Santa Elena Canton

Santa Elena Tourism 

Santa Elena is the capital of the Province of Santa Elena, also known as Capital of the Sea and the Earth.    

Its origins date from the colonial era, but it is at the beginning of the twentieth century, due to the oil exploitation of the area, when it presents an accelerated population growth until establishing an outstanding urban nucleus. It is one of the most important economic, financial and commercial centers of the province. The main activities of the city are commerce, fishing and tourism.

Places to discover in Santa Elena:

• Mar Bravo Beaches: It offers domestic and foreign tourists a wide and warm beach where you can contemplate beautiful sunsets, boating and much more. 
• Manglaralto: Fishing population of great natural beauty, its extensive beach is surrounded by green palm trees that put the exotic touch to the landscape. It has beautiful beaches. 
• Olón: Olón is a small fishing village, which has always been visited because of the beauty of its beaches. 
• Sumpa Lovers Museum: A journey to get closer to history from the signs that were left of the first inhabitants. 
• Ayangue Beach: Ayangue is a small fishing village, located in a horseshoe-shaped bay. Ayangue Beach is known for its clear and warm waters. 
• Baños de San Vicente: A real treasure of medicinal waters that will make your vacation a beneficial rest for your health. 
• Valdivia Aquarium: It is another must-see site, where you can admire various marine species of great beauty. 
• Montañita: Montañita ideal place for surfing, in the beach season it receives tourists from all over the world. 

Climate of Santa Elena

The climate of Capital of the Sea and the Earth is arid due to a branch of the Humboldt current passing through the peninsula. Its annual average of precipitation is between 125 to 150 mm, it is thus one of the driest Ecuadorian cities. It has two seasons, rainy and dry. The dry season falls between the months of June to November and the rainy season from December to May, although at present the rains have been delayed until February. During the rainy season, the rainfall that is recorded is almost 90% of all rainfall that falls annually. Here the temperatures range between 21 and 40 ° C.     

Gastronomy of Santa Elena

A very old tradition is evident in the cuisine of Santa Elena. One of the oldest samples of chili pepper that has been reported comes from here, from the town of Monte Verde, and that tradition was enriched with the cuisine of the Inca invaders, the Spanish invaders, and the culinary traditions of the nearby Peru.   

The emblematic dish of this city is the delicious dried goat, and its drink is plum juice.

The local ingredients are very generous seafood products: fish and shellfish, and those not so well known, but no less excellent freshwater products. The production of fruits, vegetables and other vegetables gives us a very wide culinary palette that we hope to share with us.   

Culture and Traditions of Santa Elena

Some of the traditions of this city are crossed by the idiosyncrasy of its population that is shown in greater splendor during the “celebration of the day of the dead”, day in which for example the cord of the dead, a fabric based on cotton that, according to popular belief, is given to a deceased person so that, when he reaches heaven, he punishes the enemy. It can also be used on your children when they misbehave. Before the realization of the Mesa de Muertos, on October 31 a workshop will be held to prepare the bread of the dead, in coordination with the Ecuadorian House of Culture; The best bakers in the parish of Cadete will participate in it, famous for creating a soft-textured bread that lasts several days.  

History of Santa Elena

On January 22, 1839, in the government of Vicente Rocafuerte, Santa Elena was named Canton of the province of Guayas . On March 15, 1833, the head of the El Morro circuit was transferred to Santa Elena for public convenience as well as for a better government and judicial regime, decree of President Juan José Flores.  

On September 19, 1896, by decree of the Supreme Chief Eloy Alfaro, the Santa Elena canton was exempted from paying taxes because agriculture suffered significant losses and damages, caused by a three-year drought.  

At the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, the population of the area was made up of mostly artisanal fishermen. In 1914, the first oil well of Ecuador was drilled in the vicinity of the town  and in the 20s, the North American company Anglo Ecuadorian Oilfields (AEO) was established to export the oil that exists there. 

On November 7, 2007, Santa Elena became a province and this was published in the Official Registry # 206. This occurs after Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas has been registered as province 23 in the Official Registry # 205, of the previous day November 6. The city of Santa Elena was designated as its capital.