Las Palmas is the long city beach that fronts Esmeraldas — kilometres of grey sand running north from the river mouth toward the suburb that gives the beach its name. It is unpretentious and overwhelmingly local: families on weekends, joggers in the early morning, soft drinks and ceviche sold from stalls along the seafront avenue.
The water can be murky where the Esmeraldas River discharges sediment, so check before swimming. The beach is at its best north of the river mouth around the Las Palmas neighbourhood, where the surf is cleaner and the cevicherías cluster. For something cleaner and quieter, the resort beaches of Atacames and Súa are 25–30 km south.