THE ORIGIN OF MONTECRISTI HATS

This is Pile, a small village located 50km away from Manta, this is the place  where the Montecristi hat was first woven; its population has been weaving hats for over 200 years, their economy sustains on harvesting Toquilla straw, & weaving hats.

We will find a school, built by the government in order to preserve the tradition and the identity that these artisans give to our province; at this school the students take a course that last over 2 years to become a "maestro artesano", you can buy their master pieces right from them.In this tour we will also visit the lighthouse in San Lorenzo beach and the rain forest in PACOCHE.You can also book lunch with the artisans in their house, for $7 extra per person.