Manta's highlights & Montecristi Hats
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Manta, Ecuador
- 5 to 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Learn about Ecuador’s history, culture, and customs when you embark on this tour through Manta and Montecristi. See firsthand how tuna fishing plays an important part in Manta’s economy when you visit a fish market and learn how the boats are built. Then, head to Montecristi to see how the famous hats (also known as Panama hats) are woven and pay a visit to the local Ciudad Alfaro Museum.
- Visit an artisan store to shop for handmade hats
- Learn about Ecuadorian culture and history
- All entrance fees are included for your convenience
- A great option for cruise ship travelers
What's Included
- Entries and plenty water bottled
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- All Fees and Taxes
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.8:30 am
Itinerary
1
Plage de Tarqui
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
2
Plage de Tarqui
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Tagua Store
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
4
Montecristi
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Museo Ciudad Alfaro
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
6
Manta
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- In case you are bringing a wheelchair, you need to notify this to us, otherwise we won't be responsible of not being able to take you on the tour.
- If you require a guide that speaks another language other than English or Spanish, you will have to choose the option "Other languages"
- Not recommended for travelers with mobility issues, unless they bring their own assistance.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 80 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.6
based on 70 reviews
John_S, Apr 2026
A lot of time was spent walking through a fish market along the shore. Everything was caught that morning, very fresh. But we were all from a cruise ship. There was no point in any of us buying a caught fish and bringining it on-board the ship. They brought up to a factory making jewelry from a large dried seed. The material was surprisingly hard. Machine tools were required to cut the seeds to shape. It was interesting, never seen anything like this. Next, we visited a panama hat making shop. This is now an extremely rare skill. The hats were of a remarkably fine quality. But hardly anyone in our group wanted to spend the money to buy one.
Charles_E, Apr 2026
Be aware of the amount of time you spend shopping. Others are sometimes waiting to move on. We enjoyed the opportunity to learn how chocolate, vegetable ivory, and Panama hats are made. The fish market was wonderful and NOT smelly! A little bit of the ship building was interesting. The museum was unremarkable, but the view from on top of the mountain was nice.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks so much for such a nice review, we are really pleased to hear you had a great time with us, we hope you come back and learn more about our country.
Greetings
James_P, Apr 2026
It was interesting to see such a variety of things on one tour. Our guide Jorge Elias was excellent. We really enjoyed the fish market and the hat making demonstration.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks so much for such a nice review, we really hope you return in the future, so we show more of the surroundings in Manta.
Thanks so much for your support
Kind regards
Kelly_G, Mar 2026
This tour was amazing, especially the hats. We watched the end making of the hat and it actually fit my husband perfectly, so we bought it. Totally amazing tour.
Leslie_S, Mar 2026
Our guide communicated with us before the tour and met us right on time at the port with a sign. He was very knowledgeable and kind and did an excellent job explaining everything we saw. We loved the variety of stops, the fishing boats, vegetable nut factory, hat presentation and chocolate stops were all very educational and informative.
Donna_H, Mar 2026
Our tour guide Nichole was very sweet but wasn’t very knowledgeable about her city. Read a lot of facts from her phone, didn’t know the population, no idea what an apartment or house cost since she lived with her parents, the fish market she couldnt identify the fish. We missed a museum stop that was on the itinerary. At the chocolate store she read the board about production with no other facts. Didn’t even talk about the cocoa beans or show us. Very disappointing.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
We are very sorry about that, we have spoken to Nicole about this, please let us know if there is something we can do for you.
Greetings
Denise_L, Dec 2025
Excellent tour from start to finish. Informative and entertaining. Easy to find the tour reps, comfortable bus, great info, each of the stops worth seeing.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thanks so much for your review, we would like to say that we are working hard to host you the best we can.
The warmest regards
Martin_L, Dec 2025
Denis really cared to show us all the items included in the trip. We saw alot more than friends who booked a Princess excursion
Response from Host, Dec 2025
We are glad you enjoyed the tour, and we are really working hard to improve our services.
Kind regards
Remy_S, Nov 2025
Manta Ecuador is a thriving fishing and boat building community. The locals are friendly and hospitable.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thanks so much for such a nice review.
