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Balao, Ecuador

Stay in Esmeraldas: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Esmeraldas

  • El Bajo Surf spot · 3.1 km from Esmeraldas
  • Tonsupa Surf spot · 19.5 km from Esmeraldas

Watch this spot We email you when Balao is worth the trip.

Norte de Esmeraldas
Esmeraldas, the nearest town, 3 km away. Photo: KelvinLemos, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Balao

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 1–5 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 42). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 26°C in December, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 28°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually March, with about 7 good days in 7; in August and September, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Esmeraldas, 3.3 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 27°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 16 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to TCO, changing at El Dorado International Airport (BOG).

    See flights ORD → TCO · Skyscanner from about £305 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 2 h 40 from the airport to Balao.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in EsmeraldasAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Esmeraldas · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Esmeraldas · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Balao 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 beginners, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct481 ft12 shollow29kJ29°C
Mon 19Oct431 ft11 shollow23kJ30°C
Tue 20Oct571 ft10 scrumbling28kJ29°C
Wed 21Oct612 ft9 scrumbling36kJ29°C
Thu 22Oct621 ft8 scrumbling25kJ29°C
Fri 23Oct401 ft9 scrumbling14kJ29°C
Sat 24Oct261 ft11 shollow10kJ30°C
Sun 25Oct341 ft11 shollow12kJ29°C
Mon 26Oct371 ft10 shollow11kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct341 ft10 shollow9kJ29°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 beginner surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to TCO, changing at BOG, then 2h 40 by road. About 16h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Balao

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 1 ft at 10 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Balao

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 2 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Balao

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 1 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Balao

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 1 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to TCO, changing at BOG, then 2h 40 by road. About 16h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Esmeraldas each day: Balao, El Bajo.

The trip from Esmeraldas, with every spot near it

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.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to TCO, estimated from distance and season, changing at BOG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£305–£630
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£50–£85
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£120–£200
Food7 days eating out£115–£210
Board and wetsuit5 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 Esmeraldas

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

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.