Montecristi & More

Everyone’s heard of “Panama Hats,” but what most people don’t realize is that they’re made in Ecuador … just an hour’s drive from Casa Ceibo. That may be reason enough to hit the road and head to the town of Montecristi, where Casa Ceibo guests can not only buy a hat to their liking, but also learn about the craft from the Montecristi weavers.

The Montecristi Panama Hat has a texture like linen. Shops selling these authentic hats — plus jewelry, hammocks, handbags, furniture, ceramics, wood carvings, and other Ecuadorian-made products — line Montecristi’s quaint main street. This is the perfect place for strolling in and out of these little stores, and, perhaps sampling “pickled mangos,” a local snack sold by eager vendors.

After a bit of shopping, Casa Ceibo guests may want to pay a visit to the museum and house of Eloy Alfaro, a famed, yet highly controversial liberal president who was burned alive by conservatives in 1912. Despite a frightening end to life, Alfaro spent his presidency initiating major reforms, and building a railroad that ran from Guayaquil to Quito.

 No trip to an Ecuadorian town is complete without visiting at least one historical church. Montecristi has several, with the most impressionable among the options being the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy).