Capaes, Ecuador
Also within 20 km of Santa Elena
- Chulluipe Surf spot · 3.8 km from Santa Elena
- Cautivo Surf spot · 3.9 km from Santa Elena
- El Castillo Surf spot · 3.9 km from Santa Elena
- Coito Surf spot · 8.2 km from Santa Elena
- Ecuasal Surf spot · 9.2 km from Santa Elena
- Punta Carnero Surf spot · 9.4 km from Santa Elena
- Pico nerd Surf spot · 11.2 km from Santa Elena
- La Diablica Surf spot · 11.4 km from Santa Elena
Watch this spot We email you when Capaes is worth the trip.
About Capaes
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NW (335°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (155°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 650 m out (1 in 65). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 23°C in August, its coldest month (2 mm shorty), and 27°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Santa Elena, 3.5 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots.
Water about 24°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 16 h 10 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to GYE, changing at Miami International Airport (MIA).
See flights MDW → GYE · Skyscanner from about £325 returnAdGetting there. 2 h 10 from the airport to Capaes.
Accommodation.
Stay in Santa ElenaAd
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 Santa Elena (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Santa Elena 6 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 35 places to stay · where Capaes stays
Places to stay in Santa Elena · Booking.com AdLa Libertad 10 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 30 places to stay
Places to stay in La Libertad · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Santa Elena · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Santa Elena · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
Mid-range 
Luxury Where it is
Capaes 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
Capaes does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 18, too small | 3 ft11 ssoft | 236kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 5 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 15, too small | 3 ft11 ssoft | 169kJ | offshorewind from the south, 4 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 14, too small | 3 ft11 ssoft | 170kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 7 knots | 29°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 13, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling | 149kJ | wind from the south-west, 5 knots | 29°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 19, too small | 3 ft12 ssoft | 220kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 7 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 12, too small | 2 ft10 ssoft | 109kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 7 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 11, too small | 3 ft7 smushy | 62kJ | wind from the south-west, 2 knots | 29°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 9, too small | 2 ft8 ssoft | 72kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 0 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 7, too small | 2 ft8 smushy | 42kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 8, too small | 2 ft14 scrumbling | 85kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 5 knots | 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 expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to GYE, changing at MIA, then 2h 10 by road. About 16h 10 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to GYE, changing at MIA, then 2h 10 by road. About 16h 10 door to door
The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Santa Elena each day: Capaes, Chulluipe, Coito, El Castillo.
Rough cost
About £695–£1,315 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 MDW to GYE, estimated from distance and season, changing at MIA, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £325–£675 |
| 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 | £695–£1,315 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Santa Elena
- Luis Daniel PizzaPizza · 0.3 km from the centre
- Food TruckBurger · 0.1 km from the centre
- Picantería y cevichería MargaritaSeafood · 0.1 km from the centre
- The Pepper's RestaurantBarbecue · 0.2 km from the centre
- Las Delicias De FlorBreakfast and brunch · 0.4 km from the centre
- Zaruco RestaurantLatin american · 0.4 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.