Montanita, Ecuador
Also within 20 km of Montañita
- Montañita-beachbreak Surf spot · 0.1 km from Montañita
- Olon Surf spot · 3.4 km from Montañita
- Playa Nunez Surf spot · 9.9 km from Montañita
- La entrada Surf spot · 12.3 km from Montañita
- La Rinconada Surf spot · 13.9 km from Montañita
- Ayampe Surf spot · 17.3 km from Montañita
Watch this spot We email you when Montanita is worth the trip.

About Montanita
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces W (260°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (80°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 700 m out (1 in 69). 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). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually February, March and April, with about 6 good days in 7; in July, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Montañita, 1.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.
Water about 24°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 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. 2 h from the airport to Montanita.
Accommodation.
Stay in MontañitaAd
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 Montañita (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Montañita 3 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 139 places to stay · where Montanita stays
Places to stay in Montañita · Booking.com AdOlón 7 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 28 places to stay
Places to stay in Olón · Booking.com AdAyampe 32 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 26 places to stay
Places to stay in Ayampe · Booking.com AdPuerto López 54 min by car · rooms from £45 a night · 58 places to stay
Places to stay in Puerto López · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Montañita · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Montañita · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Montanita on Google Maps · Directions
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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 | 59, good | 4 ft12 ssoft | 423kJ | wind from the south-west, 5 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 58, good | 4 ft11 ssoft | 298kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 5 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 60, good | 4 ft12 ssoft | 317kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 54, good | 3 ft13 smushy | 350kJ | wind from the west, 6 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 60, good | 4 ft12 ssoft | 400kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 43, fair | 3 ft12 ssoft | 281kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 39, fair | 3 ft10 ssoft | 185kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 36, fair | 3 ft8 ssoft | 111kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 24, too small | 2 ft8 ssoft | 62kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 30, too small | 2 ft14 scrumbling | 142kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 27°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 MEC, changing at PTY, then 2h by road. About 16h door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Playa Nunez
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctSurf Montañita-beachbreak
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 3 ft at 13 s, wind 6 kn (12 km/h).
- Thu 22 OctSurf Playa Nunez
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).
- Fri 23 OctSurf Playa Nunez
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, wind 2 kn (5 km/h).
- Sat 24 OctSurf Playa Nunez
Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to MEC, changing at PTY, then 2h by road. About 16h door to door
The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Montañita each day: Montanita, Montañita-beachbreak, Playa Nunez.
Rough cost
About £690–£1,300 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 |
| 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 | £690–£1,300 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Montañita
- PigroItalian · 0.2 km from the centre
- The Wave Surf Resto CafeAsian fusion · 0.2 km from the centre
- L'Eden, restaurante del Balsa Surf CampSeafood · 0.8 km from the centre
- El Sazón GuayacoSeafood · in the centre
- Hachuwain the centre
- Govinda PrasadVegetarian · 0.1 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.