Top Things to do in Tumbes
Countries
Top 8 Nature & Parks in Tumbes, Tumbes Region
Discover the best top things to do in Tumbes, Peru including Parque Ecologico Palo Santo, Santuario Nacional Manglares de Tumbes, Cerros de Amotape National Park, Playa Acapulco, Los Manglares de Puerto Pizarro, Zoocriadero de Cocodrilos, La Isla Hueso de Ballena, Punta Sal.
Restaurants in Tumbes
1. Parque Ecologico Palo Santo
2. Santuario Nacional Manglares de Tumbes
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 66 reviews
Reviewed By hbkm - Leverkusen, Germany
Went there specially to do a kayaking tour in the park. Two tours are offered: The short paddling tour of about one hour (although they tell you two) and the longer motor boat ride of about three hours (which turned out to be longer because of motor failure). I did both. Okay, there were no kayaks, so I paddled a canoe together with a local guide. The loop is not very big but it gives you a good impression of what the mangroves look like. There are many birds but not many other animals. Depending on whether you are there on high or low tide you will get totally different impressions of the park, but in both cases it is worth seeing it. After this loop in the canoe I did the motor boat ride. It takes you to the river which marks the boarder between Peru and Ecuador. You see even more birds on the bird island and you will go to the beach where the river enters the Pacific Ocean. This I found the coolest thing of the trip: Swimming in the river mouth in the ocean, Ecuador to one side, Peru to the other, warm water, sand and a light current from the incoming tide. Nothing but nature, sun and a few fishermen. Very much worth the visit. Happy about having had a great time in a totally unknown and hardly visited natural protection site I went on to the beaches further south.
3. Cerros de Amotape National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8 reviews
Reviewed By mariedragon - Huaraz, Peru
We visited this seldom visited national park in late October. We went on an organised tour with an agency from Tumbes, as we felt the logistic would be easier this way and we are glad we did as it would be very difficult to visit the place without a guide. The ecosystem of the dry forests of the Amotape Hills is unique and really interesting and beautiful. We visited the section of the national park at Rica Playa. We first hiked along banana plantations, just outside the national park, then along the Tumbes River, then through the dry forest and up a viewpoint that offered fantastic views of the surroundings. We saw really interesting plants and trees, such as the kapok or ceibo tree (Ceiba trichistandra) and the magnificent araguaney or guayacan tree (Tabebuia chrisanta) in full bloom, as it has rained a little the previous days. It must be really amazing to come here during the rainy season (from December to March) when all the guayacan trees are blooming. We also saw some Guayaquil squirrels and some iguanas and lizards. We really enjoyed our visit to this national park and would love to visit other sections of the park in the future.
4. Playa Acapulco
5. Los Manglares de Puerto Pizarro
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 519 reviews
6. Zoocriadero de Cocodrilos
7. La Isla Hueso de Ballena
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 100 reviews
La Isla Hueso de Ballena, mas que una isla es una barrera formada por el sedimento arrastrado por el río Tumbes. Para muchos su nombre estaria relacionado con su forma, semejante al espinazo del enorme mamífero acuático; para otros es llamada de esta manera por que en ella encallo del lado del mar una ballena, con el paso del tiempo solo quedaron los huesos.
