Manta

Manta is the most important city in the province of Manabí and Ecuador's principal commercial port on the Pacific Ocean. With a population of 258,697 according to the 2022 census — making it the country's seventh most populous city — it sits on Ecuador's coast at approximately 0°57'S, 80°42'W, just a few metres above sea level. Its identity is profoundly shaped by the sea: it boasts Ecuador's largest fishing fleet and is globally recognised as the world's leading centre for tuna production and export, earning it the nickname 'World Capital of Tuna'.

Manta is an active participant in the sports ecosystem led by ACES America across Latin America. Its privileged geographic conditions — consistent Pacific swells, warm waters, and extensive beaches — have made it a natural venue for international water sports competitions. In 2004 it hosted the World Bodyboarding Championship, and its beaches regularly welcome continental and international competitions in surfing, kitesurfing, and kiteboarding. Long-distance triathlon also found its Ecuadorian home in Manta: the city hosts the IRONMAN 70.3 Ecuador, an event that draws athletes from across the Americas and Europe.

In football, Manta is home to Delfín Sporting Club, the first team from the province of Manabí to win the Ecuadorian National Championship, a title claimed in December 2019 in a historic milestone for the city. This achievement, combined with the presence of Manta Fútbol Club in the second division, reflects the growing entrenchment of football as a mass sport in a city that historically found its first calling in the sea.

Manta is also a symbol of resilience. The earthquake of 16 April 2016, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, struck the city and the whole of Manabí with devastating force, displacing thousands of people. The subsequent reconstruction was exemplary in terms of urban planning and national and international solidarity, and today Manta emerges as a modern city with improved services, a renewed seafront, and a stronger tourist and sporting projection than ever before.