Montanita
Montanita is a small surf and party town on the coast of Ecuador. With the droves of travelers flocking in you probably wouldn’t be able to tell that only about 1,000 people actually live in and around the town. Nonetheless tiny Montanita not only is the biggest party town of the coast, it’s arguably the biggest party scene in all of Ecuador for tourist and locals alike.
I spent just under a week taking in the ocean breeze and a few more cocktails than I should probably mention. Sure, Montanita is as touristy as it gets but it’s a place you learn to love. (or at least tolerate for the awesome beach). After your visit has come and gone you’ll either A: have thrived in the madness and loved it or B: curse the day you decided it was worth the visit. Either way you’ll quickly realize Montanita by day is drastically different than Montanita by night.
How to Get There
From Guayaquil:
- Direct bus from 5:00 to 18:30 Monday to Thursday. Until 19:30 Friday to Sunday.
- Cost: $6
- Travel Time: 3.5-4 hours
From Quito:
- Bus available with transfer via Puerto Lopez.
Best of Montanita By Day –
- The Beach – If coming from the south this is probably the first beach you’ll set foot on in Ecuador. It’s also arguably one of the best of the country. Wide enough that you can get a nice spot more or less to yourself. With that nice soft sand, the kind you can lay on for hours. There are vendors traveling up and down selling fresh coconuts and snacks. And my personal favorite, checking out the amazing pacific coast sunset over the ocean.
- Surfing – Some of Ecuador’s best waves are found in Montanita. Bring your board, rent one, or buy one at one of the local shops. With plenty of surf school options Montanita is a good place to start your future Go Pro surfing career as well.
- Isla de la Plata – otherwise known as “The Poor Man’s Galapagos”. It’s just as it sounds, a small island a boat ride off of the coast. Here you can find much of the wildlife known to frequent the Galapagos. These tours are around $40-50. (note: these tours leave from Puerto Lopez about an hour up the coast. If you’re heading that way you can save some money by booking there. Tours from Montanita costs a bit more for your Puerto Lopez transportation.
- The Town – There are plenty of cool shops and artisans roaming the town. Pick up a souvenir for your granny. Check out one of the many restaurants or bars that are widely deserted by day.
Chileans invade Ecuador ! 🙂
Montanita By Night –
Come out of your hostel any day of the week after the sun goes down and you’ll feel like you’re in another world. Montanita’s party scene rages after the streetlights come on. Small streets filled with handcrafting street vendors by day have turned to cocktail and beer stands by night. The colorful shops and houses are overshadowed by the bright neon club signs. The sound of waves crashing and the excited surfer thrilled after catching that perfect wave are replaced with the blasting of every type of music known to man. It’s a party around every corner with the heart of the machine central to cocktail alley.
- Santo Cielo – for the slightly less outrageous partier this place has live music, good food, decent drinks and a good crowd. It’s one of my personal favorites when you still want to be a functioning human being in the morning. (note: they may or may not tell you about the $1.50 they add to your bill for the live music fee).
- Lost Beach Club – this is arguably the mecca of clubs in Montanita. The weekend cover fee may make your eye water. But if it’s in your budget and you have nothing to do in the morning go for it. Dance the night away, but be prepared to be stuffed in elbow to elbow with other party goers.
- Cocktail Stands – after dark you can find makeshift drink stands lining the side streets. These are pretty cool and give you an opportunity to take in the street shenanigans.
Lost Beach Club
These stands will be going crazy once night falls
AFTERTHOUGHTS
I really enjoyed Montanita by day. There are plenty of cool local shops selling everything you can think of and more. The best part (& possibly the only part) of being in a town where tourists regularly outnumber locals is the assortment of food available. Traveling South America there isn’t anyone I’ve met that doesn’t become mildly ill at the thought of another rice, beans and potato meal. In Montanita you can find pretty much anything you’re looking for in terms of food. Overall, it’s just an awesome place to walk around and take in the beach vibes.
The alternate universe which is Montanita by night is a different story. The live music is something to really be enjoyed. The clubs and bars are fun for a weekend or so but if university days are behind you then I don’t think Montanita by night will really be your favorite place.
Accommodations
Montanita is so small you can walk the whole town in 20 minutes from end to end. There are tons of hostels and hotels available. This is a place where you will do best showing up and booking a place in person. There are tons of choices, many not available online. Look for a place on the left end of the town to be away from the noise of the bars. Prices are also generally lower on this end of town away from the majority of the touristy establishments.
ONWARD TRAVEL
North: Green bus to Puerto Lopez rides up the coast every hour or so during the day for $3.00. With stops to Ayampe ($1.50) and other smaller beach towns along the way. It’s also possible to get a shared cab from anywhere along the main road.
South: Bus to Guayaquil around every hour during the day. Available at any point along the main road for $6.00
SAFETY
- Montanita in general has a positive reputation for safety. Like always, a bit of common sense will go a long way in personal safety.
- Fake money seems to be a problem in this area. I was given fakes for change in a small restaurant, the waiter exchanged it without a problem when I told him about it. (maybe he knew or maybe he didn’t). After talking to a taxi driver he told me it’s been an increasing problem recently. The best defense to this is to carry small bills and pay in close to exact change if possible.
