The shipping platform

Location: Manta is situated in Manabi Province on the NW coast of Ecuador. General overview: Manta is close to the industrial areas and is connected to them via asphalt roads. This is the only port in Ecuador equipped to handle up to 9.7m draught ships at any state of tide. The port is equipped with facilities and installations along the entire length of an extended rock and concrete mole that is buried deep in the sea, from which the docks are projected, protected by a breakwater of 1,500m length. There are cruise ship, Ro-Ro and container handling facilities, as well as a 620m fishing vessel jetty. Exports are cocoa, coffee, wood, canned fish and frozen seafood. Traffic figures: Approx 350 vessels, 650,000t of cargo and 1,650TEU handled annually. Load line zone: Tropical. Max size: LOA 200m, draught 9.75m, 20,000DWT. Largest vessel handled: "Arcadia", cruise ship, LOA 285m, draught 8.0m.