Manta, Ecuador

Manta is Ecuador's second largest port, north of Guayaquil which is the largest, and just south of the equator. With a population of approximately 140,000, Manta is a commercial center for fish and fruit, particularly bananas and plantains, which thrive in the tropical climate. However its beaches and quaint fishing villages have long attracted tourists. Shrimp, tuna and giant blue and striped marlin run in abundance in the waters off its coastal plain. Manta's culture is a vibrant patchwork of the heritage and traditions of the country's early Native American, Spanish and black African slave settlers.