17 Feb The real story of Montañita
By Gaby Estrella, owner of the Spanish School in Balsa Surf Camp “La Escuelita”
Check please her website: https://www.theschoolinmontanita.com
Instagram: @laescuelitaspanishschool
Montañita Beach longtime ago! By Bolo Franco
Montañita is a town known for its colorful atmosphere, its party and its surf scene, but for us as locals is much more than that.
It is a town full of dreams and strong people who see in tourism a possibility to improve their economy because it employs 90% of the population.
Montañita is located in “La Ruta del Spondylus”, about 2.5 hours from Guayaquil airport. It used to be a small fishing village where a few surfers started camping in the 1970s. Then it became increasingly popular and, today, Montañita is one of the most touristic places in Ecuador. It is known as the surfing capital of Ecuador.
It was declared surf city in 2016 and recognized again in 2022 for meeting all the requirements that a professional surfer needs. It has waves that can reach 2.5 meters and maintains a temperate water temperature throughout the year, and for that reason surfers do not need to wear a wetsuit.
Besides surfing, it is a town full of magic where people find everything they want, you can relax or have fun, the decision is yours, we are a small community that is always willing to help with a smile.
Besides, there are countless possibilities of things to do in the region, multiple gastronomic options, it is a very easy place to make friends, or just focus on your personal goals.
It’s all up to you!
The weather in Montañita
The climate is generally warm and temperate throughout the year, although during the winter there may be cold days. By contrast, in summer, the days are very sunny, and almost every day you can enjoy a beautiful sunset on the sea. In winter it is recommended to bring jackets/coats/windbreaker jackets or raincoats for the drizzly days.
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°.
Sports
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 10km 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 conditions!
For people who don’t want to surf, there are other options:
– Bodyboard
– Paddleboard *depending on the tide
– Sport fishing
– Yoga (different types of yoga)
– Running on the beach
– Hiking in the hills
– Visiting the gyms in the area
– Skateboarding, ramp (or downhill)
– Functional training, kickboxing, jiu jits, tai chi
The Real Montañita
When I moved to Montañita in 2007, I totally fell in love with its colorful streets full of sand, its music and hippy vibe. Currently, it has changed a lot in infrastructure but never lost that magic, I’m not talking about the nightlife, but rather the people and the feeling I had from the first time “freedom”.
Being a very multicultural town, 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.
The sunsets captivate you and show you the real magic of Montañita, sometimes we are asked how you can live in such an active place? well the difference between most of the people who live here and those who visit it, is that we live a normal life, with a certain routine, we have to work every day, so our evening activities are limited, actually some are working on the evenings in the restaurants and bars, we might do a lot of sport during the day but also work hard, we take advantage of the winter to meet more with our friends and summer to work and save, since tourism is fluctuating and seasonal.
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 charm is to be able to meet new people every day, learn about the whole world in a chat, most of the time we work with people 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 a person 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.
By Gaby Estrella, owner of the Spanish School in Balsa Surf Camp “La Escuelita”
Check please her website: https://www.theschoolinmontanita.com
Instagram: @laescuelitaspanishschool
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Jessica
Posted at 15:01h, 15 FebruaryMuy bueno Gaby!
Esta es la verdadera cara de Montañita