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Punta Mala, Ecuador

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

Also within 20 km of Puerto López

All 9 on Puerto López's map

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

About Punta Mala

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces NW (308°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (128°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 11). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. 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 and March, with about 6 good days in 7; in September, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Puerto López, 3.5 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots and 3 dive sites.

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 15 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to MEC, changing at PTY.

    See flights ORD → MEC · Skyscanner from about £320 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 35 from the airport to Punta Mala.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Puerto LópezAd

    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 Puerto López · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Puerto López · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Punta Mala 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

Punta Mala 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

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct514 ft11 shollow294kJ27°C
Mon 19Oct453 ft11 shollow208kJ27°C
Tue 20Oct473 ft11 shollow205kJ27°C
Wed 21Oct343 ft10 shollow144kJ27°C
Thu 22Oct503 ft11 shollow276kJ27°C
Fri 23Oct373 ft10 shollow181kJ28°C
Sat 24Oct293 ft9 shollow102kJ27°C
Sun 25Oct343 ft7 shollow99kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct212 ft7 shollow54kJ27°C
Tue 27Oct182 ft9 shollow54kJ27°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

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to MEC, changing at PTY, then 1h 35 by road. About 15h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Viejamar

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Viejamar

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Viejamar

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 5 kn (9 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Viejamar

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Viejamar

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to MEC, changing at PTY, then 1h 35 by road. About 15h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 4 spots near Puerto López each day: La playita, Piqueros, Punta Mala, Viejamar.

The trip from Puerto López, with every spot near it

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.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to MEC, estimated from distance and season, changing at PTY, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£320–£660
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£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 Puerto López

  • Moby Dick RestauranteSpanish · 0.2 km from the centre
  • Noches De ParrilladasBar and grill · 0.4 km from the centre
  • Cambalache Pizzas para llevarPizza · 0.1 km from the centre
  • Cheers Bar and GrillBar and grill · 0.2 km from the centre
  • Christian cevicheriaSeafood · 0.2 km from the centre
  • Comedor DominicBarbecue · 0.2 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

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.