Esmeraldas - City of Ecuador

Esmeraldas is a city in Ecuador. It is the seat of the Esmeraldas Canton and the capital of the Esmeraldas Province. It has an international sea port and a small airport. Esmeraldas city is a major seaport of northwestern Ecuador. It lies on the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Esmeraldas River. The city is the chief trading centre for the region's agricultural and lumbering resources but is only slightly developed industrially. Esmeraldas is home to the majority of the Afro-Ecuadorian population.It is the terminus of the 313-mile Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline from the oil fields in northeastern Ecuador.

While mangroves line most of the coastline in the Esmeraldas, there are still many beaches and fishing villages where there is beach access and boat launches.