• -0.945833-80.6786111 Eloy Alfaro International Airport (MEC  ^IATA) (on the outskirts of the city). There are daily flights serving Manta from Quito. Airlines include Avianca and LATAM. Round-trip airfare to Quito will run $75-100.  

Bus service is readily available to most cities and towns. Long distance fares are generally around $1 per hour of the trip.

• Frequent bus service to Guayaquil which is about a four and a half hour trip, ticket cost about $5.
• Service to Quito which is about a ten hour trip ticket cost about $7,
• to Portoviejo, 1 hour, ticket cost about $1,
• to Jipijapa, 1 hour, ticket cost about $1,
• to Bahía de Caráquez, about 3½ hours, ticket cost about $2,
• to Esmeraldas, 8½ hours, ticket cost about $7.20,
• to Santo Domingo, 5 hours, ticket cost about $6.20.

Between 1999 and 2009, Manta shared its airport with the U.S. Air Force in unison with Ecuador in strategic warfare against Colombian drug cartel traffic through surveillance flights in an effort to stop the flow of illegal narcotics. In 1996 a Boeing 707 cargo aircraft crashed into a wooden church located in Manta. It was reported that amazingly the statue of the virgin remained intact. Manta was also the host city for the sixth South American Windsurfing Championship in 1991.

Manta is located in a dry tropical forest area with an average annual temperature of 25° C (77° F). The area has a wide variety of climate zones attributed geographical characteristics of the area. During the year, there are two seasons; rainy, and dry. The rainy season is approximately six months long when it is hot and humid, and occurs from December to May. The dry season is approximately six months long and occurs during the months of June to November. It is warm but very low humidity.

Manta is a port city situated on a coastal plain. The outskirts of the city is a dry tropical forest area.

• Fantasy Casino, Malecón y Calle 23 (next to the Oro Verde Hotel), ☏ +593 5262-9200. Very nice casino operated by the Oro Verde Hotel. Traditional and video slot machines, Blackjack and poker tables, American Roulette. Drinks, beverages and snacks are available. Small dance floor with live entertainment on weekends. 
• Plaza Casino. Operated by the Howard Johnson Hotel. Traditional and video slot machines, Blackjack and poker tables, American Roulette. Drinks, beverages and snacks are available. The casino has a small mezzanine where bands play supplying the live entertainment on weekends. 

• El Murciélago, This is the most popular beach area in Manta. It has a wide variety of restaurants serving seafood and local dishes, bars and other attractions for fun and relaxation. :Recreational aquatic sports such as surfing, diving, sailing, body-boarding, and fishing are enjoyed here as well. The beach is in the vicinity numerous hotels, retail stores, supermarkets, and banking facilities and automatic teller machines.

Regional Beaches

• Barbasquillo is a resort complex on Barbasquillo beach with a pool, sauna, gym and a disco. It has direct access to the an extensive beach. Horses are also available for riding on the beautiful beach.
• La Tiñosa is 3 km long with sand dunes along with cactus ten feet(three meters) high, as well as varied wildlife species. This area is used for tourists rest and recreation. This beach is located a few kilometers from the parish San Mateo, and it is surrounded by mountains with a dry vegetation.
• Linguique is 50 minutes from the center of Manta, at a distance of 18 km (10 mi). It has interesting rocky areas; place where snails, octopus and lobsters are plentiful. From the high point, it offers the visitors the possibility to observe the sea in all directions in a beautiful panoramic view. The people in this area are devoted to fishing and agriculture.
• San Lorenzo is 28 km (17 mi) from Manta. It is known for its diverse rock formations, caves, marine birds and the Island of the Silver. The months of June to September you can take in the incredible sight of hunchback whales as they pass from the north to south. San Lorenzo's forest, with an extension of 50 hectares, was declared a protected area to avoid its deterioration as an ecological area. Popular activities include surfing, sunbathing and whale-watching. The climb to the light house is amazing and often accompanied by views of blue-footed boobies.
• Santa Marianita is in a rural area about 10 miles west of Manta. The perfect area for the capture of marine species. This 8 km (5.0 mi) beach invites the visitors to enjoy the warm waters enjoying the tranquility of this area. Telephone services are available here.
• San Mateo is a thriving fishing village located on a cliff overlooking the sea 13 km (8.1 mi) west of Manta. The locals are very friendly, and a bit tipsy after a good catch. San Mateo is also known among surfers as the longest wave in Ecuador. The competition is stiff out on the water; the locals can be territorial.
• Tarqui is a park of the shellfish where delicious local foods are prepared for your enjoyment. On this beach you can participate in recreational aquatic sports such as surfing, diving, sailing, body-boarding, and fishing, along with other outdoor sports such as beach soccer; and volleyball. It is located on the coastal highway midway between the airport and Manta. It can be identified by the large wooden fishing boats in various stages of construction. With the boat construction at this location, it has been nicknamed 'Noah's Ark Beach' by some tourists.

Manta offers many places to have a great time, many of them in the main street called "Flavio Reyes."

• Black Daddy One of the famous clubs in Manta, offers good drinks and good music.
• West End The best place to party. It's a karaoke-bar with the newest songs available to sing and dance that turns into a dance club late at night.
• Conga The cheapest club in Manta. It offers Latin music such as reggaeton, merengue and salsa as well as electronic music.
• Krug If you want to have a good time in a bar, Krug is the place. Krug is an outdoor bar with a lively scene.

Wearing "gringo" clothes (for example, fishing vests, traveler's pants, bright colored t-shirts, dirty sandals) will make you a target. A pair of nice pants and a nondescript white or off-white t-shirt will make you look like a businessperson who knows his way around the area and not just another tourist.