puerto lópez — machalilla national park
Fishing village at the gateway to Machalilla National Park and Isla de la Plata. Inshore bottom fishing and trolling, only outside protected zones.
Puerto López is a fishing village on the south coast of Manabí, next to Machalilla National Park, created in 1979. The park takes in dry forest, beaches, islets and a strip of shallow sea, plus Isla de la Plata, a seabird island off the coast. The village lives from artisanal fishing and humpback whale watching, which runs from June to September. Recreational fishing is from a boat, with local fishermen and tour operators: bottom fishing on rocks and shoals for pargo (snapper) and grouper, and trolling near the coast for sierra (Spanish mackerel) and mahi-mahi (dorado). Before you leave, agree with the boatman where you will fish: inside the park, the zoning in the management plan applies.
best season
From November to May, outside the mahi-mahi closed season (July 1 to October 7). From June to September humpback whales fill the bay and whale-watching boats go out.
Local rules: Machalilla National Park (Ministry of Environment, MAATE) includes Isla de la Plata and a strip of sea off the coast. Under the Organic Law of Aquaculture and Fisheries (art. 127), recreational fishing in a protected area is only allowed where the management plan and zoning permit it; the plan was updated by Agreement MAATE-MAATE-2025-0025-A, published on May 27, 2025. We have not confirmed which zones are open to fishing: treat Isla de la Plata and the park's reefs as a no-fishing area and check with park administration before you go. Mahi-mahi: closed season July 1 to October 7 and minimum size of 80 cm. Check local rules.
- getting there
- Via the Ruta del Spondylus, the coastal road, south of Manta and north of Salinas. The nearest airports are Manta and Guayaquil. Isla de la Plata is visited on speedboat tours from the village.
- facilities
- Lodging and restaurants in the village, a tourist pier, whale-watching agencies and tours to Isla de la Plata, boatmen and operators offering inshore fishing.
- country
- Manabí, Ecuador
tip
Fish early, before the afternoon wind, and bring an assortment of sinkers for the rocks. During humpback season, keep your distance from whale groups and shut off the motor near them.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
what you can catch here
before you fish in Ecuador
The Organic Law for the Development of Aquaculture and Fishing (2020) gives the fisheries governing body, the Vice Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries, the role of authorizing and regulating sport fishing (art. 124); spearfishing requires prior authorization and registration. License requirements are set in the law's regulation: before fishing on the mainland, confirm with your boat operator and the Vice Ministry what is required of the angler. In the Galápagos there is no sport fishing license for tourists: the only way to fish is the experiential fishing tour, with a local fisher authorized by the DPNG.
- Galápagos: tourists only fish on the experiential fishing tour, with an artisanal Galápagos fisher authorized by the DPNG, an accredited guide and a maximum of 10 passengers per boat. Billfish and swordfish only in demonstration catch and release; quota of 50 pounds of fish per trip, no sale (DPNG Res. 0000009/2021).
- Mahi-mahi (dorado): Ministerial Agreement 070/2011 set a closed season for targeted fishing from July 1 to October 7 and a minimum size of 80 cm total length. Confirm whether the rule is still the same.
- In protected areas, sport fishing follows the management plan and zoning of each area, under the environmental authority (Organic Law of Aquaculture and Fishing, art. 127).
The rules and closed seasons in the rest of the app are Brazilian. Outside Brazil, the regulations of the country and province apply: confirm with the official agency.
sources and references
Access, facilities and season information changes: check with the lodge, a local guide or the city hall before you travel.
- official Registro Oficial nº 46, de 27/05/2025 — Acuerdo MAATE-MAATE-2025-0025-A (actualización del Plan de Manejo del Parque Nacional Machalilla)Park created in 1979, management plan valid for 10 years and mandatory zoning of protected areas (Código Orgánico del Ambiente, art. 41). The plan text and zone map have not been checked
- official Registro Oficial (Suplemento 187, 21/04/2020) — Ley Orgánica para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura y PescaArt. 127: recreational fishing in the National System of Protected Areas follows each area's management plan and zoning
- official Convenção de Ramsar — Ficha Informativa do Parque Nacional Machalilla (1997)Shallow marine waters, the park's islands and islets, Isla de la Plata as a bird area, and whale watching
- market Fishing World Guide — Fishing in Ecuador (Puerto López & Machalilla)Inshore fishing for grouper, pargo (snapper) and other rock fish from Puerto López; humpback whales June to September