Bahia de Caraquez is a small city with a population of approx. 30,000. After an earthquake and massive landslides in 1998, a rebuilding boom occurred with many highrises now overlooking the bay and ocean and that is what we saw when we were on approach to the harbor.
Thinking this place would be like every other modern city. How wrong we were. Our first impression as we got off the boat and started to walk along the quaint streets was that it looked a lot like a European town back in the 1950s. Totally charming! And the cost of fresh produce at the market seemed to reflect that era. Prices so low that I had the urge to buy more than I could carry. However, there were lots of Pedi cabs on the streets which would have brought me back to the dinghy dock for under a dollar.