Other economic activities include tourism and a chemical industry, with products ranging from cleaning supplies to oils and margarine.

The port was used by Charles Marie de La Condamine upon his arrival in Ecuador in 1735 when leading the French mission to measure the location of the equator.

The Ecuadorian actor Carlos Valencia was invited to Cannes Film Festival for his performance in Ratas Ratones y Rateros (1999), directed by Sebastián Cordero.

Large Ecuadorian corporations, including La Fabril and Ales, have their main factories in Manta.

According to a recent survey by Vistazo magazine, many of the largest companies by revenue in Ecuador are located in the Manta metropolitan area.

Various cruise ships have made Manta a port of call while traveling the southern Pacific Ocean.

The most visited beaches include "El Murciélago", "Santa Marianita", "San Lorenzo" and "Barbasquillo".

Surfers often travel to San Lorenzo to find powerful waves, which are regularly head high.

Kitesurfing has recently become very popular in Santa Marianita (Playa Bonita) because of the excellent wind conditions and long beach.

Despite the city's location on the equator, the Humboldt Current gives Manta an arid climate (Köppen BWh).

The city is cloudy and hot most of the year, and rainfall is erratic and largely confined to the months between January and April.