El Murcielago, Ecuador
Also within 20 km of Manta
- Manta - El Escondido Surf spot · 1.7 km from Manta
- San Mateo Surf spot · 11.1 km from Manta
Watch this spot We email you when El Murcielago is worth the trip.
About El Murcielago
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NE (48°), so it takes swell from the NE. The wind blows offshore from the SW (228°). 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 700 m out (1 in 72). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 24°C in August, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Manta, 1.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 25°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 14 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to MEC, changing at PTY.
See flights ORD → MEC · Skyscanner from about £320 returnAdGetting there. 25 min from the airport to El Murcielago.
Accommodation.
Stay in MantaAd
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 Manta (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Manta 3 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 75 places to stay · where El Murcielago stays
Places to stay in Manta · Booking.com AdSan Lorenzo 43 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 4 places to stay
Places to stay in San Lorenzo · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Manta · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Manta · GetYourGuideAd
Budget 
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Luxury 
Where it is
El Murcielago on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
El Murcielago does not suit intermediates. 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 | 8, too small | 2 ft11 scrumbling | 57kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 5 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 6, too small | 1 ft12 scrumbling | 40kJ | wind from the south-east, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 7, too small | 2 ft11 scrumbling | 48kJ | offshorewind from the west-south-west, 7 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 7, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft | 44kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 2 knots | 29°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 8, too small | 2 ft10 ssoft | 42kJ | offshorewind from the west, 8 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 5, too small | 1 ft11 scrumbling | 20kJ | offshorewind from the south-west, 6 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 4, too small | 1 ft11 scrumbling | 18kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 29°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 4, too small | 1 ft11 scrumbling | 15kJ | wind from the south-east, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 3, too small | 1 ft10 scrumbling | 13kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 2 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 5, too small | 1 ft11 scrumbling | 20kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 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 ORD to MEC, changing at PTY, then 25 min by road. About 14h 25 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: 4 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 3 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: 3 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to MEC, changing at PTY, then 25 min by road. About 14h 25 door to door
The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Manta each day: El Murcielago, Manta - El Escondido, San Mateo.
Rough cost
About £655–£1,240 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 MEC, estimated from distance and season, changing at PTY, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £320–£660 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £15–£25 |
| 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 | £655–£1,240 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Manta
- Asadero Su PolloChicken · 0.8 km from the centre
- Restaurante SIRENA DEL MARSeafood · 0.8 km from the centre
- Hamburguesas en Manta - Zona BurguerBurger · 1.0 km from the centre
- Picanteria El Murico de Don ChiriSeafood · 1.1 km from the centre
- Picantería CarmelosSeafood · 1.3 km from the centre
- Jaimito's Gringo PizzeriaPizza · 1.4 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
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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.