Manta is a mid sized city in the province of Manabí-Ecuador. It’s the fifth largest city in the country and economically the third most important city of Ecuador.For many years, Manta has been a trading post for the ancient culture of the “Mantas”. With a population of around 300,000 inhabitants, the city’s main economic activity is tuna fishing, canned products, coffee beans and industrial petroleum/chemical products ranging from cleaning supplies to oils and margarine.

The traditional “Panama hat” isn’t really Panamanian at all. In fact, these traditional hats have been made for decades in the Ecuadorian city of Montecristi which is 16 kilometres south of Manta. Back in the 19th and 20th century, like most goods exported from South America, they made their way first to Panama before they would be expedited to the world.

Several scheduled flights each day, allow you to make a leap, and visit the famous Galapagos Islands, which are part of Ecuador.

Isla de la Plata is a small island just off the coast. It can be reached by boat from the city of Puerto López. On the island, there is a large diversity of animal species, including the blue-footed booby, red-footed booby, the Nazca booby and the South American sea lion. Dolphins can be found in the water near the island. Guided tours are given on a couple of different hiking trails. There are many nice beaches on the island where you can see many forms of wildlife and plant species.

Ecuador has a network of public transport well developed, and it is very easy to make, almost from anywhere in the country, at very affordable prices. Public buses : Towns – Provincial – Inter provincial – International, allow you to move, and even go to neighbouring countries Peru – Colombia – Chile – Venezuela – Etc … for a price of approximately $ 1.00 per hour Taxis are also easily accessible and it is possible to hire a private taxi for a few hours or a full day, for about $ 10.00 per hour.

In Puerto Cayo, located 15 km south of Mirador San Jose, you'll find a selection of restaurants that offer a good variety of cuisine (from burgers and pizza to fish and seafood). Manta is your best option for groceries and has several more restaurants.

Due to its geographical location, Ecuador is the meeting of two great ocean currents in the world. The one from the north and the one from the south. These two great currents circulating in opposite directions have a cooling effect that prevents hurricanes from developing off the coast of Ecuador. Most experts are unanimous on the fact that this region will not be affected, like other regions, by future climate change.

The city of Manta is located less than 70 km from Mirador San Jose. Manta has several hospitals, private clinics and all health professionals, vision, dental, etc . Some clinics even offer you, for an annual fee of $20.00 per family, unlimited free consultations with emergency physicians. For vision or dental care, for example, it is possible to receive treatments or equipment (glasses, dentures, etc.) for about 20% of the price.