Estero de Platano, Ecuador
Also within 20 km of Atacames
- Atacames Surf spot · 0.1 km from 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 Estero de Platano is worth the trip.
About Estero de Platano
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NW (301°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (121°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 48). 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 intermediate surfers the best months are usually January and February, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Atacames.
Water about 26°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 17 h 25 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 35 from the airport to Estero de Platano.
Accommodation.
Nearest beds: Atacames, 29 km (about 50 min by car)Ad
No town with beds to book is nearer Estero de Platano: plan on the drive each day you surf.
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, 29 km away (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Atacames 50 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 109 places to stay · where Estero de Platano stays
Places to stay in Atacames · Booking.com AdMompiche 54 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 20 places to stay
Places to stay in Mompiche · Booking.com AdTonsupa 59 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 93 places to stay
Places to stay in Tonsupa · 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 
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Where it is
Estero de Platano on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Estero de Platano does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 55, good | 4 ft12 scrumbling | 318kJ | offshorewind from the east, 1 knot, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 47, fair | 3 ft11 scrumbling | 242kJ | wind from the south, 6 knots | 28°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 41, fair | 3 ft11 scrumbling | 213kJ | wind from the south, 5 knots | 27°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 33, too small | 3 ft10 scrumbling | 124kJ | offshorewind from the east, 4 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 45, fair | 3 ft12 scrumbling | 241kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 41, fair | 3 ft11 scrumbling | 212kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 7 knots | 27°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 35, too small | 3 ft10 scrumbling | 133kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 24, too small | 2 ft9 scrumbling | 62kJ | offshorewind from the east, 4 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 14, too small | 1 ft7 smushy | 15kJ | offshorewind from the east, 4 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 19, too small | 1 ft15 shollow | 78kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 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 intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to TCO, changing at BOG, then 3h 35 by road. About 17h 25 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Estero de Platano
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctSurf Estero de Platano
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Estero de Platano
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Estero de Platano
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Estero de Platano
Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to TCO, changing at BOG, then 3h 35 by road. About 17h 25 door to door
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
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Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.