Playas is a famous getaway beach resort for city dwellers, also known as General Villamil on local maps. It is also infamous as a major fishing village and as the fleets of fishing vessels returns it is plagued with pelicans and frigate birds who pray around the area for loose scraps and leftovers.
Many locals also have their own beach homes located here in addition to several hotels, restaurants and bars. Peak time in holiday season is from December to April. There are also several showers, toilets and rooms for changing into bathing costumes along the beach, with fresh water, at moderate costs for rental, you may also use the area for good surfing with several major points for embarking on your chosen surf although be careful at weekends as overcrowding in the water can be dangerous as surfers crisscross in front of more experienced surfers. The whole area is encompassed by a recently improved Malecon through additional tree lined roads and grassed areas.
General information.
Banks.
Banco de Guayaquil. For Mastercard, Visa, Traveler's checks & ATMs.
Communications.
Pacifictel. Located on Av. Jaime Roldos Aguilera [
1 km west of town].
Post Office. On Av. Asisclo G. Garay and 15 de Agosto. Good service.
Getting there. Playas can be reached along the coastal highway from
Guayaquil. On kilometer 62 at "El Progreso" [
Gomez Rendon], the road divides. One branch goes to
Salinas within the Peninsula de Santa Elena and the other to Playas, which is 30km from
El Progreso.
There is a frequent
bus service to
Guayaquil through
Transportes Villamil and
Transportes Posorja [
US$ 1.80*, 11/2 hours]. To
Posorja [
a small fishing village nearby] through
Transportes 9 de Marzo [
US$ 1.00*, 35 minutes]. To go to
Santa Elena, take one of the buses previously mentioned to
Guayaquil and ask the driver to drop you off in
El Progreso, from here take a
CICA, or a
CLP bus to go to
Santa Elena,
Libertad, or
Salinas.
Places to visit.
Punta Pelada is located northwest from Playas, an isolated long beach great for surfing and worth visiting. An interesting stroll is to
El Morro, a village with a large wooden old church with an outstanding appearance, surrounded by mysterious rock formations.
Getting there. Take a
truck or
camioneta on Avenida Guayaquil and Avenida Paquisha.
From the village of
El Morro some 4 km further on the same road is
Puerto del Morro, with a huge mangrove estuary, where you can rent a boat to visit the mangroves [
Dolphins have been seen here] for about 3
1/2 hours [
US$30*].
Further up the coast is
Engabao, where you'll see a group of isolated beaches and fishing boats along the road with many surfing places.
Getting there. You can hire a truck from Av. Guayaquil and Paquisha to get there in a 35 minute ride.
*The prices are approximately
