Puerto López and Machalilla sit on Ecuador's mainland Pacific coast, offering a mix of reef, wall, drift, and artificial reef sites across a depth range from very shallow to thirty metres. Sites such as Los Frailes, Islote Sucre, and Punta King Kong cater to beginners and intermediate divers, with both boat and shore access available. Water temperatures stay warm through the first half of the year and cool slightly from August to October, when seasonal migrations bring oceanic manta rays, humpback whales, and whale sharks into the area. Smooth hammerheads, spotted eagle rays, green and hawksbill turtles, and South American sea lions are recorded across the region year-round.
Monthly water temperature across Puerto López & Machalilla's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water temperatures are warmest from February to June and cool from August through October as upwelling increases. The cooler months coincide with the best opportunities to encounter oceanic manta rays and humpback whales on seasonal migration.
4 operators
Water temperature around Puerto López & Machalilla ranges from about 23°C in August to 26°C in May, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
With water around 23–26°C, a 3mm full suit works in Puerto López & Machalilla year-round.
Fin maps 8 sites in Puerto López & Machalilla (6 scuba diving sites and 3 snorkelling spots, with some suited to both).
Across Puerto López & Machalilla's dive sites, June and October are most often reported as the best months to visit.
4 more sites to explore
