Discover the hidden treasures of Ecuador In The Secret of Paradise by Patricio Tamriz

By Rachel Siden

Patricio Tamriz is a native Ecuadorian, served as Director of Tourism for Manabi province, held the position of Manager for the coast of Ecuador, and also worked within the country’s Ministry of Tourism. His passion for his home country stems from Ecuador’s rich history, natural beauty and tranquility, and its growth as a model community.

Within this book, The Secret of Paradise, discover the history and mysteries of Ecuador as Tamriz recounts his adventures within his country. Follow him as he surfs the coast, discovers ancient archaeological remains in his back yard, and builds his own piece of heaven along the Ecuadorian coast.

Readers will also discover how Ecuador’s beauty and tranquility make it a prime destination for travelers. “Rich wildlife, pure natural beauty, vibrant culture, and great seafood makes this area an ideal attraction for vacationers and retirees looking for a place to enjoy some downtime far from the masses.” Says President of Lattitude Intl. Nathalie Pilovetzky Mangui in her review of Tamriz’s book.

“Ecuador’s Pacific Coastline is incredibly diverse with an ever-changing landscape, endless miles of untouched beaches and palm-fringed bays dotted by small fishing villages popular with surfers and fast-growing small towns. International visitors are discovering and quickly falling in love with hidden gems like Bahia de Caraquez.”

What about Ecuador is so appealing to visitors that it has earned such praise and become a top traveling destination? The answers lie with Tamriz in his book The Secret of Paradise: Mysteries of the Pacific Coast of Ecuador. Check it out!

Coming to Ecuador

Why are people so interested in living here? Perhaps it is the fantastic geographical features and the nice climate year-round. Another important element is the small and close-knit community here. Friends here are friends for life. This city is also a historical and geological one.

International Living Magazine for the 3rd year in a row voted Ecuador as the best place to retire in the world:

“No matter where you choose to live in Ecuador, there is no better place on earth to discover the simple abundance of health, tranquility, adventure, and beauty,” Says Expat Patricia Farmer. “We knew no one, and yet we immediately felt at home.”

Bahia of the Pacific

The City of Bahia

I was born in Bahia de Caraquez and probably will be buried here. This is where I have always wanted to live. Fate, you might say, has preserved Bahia as a city of unique beauty.

Bahia was the second largest port of Ecuador for many centuries but losing its status as a shipping destination has helped preserve the beauty of the city we have now.

Living in a quaint beach city with a rich history and model movement towards an Eco city is a dream. It has the perfect location: it is in a pretty setting with the bay (Chone River Estuary) on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other side of the peninsula.

Santiago de Guayaquil

Though Bahia is one of the places I enjoy living in, Santiago de Guayaquil has also been my second home. It is the largest city in Ecuador and the economic center of the country. How can I describe the city and its people? It is a very tropical place, filled with palm trees, beautiful buildings, has great climate, and is right off the large Guayas River. The people are great, warm, and very proud of their heritage.The City of Santiago de Guayaquil

Guayaquil is a large city and also has a slum area, but recently has undergone major changes. The mayors of the last four terms have reconstructed the city on all levels. The United Nations Development Program has distinguished it, recognized it as a model city.

Quito

Quito has the largest and best-preserved colonial center of Latin America and was the first one to be recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It has fantastic landscapes and incredible places to visit; for example, just south of the city, you have San Agustin de Callo, a Hacienda that was once an Inca fortress.

It has an incredible view of one of the highest volcanoes of the world, the Cotopaxi. You can only imagine the impressive scenery with the snow-capped giant towering over this part of the Andes.

Easy Access to Ecuador’s Ancient Past

In 1978, after graduating, I got hooked on surfing our beautiful beaches. This was fantastic! To be part of that first crowd of young surfers discovering secret spots who spent beautiful days seemingly without a care in the world. On one of these days, a friend invited me to surf some point breaks off the beaten path.

The place was a double river valley with a beautiful forest that came out to a central platform on the beach. After we had left the water, I was amazed to see archaeological pieces everywhere.

I picked up a couple of pieces and my friend said, “These are from your ancestors.” I asked, “How old do you think they are?” He answered, “Probably a couple of thousand years old.” I was impressed.

The story does not end there. I was able to meet with a good many treasure hunters and excellent divers that came through my hometown of Bahia and I was absolutely blown away by the detail they put into searching for sunken ships.

The pirates of the Caribbean were definitely more famous, but the Pirates off the Pacific Coast of Ecuador were also important, even though most people do not know about them. The treasures found by Roberto Aguirre in the Gulf of Guayaquil were substantial. I believe this is where Bill (a diver friend of Tamariz’s) found close to 50,000 silver coins.

I remember traveling to Bahia with one of the divers and we stopped to poke around in a small rural antiquities shop on the side of the road. We were surprised to find a Spanish coin just lying there on a shelf. It was an original coin.

A Diverse Travel Destination

Ecuador has four worlds: Pacific Coast, Andes, Amazon, and Galapagos. Ecuador has everything close by. Ecuador is almost the size of Colorado, and flights
from one region to another are less than 35 minutes.

Ecuador has unique resources at a worldwide level: World Heritage sites like Galapagos and Sangay, World Cultural sites; Quito and Cuenca, Biosphere reserves; Sumaco-Napo Galeras, Yasuni, and Podocarpus, and National Parks.

In Ecuador, you live unique experiences in each world, with quality international tourism services, and the tradition, its peoples, the live culture, the archaeological, the historical, the colonial, the ancestral, and the modernism of Latin America.

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