Esmeraldas, city, major seaport of northwestern Ecuador. It lies on the Pacific Ocean coast at the mouth of the Esmeraldas River. The city is the chief trading centre for the region’s agricultural and lumbering resources but is only slightly developed industrially. It is the terminus of the 313-mile (504-km) Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline from the oil fields in northeastern Ecuador. An oil refinery was completed in 1977, and new oil port facilities at Esmeraldas were opened in 1979. Important exports are bananas and timber. Tourism has been stimulated by nearby seaside resort facilities, an equable climate, and a good all-weather highway to Quito. A technical university was established in Esmeraldas in 1970. Pop. (2010) 154,035.