San Luis de Pambil Travel Guide

San Luis de Pambil is located in the warmer, lower part of Bolivar Province, close to where it joins with Los Rios and Cotopaxi Provinces.  It's an agricultural village at the end of the paved road in from Zapotal (on the main Santo Domingo to Guayaquil road, between Quevedo and Babahoyo).  Buses depart Zapotal about every hour - it takes about an hour to get to San Luis and costs $1 from Zapotal. The last bus leaves around 6pm from Zapotal.

San Luis is well off the beaten track but interesting to visit for a glimpse of rural agricultural life in Ecuador in the tropical zone between the mountains and the sea.  Local crops include oranges, plantains (savoury bananas), bananas, oritos (baby bananas), maize, cacao (chocolate) and sugarcane.  Around 70% of Ecuador's population is involved in agriculture in one way or another, and here the proportion is probably well over 90%.

There are no famous tourist attractions in the area, but plenty of opportunities for walking, hiking, rafting, river tubing etc.  There are some small, ancient petroglyphs (stone carvings) nearby, ask locally for a guide to take you there.

The lush vegetation supports wildlife, especially higher up the valley in the few remaining areas of virgin rainforest.  There are hummingbirds even in the village, and toucans can be seen higher in the forest.

There is one simple hotel with en suite facilities on the main plaza - the quietest rooms are at the back.  The other option is to stay with local families, which can be arranged through a charity project, Eco-Friendly Farmstays Ecuador ( www.farmstaysecuador.org, tel +593 3 2656216).  They will make/help you plant a tree for each day of your stay.  Alternatively consider staying at the Piedra Blanca Ecolodge (www.piedrablanca.org), in the hamlet of Piedra Blanca, about an hours travel up the valley from San Luis .

Rafting trips on balsawood rafts on local rivers can be arranged in San Luis.  When Thor Heyerdahl built his famous Kon-Tiki raft (in the same style as has been used here for hundreds of years), he bought one of the huge balsa trunks from this area.

Note that there are no banking facilities in this area so bring enough cash for the duration of your visit.