Isla de la Plata

Isla de la Plata is often sold as the poor man's Galápagos, which undersells it a little: it is a small, dry, uninhabited island an hour off the coast of Manabí, part of Machalilla National Park, and it holds nesting colonies of blue-footed boobies that sit beside the paths and stare, along with Nazca boobies, frigatebirds inflating their red throat pouches in the breeding season, and tropicbirds. Guided walking loops cross the island through cactus and dry scrub to the cliffs. What lifts the trip is the season: from around June to September, humpback whales migrate up to these waters to breed and calve, and boats to the island pass through them, so the crossing regularly turns into whale watching with breaching adults at close quarters. Snorkelling off the island rounds out the day.

What you actually see

• Blue-footed boobies - nesting beside the paths, entirely unbothered by people.
• Humpback whales - passing on the crossing between June and September.
• Frigatebirds - males inflating scarlet throat pouches in the breeding season.
• Snorkelling - the reef and fish in the bay before the return crossing.

When to go

June to September is the humpback season and by far the best time, combining whales with the birds; the rest of the year the birds are still there and the trip is cheaper and quieter. The sea is calmest in the morning, and all trips leave early.

Honest expectations

The crossing is an hour each way in a small boat on open ocean and can be rough, so seasickness is common. The island walk is hot, exposed and on uneven ground, with no shade and no facilities. It is not the Galápagos: fewer species, no marine iguanas or giant tortoises, and a day trip rather than a voyage, which is exactly why it costs a fraction as much.

Nearby

Puerto López and Los Frailes beach are on the mainland; Montañita is down the coast.