Visitors are open to learning and willing to listen.
“I’d rather talk to our ‘visitors.’ Visitors are always welcome. “When I’m guiding, when I’m leading people, I never talked about ‘tourists,’ because I’ve always thought that a tourist is somebody who sees the trip through a viewfinder – but that’s it,” Menoscal says.
He grew up on this coastline in Ayangue, a fishing village at the top of our itinerary, and with 30 years of experience as a naturalist guide and scuba expert in the Galapagos Islands, he’s the ideal narrator.īlue-footed boobies nest among the dry vegetation of Isla de la Plata, part of Machalilla National Park. “This is not just a luxury cruise, this is an organized adventure that is focused on conservation, that is focused on community,” says expedition leader Raul (Ruly) Menoscal. Viracocha’s legend of discovery and of walking west on the waters of the Pacific mirrors the cruise line’s mandate for coastal cultural exploration. A hefty statue of him sits on the floor in the common area, a silent witness to passengers’ daily shenanigans and a brand icon.
Not to be confused with youth travel company Contiki Tours, Kontiki takes its name from Kon-Tiki Viracocha, the god of creation in Incan mythology. The 18-passenger MS Wayra launched with 15 crew members in March, 2022. The region’s wildlife and marine parks headline a must-see itinerary, made more meaningful by naturalists, traditional artisans, farmers and foodies, even village shamans, who keep Ecuador’s Incan and Spanish heritage alive.ĭiscovery of the area’s emerging reputation comes easily on a five-day Kontiki Expeditions yacht cruise. It is little wonder that the Ecuadorian coast near the city of Manta, the Tuna Capital of the World, has been tagged a mini Galapagos.
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