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Hammock: The icon of tropical rest!

So you’re ready to travel to Tropical Latin America, you got your plane ticket, and now you’re packing your hiking shoes, your sunscreen, and your camera. All you’re missing to make this trip perfect is a hammock. But don’t worry, you’ll find one as soon as you get to your destination, as it is the universal icon of a tropical rest!

There’s no wonder why hammocks are now part of the cultural inheritance of every Latin American country. The origin of the word comes from the Arawakan, a language spoken by the pre-Columbian natives of what is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. “Hamaka” means fishing net, but it’s also the name of the tree that provided the bark and roots to craft these fantastic hanging beds. However, this island doesn’t take the full credit on inventing the hammock, as they’ve been crafted for centuries by natives of in all the Caribbean Islands, every Central American country, and most countries in South America. Though each region sourced from different trees to wave their hammocks, all of them were created with the same purpose: to provide a well-deserved rest, undisturbed from any perils on the ground.

It is said that when Christopher Columbus arrived in America, between one of the many treasures he took back to Europe was more than a dozen hammocks. In Spain, the word Hamaka turned into hamaca (hey, that’s us!), and in English, it transformed into hammock.

After the hammock introduction to Europe, sailors realized how convenient they were for traveling. In the 16th Century, they started using them in ships, as they protected them from the dirtiness of the floor, saved much more space than bunk beds, and kept them from being thrown onto the deck with sharp swings from of ship.

Discovery of America: Vespucci Landing in America. MET Museum

Nowadays, hammocks are used all around the world and are loved by everyone for their practicality. You can find them in luxury hotels by the sea or camping expeditions in the rainforest, and many are now factory-made with synthetic fabrics. However, whatever your destination in Tropical Latin America is, you won’t have any trouble finding traditional hand-woven hammocks, which are now typically crafted with wool, cotton, or nylon. The colors and styles of the netting patterns vary depending on the region, but in the end, they all serve the same function and are uniquely beautiful. There are places like Yucatan, in Mexico, San Sebastián, in El Salvador, and Tintorero in Venezuela, where waving hammocks is a cultural heritage, and the craft is mastered by men, women and children alike and passed along generations.

So, now you know. Wherever Latin American country you find yourself, it will always be easy to find a hammock. Mainly when you travel to the coast you’ll see that, from five-star hotels to the most humble of homes, there’s always space for a hammock in the house, as well as there’s always the time to lay down on one, get cozy, and enjoy life.

 

By Mariana Arámburu

Twitter & Instagram: @m_buru
Born and raised in Mexico City, Mariana graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana with a degree in Communication and Film. Later, she moved to Vancouver, BC, where she currently resides, and studied Creative Writing at Capilano University. Mariana loves photography and to visit new places. She also loves animals and aims to one day focus her work on conservation issues.

Welcome to Hamaca Tropical Tours!

We’re delighted to have you here today. We are looking forward to giving you everything you need for your next tropical adventure. First of all, we would like to introduce our company and tell you some useful information about who we are and what we do.

Our company’s origins trace back to 2004 when Peter Rodríguez-Pontón founded Hamaca Tours, a tour operator that assembled the best tours for travelers to the Ecuadorian coast.

Peter, born in Toronto from Ecuadorian parents, was raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s main port. Growing up in the center of the tropics and in a coastal city, there’s no wonder why he grew such a love for this paradise and decided to build a career as a Tropical Expeditioner. Even though he leaves far from Ecuador now, he still remembers how his grandmother used to nestle him in her hammock (or hamaca, in Spanish) to help him fall asleep as one of his most cherished childhood memories.

With Carol Villao, our Chief of Operations, added to our team, Hamaca Tours was dedicated to offering the Ecuadorian coast and the Galapagos as a travel destination for American and Canadian tourists for years. It was in 2018 when we decided to take the next step and expand our company outside Ecuador, adding more Latin American Destinations, starting next summer with Costa Rica and its wonders to our list of paradises. With this in mind, the name Hamaca Tropical Tours was created now offering a broad catalog of tropical vacations all across Latin America. To fully immerse you in these places, we provide with tours combining soft adventure, wellness, cultural and local experiences, and of course a hammock: the icon of a well-deserved tropical rest!

Hamaca Tropical Tours is committed to the conservation of the environment and the local communities we visit. That’s why we partner with companies and operators who share our same values. Some of our partners include:

  • Specialized local guides. Tour guides experts on different fields and native to the place, to teach you about the costumes of the community and make you feel like a traveler more than a tourist.
  • Naturalists. Biologists, zoologists, conservationists, and environmentalists, between other expert fields, to guide you through our wildlife adventures.
  • Reiki Masters. Expert practitioners in alternative medicine that focus not only on your body but in your mind’s well-being.
  • Yoga teachers. Certified instructors to guide you through our yoga retreats, teaching you how yo practice this ancestral Indian discipline to unify the mind and body.
  • Soft Sports Instructors. Skillful and talented surfers, bikers, divers, and other adventurers to take you in unique  and daring recreational activities.

So, here you go! Whatever path you choose for your adventure, we have over 14 years of experience to help you plan your perfect vacation. Whatever your interests are, we’ve got you covered in putting together the trip of a lifetime for you!

Now it’s your turn: Who are you, and what do you envision as the perfect tropical destination?

 

 

By Mariana Arámburu

Twitter & Instagram: @m_buru
Born and raised in Mexico City, Mariana graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana with a degree in Communication and Film. Later, she moved to Vancouver, BC, where she currently resides, and studied Creative Writing at Capilano University. Mariana loves photography and to visit new places. She also loves animals and aims to one day focus her work on conservation issues.