Portoviejo

Founded March 12, 1535, near the coast, by the Spanish captain Francisco Pacheco as "Villa Nueva de San Gregorio de Portoviejo", it was moved inland to its present site in 1628 due to Indian attacks. On April 16 and 17, 2016, a large earthquake with a moment magnitude of 7.8 struck the region. Portoviejo sustained over 300 fatalities and building damage.

Portoviejo has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) with consistently very warm to hot conditions all year round. The advance and retreat of the cold Humboldt Current means there are two seasons: a lengthy dry season from May to December and a short wet season from January to April. The wet season is quite erratic owing to the El Niño Southern Oscillation. in El Niño years rainfall may be several times the long-term mean.

The city has a rich agricultural and maritime industry, employing over 50% of the population, as well as a flourishing gastronomic sector. The gastronomic sector is now regarded as the main post-disaster, referring to the 2016 earthquake, cultural industry, providing employment opportunities and reducing poverty for local inhabitants. In 2018, Portoviejo's gastronomy was declared as intangible heritage of Ecuador, a certificate granted by the Ministry of Culture and Cultural Heritage on October 18, 2018, to commemorate the 198 years of independence of Portoviejo. In October 2019, the flavor of the Manabi capital was recognized as part of the Creative Cities Network, by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). …

The city is located on the E30 road connecting from Manta, Manabí to the capital of the Cotopaxi Province, Latacunga, as well as the 39A. In 2014, Portoviejo served a bus system of 129 buses on 12 routes throughout the entire city. The local airport was closed by order of president Rafael Correa in 2011. Currently it is only used for the city's police helicopter operations, as well as for artistic events and trade fairs at Christmas time. In 2016, the airport served as a shelter for those affected by the April 16 earthquake. The nearest currently operating airport, Eloy Alfaro International Airport is instead located in the city of Manta 26 kilometres (16 mi) to the west.