Crucita

Crucita is a straight beach several kilometres long backed at its southern end by cliffs, and the steady onshore wind that hits those cliffs through the afternoon creates lift consistent enough that the town has become the paragliding and hang gliding centre of Ecuador, with schools running tandem flights daily and pilots ridge-soaring above the sand for hours. The rest of the town is a plain coastal strip of seafood shacks serving ceviche and fried fish, popular with people from Portoviejo at weekends and empty midweek. Fishing boats work off the beach, kites go up in the afternoon, and the sunsets over a flat Pacific horizon are the other thing people come for.

What you actually see

• Paragliders over the cliffs - the afternoon wind that made the town's name.
• A several-kilometre beach - the long straight sand.
• Seafood shacks on the front - ceviche and fried fish along the strip.
• Sunset over the Pacific - the flat western horizon.

When to go

December to April for sun; wind for flying is most reliable in the afternoon year round, strongest roughly July to November. A day. Weekends bring crowds from Portoviejo.

Honest expectations

The town is plain and rundown in parts. Flying is weather dependent and trips get cancelled. Currents on the open beach are strong and lifeguarding is limited. Midweek almost everything is shut.

Nearby

Portoviejo is east; Bahia de Caraquez lies north.