The Province Los Rios is located in the center of the country, in the geographical area known as the coastal region or coast. It occupies a territory of about 7000 km², being the 14th province of the country by extension.
It is bordered to the north by Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, to the east by Cotopaxi and Bolívar, to the northwest by Manabí and to the west and south by Guayas.
According to INEC’s demographic projection for 2020, there are 921,763 people living in the Fluminense territory, making it the fourth most populated province in the country after Guayas, Pichincha and Manabí. The Province is made up of 13 cantons, with their respective urban and rural parishes.
It is one of the most important financial and commercial centers of Ecuador. The main activities of the province are commerce and agriculture.
The area of the province was the cradle of ancient cultures such as Chorrera and Milagro-Quevedo. Once the region was colonized, in 1596 it was organized as a Tenencia, under the Corregimiento de Guayaquil.
Province of Los Ríos
The Province of Los Ríos – Ecuador is a place very rich in vegetation, that is why its natural attractions are very particular.
it is the home of the montubio, with cultivated fields, haciendas, rivers and attractive customs for the visitor, learn more here.
Los Ríos, the joyful land of the famous “rodeo montubio”.
Province crossed by several rivers that flow into the Guayas river basin. where you can find beaches and natural fresh water resorts: Vinces river, Salto river, Seco river and Chilintomo.
Agricultural land par excellence, inhabited by the “montubios”.
where you can find small and large crops of banana, African palm, cocoa, coffee, rice, palm heart, sugar cane, etc..
In the province we can find large haciendas of Los Ríos recognized for their history and production such as: La Elvira, La Virginia, Isabel Maria, La Clementina, and the Palenque River Scientific Station.
Cantons of the province of Los Ríos
- Babahoyo
- Baba
- San Jacinto de Buena Fé
- Mocache
- Montalvo
- Palenque
- Puebloviejo
- Quevedo
- Quinsaloma
- Urdaneta
- Valencia
- Windows
- Vinces
Tourist attractions of Los Rios
- Playas del Salto: Natural attraction with a capacity of 3000 to 5000 people, located 10 minutes from Babahoyo by land and only 2 minutes by river.
- Babahoyo River: Natural attraction that has a lot of history, currently there are floating houses settled on its surface.
- Quevedo Zoo: The Zoo has a great infrastructure, it has a natural, cultural and educational recreation area.
- Palenque River Scientific Center: it is one of the last tropical forests of the Ecuadorian coast with more than 100 hectares of crops and more than 700 species in its fauna.
- Playas del Salto: is an excellent place to enjoy a day full of fun and adventure in the city of Babahoyo.
- Humid Tropical Megathermal Climate: In the extreme northeast by the canton Valencia, is characterized by only registering a rainy maximum and a single very marked dry season, accompanied by average temperatures above 22 ° C and rainfall ranging from 1000 mm to 2000 mm. As annual average.
- Tropical Megathermal Semi-humid Climate: In the extreme southeast by the Urdaneta canton, it is characterized by registering only a rainy maximum and a single very marked dry season, accompanied by average temperatures above 22 °C and rainfall ranging from 500 mm to 1000 mm.
- Equatorial Mesothermal Semi-humid Climate: Characterized by annual precipitation of 500 to 2000 mm, it has two rainy seasons ranging between February-May and October-November, the average temperature ranges between 12 and 20 °C. This type of climate is found in the highlands of the Ricaurte parish and the Montalvo canton.
Culture and traditions of Los Rios
- Rodeo Montubio: It is a popular and traditional celebration very expected at national level, an event that usually takes place every year with the participation of cowboys from various farms mainly from the coast including the Sierra, where you can enjoy musical shows of the most popular artists of the moment and enjoy typical foods of the province around the square. The main places where these events take place are: Pimocha Parish, Febres Cordero Parish, Caracol Parish, Hacienda Clementina.
- Fiestas Quevedeñas: The festivities of September and October festivities are a magnificent opportunity to showcase the best cultural, historical and traditional values and elements of the canton. It is suggested to work on a significant event of international connotation, such as the National and World Cocoa Queen, incorporated and institutionalized to the events scheduled each year.
Gastronomy of Los Rios
In the province of Los Ríos there are several typical dishes that are a true delight for the palate, truly unique dishes that anyone would like to taste, made to make known what are the customs and gastronomies that are here.
Among so many typical dishes we can mention the following:
- Rice with stew and grilled meat: This dish characteristic of the coastal part, the stew can be of beans or lentils.
which are often grown in the fields of several landowners to prepare this delicious stew along with beef and rice also cultivated in the fields.
- Bollo de pescado: The buns prepared with green or plantain, the best in the province, are mostly made with “boca chico” fish. Characteristic fish with which they prepare most of their typical dishes such as fish casserole and of course the named bun.
- Ayampaco: This dish is frequently found in the part of Balsapamba, there are still people who make them under the recipes that their successors gave them to know and passed from generation to generation.
- Mazamorra: Mazamorra is often prepared during the corn harvest season, it is a kind of custard made with corn, milk, sugar and cinnamon. A delicacy not to be missed when visiting the so-called green province.
