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Chabela, Ecuador

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

Also within 20 km of Playas

All 12 on Playas's map

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

About Chabela

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

The spot faces S (196°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (16°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 6.3 km out (1 in 625). 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 28°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually March, with about 4 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Playas, 1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 6 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 15 h 40 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to GYE, changing at Miami International Airport (MIA).

    See flights MDW → GYE · Skyscanner from about £325 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 40 from the airport to Chabela.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in PlayasAd

    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 Playas · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Playas · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Chabela on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Chabela 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 18Oct554 ft12 smushy393kJ30°C
Mon 19Oct473 ft11 ssoft223kJ30°C
Tue 20Oct493 ft12 smushy243kJ28°C
Wed 21Oct513 ft13 ssoft338kJ29°C
Thu 22Oct643 ft12 ssoft336kJ28°C
Fri 23Oct513 ft12 ssoft239kJ29°C
Sat 24Oct292 ft4 smushy22kJ30°C
Sun 25Oct272 ft10 ssoft65kJ30°C
Mon 26Oct171 ft15 ssoft74kJ30°C
Tue 27Oct332 ft15 ssoft139kJ29°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 MDW to GYE, changing at MIA, then 1h 40 by road. About 15h 40 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Chabela

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Chabela

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

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Chabela

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 4 kn (7 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Chabela

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, offshore wind.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Los Patios

    Best 07:00 to 10:00 local time: 2 ft at 4 s, offshore wind.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly MDW to GYE, changing at MIA, then 1h 40 by road. About 15h 40 door to door

The plan picks the best of 8 spots near Playas each day: Chabela, La Posada, Los Patios, Olas Verdes, pico hambre, Playas, Sharkbay, sharkbay, Playas Ecuador.

The trip from Playas, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £695–£1,315 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 MDW to GYE, estimated from distance and season, changing at MIA, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£325–£675
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£695–£1,315

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

Places to eat near Playas

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

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