Join Canadian Expat, Dodie Schadlich, in her weekly column for "Off the Beaten Path". Read on to hear about the "hidden gem" beach town of La Libertad La Libertad means freedom in English. I find it very fitting that we chose this place to begin our Ecuadorian Adventure. It is exactly what we were searching for. It is the commercial and industrial center of the province of Santa Elena. It borders with Salinas, 5 minutes from Ballenita, an hour from Montanita, and two hours from the airport in Guayaquil. Simply put; a convenient location. It rarely gets mentioned in conversation with local expats outside of the immediate area and it is difficult to find web information about this city. All of the studying we did prior to arrival to Ecuador and nowhere did I read anything about La Libertad. After finding this gem on the coast, I have a totally new appreciation of the city and feel it is highly under-rated on many levels. It is considered the pulse of the peninsula and home to the majority of the suppliers for goods and services. The folks living in Salinas and as far away as Montanita and Olon will often plan routine trips into La Libertad for their larger shopping needs, including medical and dental appointments. Because people either simply drive through and/or pop in and out for goods or services, many only see the two main drags while the rest of the city remains a mystery. What they miss is the charm, the friendly, hardworking folks and the groomed and tourist-worthy stops along the way.
View from the Malecon pier looking back to shore at some ocean front homes
Catch-of-the-day heading to trucks for the market.
View from Malecon of break wall and fishing boats
View of Malecon, in town beach, family fun and activity
Cautivo Beach looking over to Salinas
Free enterprise at its finest
Welcome to Casa Blanca Playa Cautivo