Cayapas-Mataje Mangrove Reserve

The Cayapas-Mataje reserve covers a large area of mangrove, estuary and island on the Colombian border in northern Esmeraldas, and its distinction is the size of the trees: red mangroves here, in the Majagual stand, have been measured at over sixty metres, among the tallest mangroves recorded anywhere in the world, growing as tall trunks in an environment where mangrove is usually low scrub. Boats work through channels between the islands, past Afro-Ecuadorian and Chachi communities living on the water, and the shellfish gathering that supports them, with concheras working the mud for black shells. Birdlife is heavy and the whole area is wet, hot and rarely visited by outsiders.

What you actually see

• Exceptionally tall red mangroves - trunks measured above sixty metres.
• Channels between the islands - the boat routes through the estuary.
• Concheras working the mud - the black-shell gathering trade.
• Afro-Ecuadorian and Chachi villages - communities living on the water.

When to go

June to November is somewhat drier; it rains heavily here in every month. A day by boat, arranged locally. Tides govern the routes.

Honest expectations

This is a remote border area with limited services and a history of security concerns; check current advice locally before travelling. Boats must be arranged and are not cheap. Rain, heat and insects are constant. Very little tourist infrastructure exists.

Nearby

San Lorenzo is south-east; the Colombian border lies north.