17 Fév La véritable histoire de Montañita

Posté à 14:48h sur Balsa Surf Camp par Balsa Surf Camp 1 Commentaire

The Real Story of Montañita the best beach town in Ecuador

Version en inglés y en español.

Montañita est une ville connue pour son atmosphère colorée, ses fêtes et sa scène de surf, mais pour nous, locaux, c'est bien plus que cela.

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.

C'est une ville pleine de rêves et de gens forts qui voient dans le tourisme une possibilité d'améliorer leur économie car il emploie 90% de la population.

Montañita est situé dans "La Ruta del Spondylus", à environ 2,5 heures de l'aéroport de Guayaquil. C'était autrefois un petit village de pêcheurs où quelques surfeurs ont commencé à camper dans les années 1970. Puis il est devenu de plus en plus populaire et, aujourd'hui, Montañita est l'un des endroits les plus touristiques d'Équateur. Elle est connue comme la capitale du surf en Équateur.

Elle a été déclarée ville de surf en 2016 et reconnue à nouveau en 2022 pour répondre à toutes les exigences dont un surfeur professionnel a besoin. Elle possède des vagues qui peuvent atteindre 2,5 mètres et maintient une température de l'eau tempérée tout au long de l'année, raison pour laquelle les surfeurs n'ont pas besoin de porter une combinaison de plongée.

La plage de Montañita il y a longtemps ! Par Bolo Franco

The Real Story of Montañita

Outre le surf, c'est une ville pleine de magie où les gens trouvent tout ce qu'ils veulent, vous pouvez vous détendre ou vous amuser, la décision vous appartient, nous sommes une petite communauté qui est toujours prête à aider avec le sourire.

En outre, il existe d'innombrables possibilités de faire des choses dans la région, de multiples options gastronomiques, c'est un endroit très facile pour se faire des amis, ou simplement pour se concentrer sur ses objectifs personnels.

C'est vous qui décidez !

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.

Le temps à Montañita

Le climat est généralement chaud et tempéré tout au long de l'année, bien que pendant l'hiver il puisse y avoir des jours froids. En revanche, en été, les journées sont très ensoleillées, et presque tous les jours vous pouvez profiter d'un magnifique coucher de soleil sur la mer. En hiver, il est recommandé d'apporter des vestes/manteaux/blousons ou des imperméables pour les jours de bruine.

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!

Pour les personnes qui ne veulent pas faire du surf, il existe d'autres options :

- Bodyboard

- Paddleboard *selon la marée

- Pêche sportive

- Yoga (différents types de yoga)

- Courir sur la plage

- Randonnée dans les collines

- Visiter les gymnases de la région

- Skateboard, rampe (ou descente)

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

La vraie 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.

Les couchers de soleil vous captivent et vous montrent la véritable magie de Montañita. On nous demande parfois comment on peut vivre dans un endroit aussi actif ? Eh bien, la différence entre la plupart des gens qui vivent ici et ceux qui le visitent, c'est que nous vivons une vie normale, avec une certaine routine, nous devons travailler tous les jours, donc nos activités du soir sont limitées, en fait certains travaillent le soir dans les restaurants et les bars, nous pouvons faire beaucoup de sport pendant la journée, mais aussi travailler dur, nous profitons de l'hiver pour nous réunir davantage avec nos amis et de l'été pour travailler et économiser, puisque le tourisme est fluctuant et saisonnier.

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.