Manta, Ecudor cruises

Manta sits almost directly on the equator, roughly halfway up Ecuador’s Pacific shoreline. The area was home to at least seven different civilizations before the Spanish conquered the region in 1534.

While the Panama hat is known around the world, it is less common knowledge that they actually come from Ecuador. Montecristi is just a short hop inland from Manta, and it provides a fascinating insight into their manufacture.