Palma Real, the cradle of the shells

Ecuadornews:

Palma Real is known as the beginning and end of Ecuador. This Esmeralda population, which is home to some 1,500 people, is located on the territorial limit of the country.

From their houses, cane and wood, you can see the shores of Nariño, department of Colombia.

Their proximity to the neighboring country has also made them share common problems. Despite these adversities, in Palma Real people are happy and vallenatos are heard in its dirt streets.

Children play football and marbles. The older ones, on the other hand, are dedicated to fishing or to the shell. This last product is its main tourist attraction.

From dawn to night, the inhabitants pass through the mangroves of the island, located 40 minutes from San Lorenzo. This graphic page reflects the daily life of the inhabitants, who see in tourism the possibility that state works arrive and that criminal activity decreases.

It is one of the graphic reports that our photographer made on his penultimate trip to the Esmeralda border. (I)

Source: http://www.elcomercio.com/actualidad/palma-real-cuna-concha.html