17 de febrero La verdadera historia de Montañita

Publicado en 14:48h en Balsa Surf Camp por Balsa Surf Camp 1 Comentario

The Real Story of Montañita the best beach town in Ecuador

Version en inglés y en español.

Montañita es un pueblo conocido por su ambiente colorido, su fiesta y su escena de surf, pero para nosotros como locales es mucho más que eso.

You have probably heard many things about Montañita — the parties, the surfing, the nightlife, the backpacker culture. But what is this little beach town really about?

In this blog, I want to tell you more than just the typical tourist information or the history you can find everywhere online. I want to share what Montañita truly feels like from a real perspective.

Not from a marketing point of view, but as a Spanish teacher, a woman, a traveler myself, and someone who also lived in Switzerland for several years before returning to Ecuador.

Es un pueblo lleno de sueños y de gente fuerte que ve en el turismo una posibilidad de mejorar su economía porque da trabajo a 90% de la población.

Montañita se encuentra en "La Ruta del Spondylus", a unas 2,5 horas del aeropuerto de Guayaquil. Solía ser un pequeño pueblo de pescadores donde unos cuantos surfistas empezaron a acampar en los años setenta. Luego se hizo cada vez más popular y, hoy en día, Montañita es uno de los lugares más turísticos de Ecuador. Se la conoce como la capital del surf de Ecuador.

Fue declarada ciudad del surf en 2016 y reconocida de nuevo en 2022 por reunir todos los requisitos que necesita un surfista profesional. Tiene olas que pueden alcanzar los 2,5 metros y mantiene una temperatura templada del agua durante todo el año, por lo que los surfistas no necesitan llevar traje de neopreno.

Playa Montañita ¡hace tiempo! Por Bolo Franco

The Real Story of Montañita

Además del surf, es un pueblo lleno de magia donde la gente encuentra todo lo que quiere, puedes relajarte o divertirte, la decisión es tuya, somos una pequeña comunidad que siempre está dispuesta a ayudar con una sonrisa.

Además, hay innumerables posibilidades de cosas que hacer en la región, múltiples opciones gastronómicas, es un lugar muy fácil para hacer amigos, o simplemente centrarse en sus objetivos personales.

Todo depende de ti.

Is Montañita Safe?

This is probably the question I get asked the most.

And my honest answer is: no place in the world is 100% safe.

Not in Ecuador, not in Europe, not in Latin America, not anywhere.

Sadly, Ecuador has developed a difficult reputation regarding security in recent years, especially when people talk about the coastline. And yes, this has affected tourism a lot.

I am not going to pretend problems do not exist in some parts of the country. They do.

But Ecuador has thousands of kilometers of coastline, many different provinces, towns, and realities. What happens in one area does not represent the entire country.

And honestly, Montañita is very different from the image many people imagine after watching the news.

Because Montañita depends heavily on tourism, safety matters to everyone here. Local businesses, hotels, surf schools, restaurants, taxi drivers, and families all understand that tourism is the heart of the town.

People care.

There are private security guards, local police patrols, community support, and a small-town feeling where people know each other. Of course, common sense is still important, just like in any tourist destination, but the reality on the ground often feels much calmer than what people expect before arriving.

At our place, Balsa Surf Camp, for example, we have 24/7 security and local patrols nearby. But beyond that, there is also something more personal that makes this place feel safe: community.

Montañita is still a relatively small town. People recognize faces. Locals look out for tourists. We give advice, recommend safe areas, and genuinely want visitors to feel comfortable here.

I cannot speak for every single person, of course, but I can say that many of us truly care about the people who come to experience our home.

And once you are here, something shifts.

You start walking through colorful streets with ocean air on your skin. You watch the sunsets turn the sky orange and pink. You hear live music near the beach, meet travelers from all over the world, practice Spanish with locals, surf at sunrise, and slowly relax into the rhythm of the coast.

That is the Montañita I know.

Not just the party stories you see online, but a vibrant beach town full of life, connection, nature, and culture.

And honestly? It may be one of the best places to learn Spanish and Surf while experiencing the real spirit of coastal Ecuador.

El tiempo en Montañita

El clima es generalmente cálido y templado durante todo el año, aunque en invierno puede haber días fríos. Por el contrario, en verano los días son muy soleados, y casi todos los días se puede disfrutar de una hermosa puesta de sol sobre el mar. En invierno se recomienda traer chaquetas/abrigos/chaquetones o chubasqueros para los días de llovizna.

December – May: Almost permanent sun and heat, Temperatures of 27 C° (78 F°), tropical rain at night.

June – August: Cloudy and sunny days alternate, light rain, average temperature of 24 C° (76 F°), good time to learn Spanish.

October – November: Predominantly cloudy days, garúa (light rain), cold temperature up to 20 C°.

Activities you can do in Montañita

Surfing is probably the main sport in the region, as the waves of the point are world-famous for their length and style. But there are also different beaches only 5 or 10 km away with different waves where you can practice according to your level or preference. Besides, we have waves all year round, no need for a wetsuit, the water is in perfect condition!

Para los que no quieran hacer surf, hay otras opciones:

- Bodyboard

- Paddleboard *dependiendo de la marea

- Pesca deportiva

- Yoga (diferentes tipos de yoga)

- Correr por la playa

- Senderismo por las colinas

- Visitar los gimnasios de la zona

- Monopatín, rampa (o descenso)

– Functional training, kickboxing, jiu jitsu, tai chi and more.

La verdadera Montañita

Nowadays, it has changed a lot regarding infrastructure but has never lost that magic, I’m not talking about the nightlife, but rather the people and the feeling I had from the first time I arrived in Montañita “freedom”.

It is a very multicultural town and it attracts nationalities from all over the world, there is a variety of restaurants with local and international gastronomic offers, you can see people of different races, cultures and religions sharing on the beach, you can always hear people talking in different languages and the laughter sounds loud and cheerful.

Los atardeceres te cautivan y te muestran la verdadera magia de Montañita, a veces nos preguntan ¿cómo se puede vivir en un lugar tan activo? bueno la diferencia entre la mayoria de la gente que vive aqui y los que la visitan, es que nosotros vivimos una vida normal, con una cierta rutina, tenemos que trabajar todos los dias, por lo que nuestras actividades nocturnas son limitadas, de hecho algunos trabajan por las noches en los restaurantes y bares, puede que hagamos mucho deporte durante el dia pero tambien trabajamos duro, aprovechamos el invierno para reunirnos mas con nuestros amigos y el verano para trabajar y ahorrar, ya que el turismo es fluctuante y estacional.

Most of the locals do not live in the center of town, but in the surrounding areas or towns like Olon and Manglaralto, so every day we commute to work, sometimes I don’t even go into town. The magic lays in the opportunity to be able to meet new people every day, learn about the whole world chatting with someone, most of the time we our clients are tourist happy and motivated to know our culture, our country, at the end of the shift we can rest on the beach, feel the sun on our skin, relax with our pets, take long walks, do yoga, meditation, reconnect with nature through surfing or a simple walk in the hills.

For someone who lives in a big city, it may seem that there is not much to do, but for us this quiet life, with the sea just a few steps from the office door, is enough and the most important thing is that we are free, every visitor is also free, free to choose how to enjoy this paradise, there is no discrimination, people love to welcome the tourist with open arms, nature is beautiful, the rest is totally your decision.