Ecuador

Pacific Coast, Ecuador

Palo Santo, Bursera Graveolens, is an aromatic tree native to the Galapagos Islands and the dry forests of South America. In traveling along the coastline of South America’s Pacific coast from Northern Peru to Ecuador one is captured by the perfume of Palo Santo. If you follow the perfume trail you’ll reach the Machalilla National Park, located in the Province of Manabi, on the coastline of Ecuador, where you will find the biggest concentration of Palo Santo trees in all of South America. As in Peru, the Palo Santo tree in Ecuador is protected by the national government and can only be harvested under strict conditions. Shamans Market supports these sustainable practices through its association with Deltatau Palo Santo Foundation of Manabi. When walking the trails of the Machalilla National Park with the sun at its peak, the brackish air from the ocean fills up with the aroma of the Palo Santo resin and you are filled with a sense of peace and tranquility.