A dry tropical vegetation is found along the coast and on the islands whereas farther inland in the higher zones a more humid tropical forest established itself.

Playa de los Frailes is a beautiful sheltered bay with a pure white sand beach and surrounded by a dry tropical forest. Ideally for anyone in need of relaxation as no tourist installations are allowed there.

Apart from the beach, Playa de los Frailes offers nature trails and viewing spots to the shoreline.

Small landbirds, like the Vermillion Flycatcher, Mockingbird, Motmot color the dry tropical forest.

Isla de la Plata, some 45km off the mainland, offers visitors an experience similar to Galapagos with fearless seabirds breeding and nesting there.

Frigatebirds nest in the shrubs of this island. Males show off their red pouch baloons to attract the white breasted females. The white-headed frigates below are immatures, which depend for more than a year from their parents. 

Masked and Blue-footed boobies are other seabirds nesting in larger numbers there.

Humpback whales appear in the summer months along the beach to mate in the warm tropical waters and impress tourists by their impressive jumps.

Fishing is an important source of income for the inhabitants of Puerto Lopez and other smaller fishing villages, which however creates conflict with the conservation plans of the park.

Agua Blanca is one of many archaeological sites of pre-Columbian cultures which were situated along the Pacific coast. The most important cultures were Valdivia, Machalilla, Chorrera, Bahia, Guangala and Manteña in order of their occurrences.