Anconcito: Beaches, Viewpoints and Festivals

Anconcito brings together coastal scenery, a fishing port and local festivals. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip here, you can start by deciding what matters most to you: beach features and tides, outdoor activities or a visit during festival season. The following places and events offer different highlights for planning your trip.

Beaches and Coastal Features

At Playa Punta de los Acantilados, natural pools become visible at low tide. Waves have shaped these formations in the oceanic rock. If you want to see the pools, plan your visit for low tide and take the tide level into account.

Playa la Samba offers a different kind of scenery: its rock formation resembles a viewpoint, and the sand is a light cream color. Playa la Bramona, in the Barrio Manabí of the Anconcito parish, has rocky areas and saltwater pools; it is also considered a suitable place for surfing and bodyboarding. Check local conditions before swimming or surfing.

These beaches offer different features to help you choose: natural pools at low tide at Playa Punta de los Acantilados, light-colored sand and a distinctive rock formation at Playa la Samba, and opportunities for surfing and bodyboarding at Playa la Bramona.

Viewpoints and Outdoor Activities

Bosque Palo Santo, a natural area in the Anconcito parish, has several viewpoints overlooking the fishing port and the beaches of Ancón. It is also considered a place for cycling and hiking. The view of the port connects the landscape with its function: Anconcito’s fishing port has services required for fishing operations.

Mirador Encantado in Barrio Manabí offers a different photo opportunity. You can take pictures in front of the locality’s signs and include the boats in the background. The viewpoints therefore offer different perspectives: Bosque Palo Santo looks out over the port and beaches of Ancón, while Mirador Encantado features the locality’s signs and the boats.

Festivals and Religious Sites

Anconcito’s Fiestas de Parroquialización are celebrated annually on December 18. The program includes bicycle races and a civic student parade. If you plan your trip around this date, check local information about that year’s event before making plans.

During the May celebrations in honor of the Virgen del Pescador, a procession of decorated boats follows the boat carrying the image of the Virgin out to sea. A public dance celebration is then held at the fishing port. Check the current dates before planning your trip.

Iglesia San Miguel de Arcángel is the largest church in the Anconcito parish and is the one most frequently attended by the faithful. Outside, there is a statue of a female figure holding a child. A viewpoint overlooking the sea is located near the church.

More Travel Highlights in the Wider Guayas Destination

The wider Guayas destination also offers other cultural highlights. In Nobol, the Santuario Nacional Narcisa de Jesús, a pilgrimage destination, stands on the banks of the Río Daule. The uncorrupted body of Saint Narcisa de Jesús is kept there. Also in Nobol, Hacienda San José is considered a place to visit because Narcisa de Jesús was born there on October 29, 1832. In Guayaquil’s Barrio Las Peñas, the historic complex comprises 36 houses, including galleries and workshops; the houses preserve colonial-style architecture.

Discover more destinations: La Rinconada, Santa Elena, Valdivia, Montañita, Ayangue, Olon, Simon Bolivar, Chanduy

Back to the wider travel guide: Santa Elena.