Atacames, Ecuador
Also within 20 km of Atacames
- Tonsupa Surf spot · 4.9 km from Atacames
- Casa Blanca Surf spot · 8.3 km from Atacames
Watch this spot We email you when Atacames is worth the trip.
About Atacames
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces N (338°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (158°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 3.6 km out (1 in 357). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 26°C in August, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 28°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually March, with about 4 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Atacames, 0.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 26°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 17 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to TCO, changing at El Dorado International Airport (BOG).
See flights ORD → TCO · Skyscanner from about £305 returnAdGetting there. 3 h 05 from the airport to Atacames.
Accommodation.
Stay in AtacamesAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Atacames (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Atacames 1 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 109 places to stay · where Atacames stays
Places to stay in Atacames · Booking.com AdTonsupa 8 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 93 places to stay
Places to stay in Tonsupa · Booking.com AdEsmeraldas 43 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 35 places to stay
Places to stay in Esmeraldas · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Atacames · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Atacames · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury .jpg){kind=link}
Where it is
Atacames on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 19, too small | 2 ft12 ssoft | 81kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 15, too small | 2 ft12 ssoft | 56kJ | offshorewind from the south, 4 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 14, too small | 1 ft11 ssoft | 42kJ | wind from the west, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 21, too small | 2 ft10 ssoft | 49kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 4 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 18, too small | 2 ft10 ssoft | 45kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 14, too small | 1 ft10 ssoft | 37kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 12, too small | 1 ft12 ssoft | 30kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 12, too small | 1 ft11 ssoft | 23kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 9, too small | 1 ft10 ssoft | 12kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 10, too small | 1 ft10 ssoft | 14kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 5 knots, offshore | 28°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to TCO, changing at BOG, then 3h 05 by road. About 17h door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 2 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to TCO, changing at BOG, then 3h 05 by road. About 17h door to door
The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Atacames each day: Atacames, Casa Blanca.
Rough cost
About £675–£1,270 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to TCO, estimated from distance and season, changing at BOG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £305–£630 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £50–£85 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £120–£200 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £115–£210 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £50–£80 |
| Total | £675–£1,270 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Atacames
- KFCChicken · 0.1 km from the centre
- Los Ceviches De PachuliSeafood · 0.1 km from the centre
- Las Super Menestra de InesLatin american · 0.5 km from the centre
- Pizzeria D CrisPizza · 0.5 km from the centre
- FIRU Pizzas and BatidosPizza · 0.6 km from the centre
- El Pandao Restaurante0.7 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
Places to stay · Booking.com (ad)Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.