See and Do: Overview
Sunbathing and swimming
Salinas has some of Ecuador’s prettiest beaches on its north side. Swimming is safe here because the surf is calm.
The most popular beach is Salinas Beach. This beach is locally also known as Playa de San Lorenzo. This beach can be crowded and noisy during weekends in the high season (December – May). What doesn’t help is that this beach is pretty narrow. Many activities are offered on this beach: skydiving, kayaking, paragliding, fishing, and whale watching tours. Across the road across the beach are numerous hotels and restaurants.
A quieter and more family-oriented beach is Chipipe Beach. This beach is wide, has soft sand, and is kid-friendly. In the district behind to the beach are several restaurants.
Lookout points
On the military base west of Salinas are several interesting lookout points that you can visit. From lookout points La Lobería and La Chocolatera you can watch sea lions. There is a hiking path between these lookout points. Lookout point El Morro is located inland and gives a nice view over Salinas. You can only visit these lookout points during the day.
Whale watching
Each year humpback whales come to the coast of Ecuador to conceive and give birth to their calves. From Salinas Beach, you can take boat tours to watch these whales. To learn more about whales, it is recommended to first visit Salinas’ whale museum.
Surfing
While the ocean north of Salinas is calm and therefore perfect for swimming, the ocean south of Salinas is pretty wild. Swimming here is not a good idea at all, but it’s a popular spot for surfers. Surfers share the ocean with numerous sea lions that inhabit this part of the coast. Popular (but quiet) beaches for surfing are Playa 3 Cruces and Playa del Mar Bravo on the military base and Playa Punto Carnero east of the airport.