Puerto Cayo’s history (English)
You can access the spanish version further down the page.
La historia en espanol estan mas abajo en la pagina.
The territories of Puerto Cayo parish were inhabited in ancient times by Indigenous groups Belonging to ethnic Manteno-Huancavilca peoples. The people were mainly fishermen and lived in pequañas dwellings made of wood or cana. Even today, fishing still forms an integrated part of the life in Puerto Cayo. In 1911 the Puerto Cayo ordinance established the “Paroquia” as a rural parish and part of the larger Jipijapa canton.
Puerto Cayo, is located south-west of the province of Manabi, in the cove of Cayo, 70 Km. From the city of Manta, 68 Km. Of Portoviejo, 170 Km. From Guayaquil, 26 Km. Jipijapa and 30Km, Puerto Lopez.
It has a tropical climate which averages 25 C, it has the influence of the current Humboldt County fry, through which preserves climates and microclimates corresponding to the wet-dry-tropical and tropical forests.
The parish has 15 communities and 2 clearly defined communities without limits, so its geographical location is in discussion with the Membrillal parish.
The communities are: Rio Bravo, springs, mud, La Boca, Juron, Salaite, Cantagallo, Olina, Las Cruces Olina Cantagallo and San Ramon, Galan Up, Down Galan, Homo-Cantagallito, Vuelta Larga and Motet.
Tourism
Puerto Cayo, as a seaside resort renowned for having the most beautiful and tranquil beaches on the coast of Ecuador region and have a rich bio-diversity and a welcoming beauty.
This is the perfect spot to watch humpback whales, being the closest to Bajo de Cantagallo, where focus point, because the shallow site. A Puerto Cayo is known as “the cradle of humpback whales,” it is that from June to September each year, these come from the Anarida to breed in the warm waters of Ecuador.
Puerto Cayo is a paradise for those who love peace and nature, it is conserderado an ideal place for family holidays. We also find waterfalls, hiking trails, wet and dry forests, mountains, and Islet alcanulidos Pedernales, where you can observe howler monkey, pelicans, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, colorful fish, coral reefs up, etc.
Productivity
Artisanal fisheries continues to be a relevant and significant activity for the people of Puerto Cayo, and generating sources of direct and indirect jobs. State institutions and international economic support have promoted projects and programs to improve the value chain of artisanal fisheries in the parish and the adoption of models of sustainable exploitation.
The most common species occurring in Puerto Cayo are: lobster, shrimp, churo, kingfish, sardines, Perela, mackerel, sea bass, albacore tuna, snapper, wahoo, grouper and others.
A more fishing, Puerto Cayo is recognized by agricultural production, especialemente in the communities of Cantagallo, La Boca, Anthem and springs, where products as given: watermelon, papaya, banana, pumpkin, passion fruit, lemon, orange , melon, cucumber, beans, maize, cassava, onion, tomato, pepper, cilantro, etc.
Cultura
Puerto Cayo is characterized by a very rich and varied cultural tradition. In fisheries, the Cholo fisherman, dedicated to marine tasks, while the peasant or Montubio living in the mountains, is dedicated to the cultivation of beans, cassava, hortilazas and breeding of small animals.
Usually the inhabitant of the parish is very cheerful parish is very lively and rooted in their constumbres usually meet in the celebration of religious holidays of each community, by this time returning families you walk they have migrated to other cities and out of this country.
Puerto Cayo is traditional consumption of medicinal herbs like yerba buena, oregano, aloe, plantain, lemon grass, grated cassava, chamomile, rue, anise, etc. Culturally women engaged in housework, child rearing, breeding of small animals and harvesting of the crop, as the man Diaren farming, fishing operations and trammel repair.
Puerto Cayo has a varied cuisine in terms of seafood is concerned, between the soup and seafood casserole, ceviche, shrimp and grilled shrimp are prepared, fried fish, grilled lobster, viche, squid, shells, etc.