in 1526, he landed at Atacames. There he was unable to conquer or invade the land due to the resistance that he found in the local people who were at that time under the Incas.
In the centuries after Spanish conquest, some slave ships came from Africa. In 1553 a ship carrying slaves from Panama to Peru was stranded on Esmeralda, and the 25 slaves on board managed to escape from their captors. http://www.goecuador.com/ecuador-general-info/ecuador-ethnicity8.html
In the following years more escaped slaves, along with the descendants of the former slaves, developed some of the lands along the coast. Although there were also other people groups present in Atacames in the 16th century, today Afro-Ecuadoreans
make up a large portion of the population in Atacames.
Tourism
is Atacames's primary industry. For its population, Atacames has the highest level of hotels in the whole province of Esmeraldas. http://www.ecuadorvirtual.com/article.asp?qid=3814&sid=Nuevas%20Ideas It is also easily accessible by bus from Santo Domingo, Quito, and Esmeraldas.
and in Playas the climate is very nice all year round for Surfing
. It is important to note that Sharks may be a hazard at this break. Salinas, Ecuador
, was the site of the ISA World Junior Surfing Games Ecuador
in 2009.
is generally served with the meal. A wide variety of fruit juices are also served, though beer (particularly Pilsener
), water, and carbonated beverages are also common. Vegetables, which are generally grown in the highlands of Ecuador, are often missing from the regular diet due to their higher price.
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
's Northern Pacific coast. It is located in the province of Esmeraldas
Esmeraldas
Esmeraldas is the Spanish word for 'emeralds'. It is a toponym that may refer to the following:*Brazil**Esmeraldas, Minas Gerais*Ecuador**Esmeraldas, Ecuador**Esmeraldas River**Esmeraldas Province**Esmeraldas Canton*Special:Allpages/Esmeraldas...
, approximately 30 kilometers away from the capital of that province, which is also called Esmeraldas. In 2005 Atacames's population was 11,251 inhabitants. Atacames has one of the lowest rates of poverty in the province of Esmeraldas (68% in 2005). Click here for a map of Atacames.
During Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
's second conquest in 1526, he landed at Atacames. There he was unable to conquer or invade the land due to the resistance that he found in the local people who were at that time under the Incas.
In the centuries after Spanish conquest, some slave ships came from Africa. In 1553 a ship carrying slaves from Panama to Peru was stranded on Esmeralda, and the 25 slaves on board managed to escape from their captors. http://www.goecuador.com/ecuador-general-info/ecuador-ethnicity8.html
In the following years more escaped slaves, along with the descendants of the former slaves, developed some of the lands along the coast. Although there were also other people groups present in Atacames in the 16th century, today Afro-Ecuadoreans
Afro-Ecuadorian people
An Afro-Ecuadorian is a member of a group in Ecuador who are descendants of black African slaves brought by the Spanish during their conquest of Ecuador from the Incas. They make up from 3% to 5% of Ecuador's population....
make up a large portion of the population in Atacames.
Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is Atacames's primary industry. For its population, Atacames has the highest level of hotels in the whole province of Esmeraldas. http://www.ecuadorvirtual.com/article.asp?qid=3814&sid=Nuevas%20Ideas It is also easily accessible by bus from Santo Domingo, Quito, and Esmeraldas.
Surfing in Atacames & Ecuador
People travel from all over the world to enjoy Surfing in EcuadorSurfing in Ecuador
See also: List of surfing areas for a list of global surfing areasEcuador has many beaches for surfing: the coast of Ecuador is 2,237 km long. Waves good for surfing are available in Ecuador year-round, and surfers enjoy the mild year-round weather, especially in the northern region where the...
and in Playas the climate is very nice all year round for Surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
. It is important to note that Sharks may be a hazard at this break. Salinas, Ecuador
Salinas, Ecuador
Salinas is a coastal city located in the Province of Santa Elena, Ecuador. It is the seat of the canton that bears its name. The westernmost city on mainland Ecuador, Salinas is an important tourist center. Recently, Salinas was the center of controversy during the contentious "more fun, less sun,"...
, was the site of the ISA World Junior Surfing Games Ecuador
ISA World Junior Surfing Games Ecuador
International Surfing Association in Ecuador is a part of the The International Surfing Association is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing authority for surfing and all its waveriding disciplines, including bodyboard, kneeboard, longboard, tandem, skimboard and...
in 2009.
Atacames Nightlife
Atacames has a busy night life, primarily because weather during the day is extremely hot and humid. Atacames provides services for tourists all year round, but the high season are weekends, Easter, Carnival, Christmas, and some weeks in the summer. Atacames is full of discothèques and dancing clubs that play the most recent hits from different styles of music such as salsa, merengue, and reggaetton. Atacames is also well known for its "caipirinas", a Brazilian drink made from sugar cane alcohol, fresh lime juice and lots of ice. Along most of the beach there are bartenders situated in kiosks along the colorful beach shore that make a variety of local fruit shakes and juices. There is also a covered (though outdoor) line of booths that sell hand made jewelry and handicrafts. Dozens of local women also earn a living by braiding and putting beads in hair (generally for tourists).Eating in Atacames
The food served in Atacames is typical for much of the coastal regions of Ecuador. Meals will often consist of shrimp, crab, lobster, and fish. Several of the citizens in Atacames fish, and thus much of the food that is served is fresh. As is typical in most of Ecuador, riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
is generally served with the meal. A wide variety of fruit juices are also served, though beer (particularly Pilsener
Pilsener
Pilsner is a type of pale lager. It takes its name from the city of Pilsen , Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic, where it has been developed since 1842, when a bottom-fermented beer was first produced. The original Pilsner Urquell beer is produced there today.-Origin:Until the mid-1840s, most ...
), water, and carbonated beverages are also common. Vegetables, which are generally grown in the highlands of Ecuador, are often missing from the regular diet due to their higher price.