MONTANITA

Ecuadors beach party town is popular with Ecuadoreans and travellers alike. It has as many bars and restaurants that you can think of and a great surfing scene. It’s small, with only 9 blocks but it packs a punch. You will either love it or hate it and if you are not the party type then we suggest you skip it. We went at the start of shoulder season and it was still noisy and boisterous.

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getting there

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From Guayaquil | It's three hours from Guayaquil on the bus. A couple of company’s head that way and we went with Alianza and paid $7 (£5.70) each. We were surprised with how nice the bus was; recliners, air con, tv and lots of space. 

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To Stay

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Ok so if you want to be in the thick of it then stay anywhere in the centre and you can step out your door and be at a bar or only a couple hundred metres from the beach. If you want to sleep at night then stay just a little out of the town, ideally over the main road, it will be quieter and still only a ten minute walk into town. If we were to go back this is the option we would take. 

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Munay Backpacker Hostel | We stayed at Munay Backpacker Hostel, a new hostel only bought a few months ago by a couple of French Techno Fans. There is still work to be done but it was pleasant. The private rooms were big enough with a private bathroom. There's dorms, a bar, a chill out space a friendly Husky and its right in the town. It was just so noisy at night with music, traffic, locals and tourists that we hardly slept. There's no breakfast or kitchen and we paid £20 a night.

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To do 

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Learn to Surf | Montanita is known for two things, surfing and partying so the first thing to do is surf. There are plenty of surf schools along the beach and in the town and some hostels may even offer surf lessons or rent you a board. The rip currents are notorious so pay attention to the red flags (they were out every day we were there). Lessons start at around $20 (£16.30).

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Find a Party | We don’t know where to begin, there are so many options. Follow your nose. Hit cocktail alley for a cheap cocktail fix, any of the restaurants for a drink, or head to one of the big nightclubs. Their bigger club nights are well advertised. One of them looked like an Alton Towers ride and continued until the last guest left in the morning.

We went back to the hostel one night, a guy was asleep whilst his mates were drinking outside a shop and we woke up for breakfast the next day and his mates were still drinking and he was still asleep! That’s Montañita. 

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To Eat & Drink

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Street Food | If you want street food then there is plenty dotted around the town and there’s one street with permanent street food stalls. Our favourite was Dr Churros, she made amazing wraps, arepas and churros, serving them with plenty of banter. Most don't open until late, to catch the evening revellers. 

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The Wave | This is a cool surf place by the main road serving up lovely healthy meals. Coffee shop/Cafe by day and Restaurant/Bar by night. We came here a couple of times for breakfast and a good coffee and it is worth a visit.