Reales Tamarindos Airport (PVO)

Reales Tamarindos Airport formerly served Portoviejo, the capital city of Manabí Province in coastal Ecuador, operating at 34 meters elevation with a single runway oriented 12/30. Located in one of Ecuador's most economically important agricultural regions known for producing cacao, coffee, and tropical fruits, the airport historically provided domestic aviation services connecting Portoviejo with Quito and other major Ecuadorian cities.

The facility ceased aviation operations following the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Ecuador's coast on April 16, 2016, which killed nearly 700 people and caused extensive infrastructure damage throughout Manabí Province. Portoviejo, as the provincial capital with over 300,000 residents, bore significant impact from the disaster, experiencing widespread building collapses and infrastructure failures that fundamentally altered the city's transportation networks.

Post-earthquake, the closed runway was repurposed as emergency housing, with tent settlements established to provide shelter for displaced households whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged in the disaster. This humanitarian use of the former aviation infrastructure demonstrates the airport's continued importance to the community, albeit in a completely different capacity than originally intended.

Currently, air travel to and from Portoviejo relies on Eloy Alfaro International Airport in Manta, located 26 kilometers west of the city. This regional hub, despite sustaining earthquake damage including the collapse of its control tower, was eventually reconstructed and resumed operations, now serving as the primary aviation gateway for the Manabí Province region. The reconstruction challenges faced throughout Manabí Province, where infrastructure projects experienced significant delays and funding diversions, exemplify the complex recovery process that has affected transportation networks across this economically vital coastal region of Ecuador.