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Hello Sustainable Tourism World lovers!

Today I am glad to introduce you Elsa Cuny and her Narwell Ecotours, a very special tours agency based in Ecuador. Time to let speak Elsa now, enjoy the reading!

sustainable tourism - Narwell Ecotours - Ecuador Blue foot booby
Blue foot booby taking care about his eggs on the Isla de la Plata, also called the little Galápagos

Since I am a little girl, I have been passionate about Latin America. My dream was to live there, and it came true. I first traveled twice to Colombia, a wonderful country, for which I have a special emotional relation as my best friend is Colombian and we know each other since we are 3 years old. Then I went to Ecuador for an internship in Quito, and I decided to stay because I felt in love with the country, its natural and cultural diversity. So I have created my agency in 2011, Narwell Ecotours, in the region of Manabí.  My life is ruled by sustainability, by values that we can find in sustainable tourism, and I saw a great potential for the development of this kind of tourism here.

Ecuador is 4 worlds: Amazon, Highlands, Pacific Coast and Galápagos. It is the country that has the biggest concentration of diversity in the world and I wanted to participate to the sustainable  development of the unique region that is not well known. The Pacific Coast is only known for a little part of its treasures: the beaches, the sun, and the humpback whales, while all the intern side is mostly unknown, even if it has such a great cultural and natural diversity.

My goal is to show the real wealth of the region, how the people live, to make travelers discover authentic places and share unique experiences with the local communities. This is what will profit sustainably to the economy of the region.

I have implemented tours like the coffee road, the gastronomy and handcraft road, the Panama hat road, among others, and my favorite one: the cocoa road.

sustainable tourism - Narwell Ecotours - Ecuador - Cocoa fruits
Cocoa fruits of national fino de aroma cocoa trees in the plantation of Don Alfonso, before the opening and tasting

During this specific tour, we visit Don Alfonso cocoa plantation, which is a model for the Cocoa Fino de Aroma growing, one of the best cocoa in world. He explains us how the cocoa plant grows, what it needs to produce a great cocoa, and he also makes us taste exotic fruits he has in his plantation: oranges, coconuts, and depending on the season mango, guanabana, mamey.

Of course we taste also the cocoa bean, so delicious, trust me!

Then, we have lunch in a ranch where they produce handcraft beer (on Saturday and Sunday) or if it is during the week we stop in a different place. In both cases, we have the opportunity to eat the typical meals of the countryside. After that, we go to visit the regional cocoa producers association. There are now around 1 000 producers who sell their cocoa to this association. We learn about the process of fermentation, drying and then exporting or making chocolate. Of course we try chocolate!

sustainable tourism - Narwell Ecotours - Ecuador Team of a French chocolate factory
Team of a French chocolate factory near the cocoa fermentation boxes in Finca Sarita, with the owner Servio Pachar

On our way back to Manta, we stop at Rocafuerte, where we taste the typical sweets of this town.

This tour can be of one day and we also adapt it for professionals  or just chocolate lovers, up to 5 days. Each day you have another unique experience and you learn more, with different communities.

Everybody loves this tour, and this is the best reward for me: making discover the authentic life of Manabí, giving benefits to the local people, and obtaining the satisfaction of Narwell travelers.  We offer you a unique experience, and you participate to the sustainable development of the region.

Are you interested to know more?
Ask #STouW by Sara Vitali about: 

#sustainabletourism consultancy,
#socialmedia strategies for tourism sector & linked sustainable, responsible, green or eco businesses;
#sustainabledevelopment through tourism.
http://sustainabletourismworld.com/sara-vitali-stw-founder/