Santa Elena Province

Santa Elena is a province on Ecuador's west coast. In the north, the seaside town of Montañita offers surfing beaches and laid-back bars. Its neighbor, Olón, has a coastal cloud forest with trails and waterfalls. South along the shore, the Museo Valdivia displays pre-Columbian pottery. At the beach town of Salinas, on the province's western tip, migratory humpback whales pass the rocky point of La Chocolatera.