Kind regards
Kraig_R, Nov 2025
What was supposed to be a general sightseeing tour of Manta and Montecristi turned out to be drop offs at the fish market, a hat shop, a tagua processing facility (after GETTING LOST trying to find this place), and a chocolate shop. The guide (Denis) was a nice & friendly man, but he could have done a better job providing more narration / information about points of interests that we were passing by (and about Manta & Montecristi in general) during the drive…which, in my opinion, was the point of the “guided” tour.
I will say that the hat shop in Montecristi was a nice experience, but that was because the shop had a demonstration on how the Panama Hat is made, which was well organized and informative. Kudos to the shop!
Also, I asked Denis where to find the “MANTA” sign at the beginning of the excursion and he said he was going to point it out when we pass it (which he never did). When I asked him about it again at the end (a showed him the picture again), he then said that’s an old sign which had been replaced, and “offered” to take me there if I order a taxi (which I declined).
I spoke with another couple from the ship (that I met on a guided tour in Puntarinas, Costa Rica) who booked a different “guided” tour with SOS Manta that same port day and they were also disappointed with their experience and their guide.
I strongly recommend AGAINST booking an excursion with SOS Manta. Find a tour with a different operator, or just wait until you get to the port for local offerings (which is what I plan to do if I ever return to Manta).
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Kraig,
We are very sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with our services, we spoke to Dennis, and he will be suspended for now, he have been working with us for years, this is the first time he has gotten a bad review, for us this is very serious since it is harming our company's standards and the commitment we do have with all the tourists that visit our city, please accept our apology and let us know if there is something we can do for you.
The warmest regards.
Sue_M, Nov 2025
Well organized and very informative. Our guide was friendly and made or tour interesting. The group is smaller making the whole experience more enjoyable
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thanks so much for such a nice review.
Please come back soon!
Pam_J, Nov 2025
This tour covered a considerable number of places that were all very interesting. The guide made sure everyone had enough time at each stop.
The roads were bumpy and, at times, the traffic was conjested. I was amazed to see cars parked on both sides of a narrow street, blocking entry. Turns were also difficult but the driver handled things well.
We made it back to the ship 2 hours before all aboard time, leaving us plenty of time to look at the stalls at the Cruise Terminal.
My criticisms would be that the guide didn't tell us what time we had at each stop. I would have made a lot better use of this time if I knew how long we actually had. He instead waited until the last person returned.
He also didn't tell us where the restrooms were. We had to ask.
While the hat making demonstration was good, the hat shop was very small and crowded.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thanks so much for your review, we will make sure your tour guide gets this, so he does not forget about what you mentioned.
The warmest regards
Peter_M, Nov 2025
The fish market, boat yard, hat factory and button factory were all a lot of fun. It was a group of 14 people. A little tight in the van.
aussie, Nov 2025
We had a wonderful time. Jose was very professional, knowledgeable and very friendly tour guide. We highly recommend Jose.
Nancy_C, Mar 2025
If your ship is late docking they will not wait nor refund!! A ship from another line docked earlier and when those passengers disembarked they left for the tour. We communicated with the tour guide letting them know our status and never received any communication.
The other tour companies were still at the port when we arrived. Will not be booking for a cruise excursion with them again.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Dear Nancy,
I am sorry for what happened but you did not show up in time for this tour, even though we had a last bus waiting until 11:50am, one hour and 20 minutes passed the departure time. I know this since I was there until noon and even then we were able to take two more participants to one of the buses that was already on its way and you were never there by that time.
I am sorry that you missed the tour.
Catherine_B, Mar 2025
This tour gave us the opportunity to learn about some of Ecuador's history and several of its industries, including fishing, palm tree nuts, and cocoa. We also saw the various stages of the creation of a handmade Montecristi hat (known widely as Panama hats because of their association with the building of the Panama Canel). The tour was well-paced and our guide and driver were cheerful and helpful. We had ample time to shop at each of our stops. Great tour of the area!
dan_R, Jan 2025
Everything was punctual and efficient. We were two couples, a little cramped in the tour guide’s private car. But he was pleasant and well informed and quite clear in English. Sometimes he got distracted by personal phone calls. The hat factory was very clear and its hats in Montecristi seemed superior.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thanks so much for such a nice review, we will improve those details.
Kind regards
Becky_C, Jan 2025
There are two other factory tours included. Plus much more. About half the cost of the same ship excursion.
John_J, Jan 2025
This was an excellent tour! Much better than expected. The guide was Juan Carlos. The stops were just as advertised.
