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San Mateo, Ecuador

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

Also within 20 km of Manta

Watch this spot We email you when San Mateo is worth the trip.

About San Mateo

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

The spot faces N (340°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (160°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 2–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 14). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. 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.

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 14 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. 35 min from the airport to San Mateo.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: Manta, 11 km (about 20 min by car)Ad

    San Mateo is 11 km from the beds: 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 Manta, 11 km away 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 Manta · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Manta · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

San Mateo 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

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct554 ft11 shollow396kJ28°C
Mon 19Oct574 ft11 shollow294kJ28°C
Tue 20Oct584 ft11 shollow314kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct473 ft14 shollow292kJ28°C
Thu 22Oct594 ft12 shollow361kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct514 ft11 shollow311kJ28°C
Sat 24Oct373 ft11 shollow182kJ28°C
Sun 25Oct273 ft8 shollow89kJ27°C
Mon 26Oct192 ft8 shollow57kJ27°C
Tue 27Oct222 ft15 shollow99kJ28°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 35 min by road. About 14h 35 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf San Mateo

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf San Mateo

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 3 ft at 14 s, offshore wind.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf San Mateo

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf San Mateo

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Manta - El Escondido

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 10 s, wind 4 kn (8 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to MEC, changing at PTY, then 35 min by road. About 14h 35 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Manta each day: El Murcielago, Manta - El Escondido, San Mateo.

The trip from Manta, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £665–£1,260 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
Taxiairport and back, shared£25–£45
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£665–£1,260

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Manta

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

Nearest beds: Manta, 11 km (about 20 min by car) · 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.