Top Local Tips for Tumbes

A great tour of the mangroves (reserva de manglares) Head north to Zarumilla. To do this, hop in a mototaxi in Tumbes and tell them to head for "la Zona" or explain you need "el paradero (bus stop) por Zarumilla o la frontera. There are collectivos (minivan and station wagon) that head north for about 3 soles. Get off at the plaza in Zarumilla and bargain for a mototaxi to Puerto 25. We did this with no preparation and got lucky- a sociologist named Manuel Peña happened to be there, and he has been touring the area for 25 years and knows all the biology; the species of mangroves and their life cycle, the birds by their latin names... There you can hire a canoe and guide for a 2.5 hr tour for 100 soles. If you want to make sure there is a good guide there before you go, contact Pronaturaleza in Tumbes (google it) a day ahead of time.