The fishing industry experience included an explanation and actual viewing of boat building and repair, and a walk through the fish market, as fish were processed and cleaned.
The tagua factory experience was fascinating from start to finish—with an opportunity to purchase some beautiful handmade items!
We then enjoyed a full demonstration of how “Panama” (actually Montecristi) hats are made.
Following that, we went to an exhibition honoring the beloved Ecuadorian President Alfaro, capped off by a chocolate factory store stop.
The tour was professionally done—started on time and finished as promised. As a personal touch, Juan Carlos purchased and shared some of his favorite Ecuador-made snacks. We couldn’t have asked for a better tour!
Gayle_S, Jan 2025
The guide & the tour were good. One disappointment: I thought we were going to a huge market so I paid almost no attention to the vendors at the Museo Ciudad Alfaro. There was no other “market” so check out the vendors at Alfaro. My husband bought a $50 hat at the demo place that he could have gotten for $20 at Alfaro.
Steven_R, Dec 2024
This tour is a top-notch melange of Manta's unique and rustic artisinal industries: boat yard, fish market, button factory, chocolate factory, and a funky but cool memorial museum for the FDR of Ecuador, Eloy Alfero. Our guide Humberto kept us smiling the whole time.
Eileen_B, Dec 2024
This was a fun tour. The guide was great as he spoke slowly so we could understand him. He explained the reason that they are called Panama hats and not Manta hats. It seems Teddy Roosevelt was coming to Panama for a visit and the president of Panama ask that a Manta hat be made for him. President Roosevelt thanked him for his Panama hat and that is what they have been called ever since.
Don’t miss this tour and a great price compared to the ships tour.
Ian_W, Mar 2024
A really good time without any problems at all. All the visits were very interesting and informative. Seeing the Panama hats being made was excellent.
Elaine_B, Mar 2024
Very enjoyable great guide Fernando would recommend to anyone prompt pick up at the cruise terminal. all areas we visited were good
Priscilla_H, Mar 2024
A very educational tour . The hat factory demonstration is fascinating and the chocolate factory and button making from a type of seed are very interesting . The only reason I don’t give five stars is the fish market was mildly interesting culture/wise but long time spent there seemed unnecessary, and the first bathroom break was a little too long for a hot day when we needed to drink a lot. The guide did adjust and make an extra stop for this when asked, so I am sure they can adjust the schedule better in the future. The guide was great and accommodating. truly watched out for the group . We had some long driving periods when a little Ecuadorian history would have been welcomed.
Response from Host, May 2024
We will encourage Fernando to improve what you mentioned on this comment. Thanks so much for helping us with this review.
Greetings !
Peter_Y, Dec 2023
The tour guide was very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. Throughly enjoyed the trip. I will not hesitate to recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in visiting Antigua.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Hello Peter, Thanks so much for such a nice review.
I hope you can come back and try another of our excursions.
Kind regards !
Jack_S, Dec 2023
I've downgraded the tour a little because I felt there wasn't that much to see and I found both towns, Manta and Montecristo somewhat disappointing. The guide was fine and helpful and the excursion ran smoothly.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Thanks so much for your review.
Susan_R, Dec 2023
Chris was a great tour guide. He is a native English speaker but also fluent in Spanish so was adept at translating when we had questions. Our driver was also excellent and very helpful. The highlight was the fabulous demonstration of all the steps in constructing the beautiful, although misnamed, “Panama” hats! Thank you for a great day in Manta and Montecristi.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Thanks so much for your review, we have passed this message to Chris, he is exited about such a nice comment.
Leonid_K, Dec 2023
Very interesting demostrations of button factory production and Modesta hats. The guide should have more control of time people spend in specific locations on the tour, otherise a lot of time is wasted. Otherwise highly recommend.
Response from Host, Dec 2023
Hi there! thanks so much for your review, to be fair with the tour guide, it was another of our tour guides who went ahead ignoring their designated itinerary, we have spoken to the tour guide who caused this and we are making sure this won't happen again.
The warmest regards.
Mark_S, Nov 2023
Victor, our tour guide, was phenomenal. He was very knowledgeable and never rushed us along. Manta is an interesting place. What a fantastic experience at the fish market.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Hello, we have passed this nice review to Victor. He is glad to hear your comments.
We look forward to your next visit.
Thanks so much for using our services and for your visit.
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