{"id":38817,"date":"2013-08-11T01:52:17","date_gmt":"2013-08-11T05:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=38817"},"modified":"2020-08-11T03:11:29","modified_gmt":"2020-08-11T07:11:29","slug":"beaches-in-ecuador-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/beaches-in-ecuador-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Beaches in Ecuador and more !"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Daily Brief – Playtime in Ecuador<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, you\u2019ve perused the global travel magazines, watched the endless parade of international travel TV shows and have jumped on the blogsphere to see what is hot in the world of travel.\u00a0 Likely, you have discovered one locale that is sizzling right now – Ecuador !\u00a0 Grab the opportunity, live the moment and come discover what all the buzz is about, as you explore…playtime in Ecuador !<\/p>\n

As you plan your Ecuador adventure, make sure to leave some time open to frolic on the gorgeous beaches in\u00a0Ecuador , chocked full of excitement, adventure or just plain, old-fashioned relaxation.\u00a0 Whatever your leisure pleasure commands.<\/p>\n

Ecuador reveals a magnificent Pacific Ocean coastline, spanning 1,390 miles (2,237 kms), a considerable portion filled with beautiful beaches, each uniquely defined. \u201cBetween the mainland and the Galapagos there are over 100 beaches, many of them undocumented virgin beaches except for a few fishermen\u201d, notes Mark Cowtan, a leisure expert focused on sports recreation, beach vacationing and the extensive flora\/fauna Ecuador offers.<\/p>\n

For example, want to go surfing? \u201cEcuador is an undiscovered surf paradise. It has about 50 surf spots and the warm water, which means you can surf without a wetsuit year round. If you’ve never surfed before, Ecuador is the ideal place to learn\u201d, notes Cowtan. Predominant surfing beaches include Monta\u00f1ita, quite likely the surf capitol of Ecuador, as well as neighboring Ol\u00f3n and the peninsular beach town of Punta Carnero.\u00a0 The latter earning the distinction of hosting the internationally selective 2009 Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships. Monta\u00f1ita, playing second-fiddle to none in this category, is the site of yearly surfing championships, most recently the 2013 ISA World Masters Surfing Championship, a competition reserved for the world\u2019s best surfers over the age of 35.<\/p>\n

Your idea of a wild time on the surf lean more towards spotting a humpback whale, than \u201changing-ten\u201d?\u00a0 Ecuador beach life has the answer for you.\u00a0 Whale watching in Ecuador is such an up close and personal experience that often you can spot cavorting and jumping humpback whales (Ballenas Jorobadas in Spanish) from the comfort of the beach, a dockside cafe, or your beachfront balcony overlooking the Pacific.\u00a0 For those that prefer the ultimate up close and personal \u201cwhale experience\u201d, dozens of beach towns specialize in providing whale watching excursions, with professional tour operators guiding a boat so close that you swear you can reach out and touch the behemoths.<\/p>\n

Beaches in Ecuador that are particularly known to be excellent places for whale watching include Ballenita (literally translates to \u201cLittle Whale\u201d), the fishing hamlet of Puerto Lopez and Mompiche, a tropical beach paradise that jumps out at you like an idyllic movie setting. Unlike surfing, whale watching is not a year round activity and for optimal viewing, your Ecuador beach vacation should be scheduled between June and September – optimal months as it encompasses the low-season for most of Ecuador\u2019s beach resorts.<\/p>\n

If landing the big one is less whale and more marlin or wahoo for you, then Ecuador\u2019s beaches definitely beckon the erstwhile fisherman.\u00a0 Not likely that you will have to spin the yarn, about \u201cthe one that got away\u201d, as bountiful mother ocean rewards the Ecuadorian fisherman with amazing regularity.\u00a0 You almost have to be trying not to catch fish to end the day empty-handed.<\/p>\n

Fishing tours abound throughout Ecuador\u2019s beach towns, taking advantage of the particularly optimal and calmest conditions, from December to May.\u00a0 The beaches of Manta are a great place to launch a fishing expedition, especially if you favor tuna.\u00a0 There is a reason Manta is known as the \u201cTuna Capitol of the World\u201d.\u00a0 Likewise, if your personal tastes run more towards marlin or sailfish, the waters around the beaches of Isla de la Plata offer excellent prospects.\u00a0 Of course, the grand-daddy of them all may be a fishing excursion off the exotic beaches of the Galapagos Islands, where listing the catch opportunities not available, might be easier than listing those that are available.\u00a0 The latter, while enjoying the strict guidelines of \u201cprotected status\u201d, still offers ample opportunity to catch striped marlin, blue marlin and black marlin.\u00a0 Keep in mind, the Galapagos are an exciting, but strictly sports fishing locale.\u00a0 That means strictly enforced catch and release.<\/p>\n

Finally, if after all the surfing, whale watching excursions and fishing expeditions, you find yourself plain tuckered out, maybe it is time to just spend some time soaking up rays on the magnificent beaches of Ecuador.\u00a0 There is a sandy spot with an umbrella just right for you, whatever your particular beach-style preference.\u00a0 If your idea of the perfect beach is secluded and serene, perhaps you will consider the beach of Ayangue, named both as the \u201cmost swimmable\u201d beach in Ecuador, as well as a prime scuba-diving site.\u00a0 Nestled between two cascading hillsides and, hence, creating a tranquil crescent moon bay, Ayangue Beach is perfect for a weekend of swimming with the whole family.\u00a0 The only drawback is that it is a relatively small beach expanse.\u00a0 So, if you want tranquil, but with room to roam, Punta Blanca offers another exceptional swimming beach, with a wide, smooth sandy expanse, which whispers, \u201cidly whittle away your time\u201d.\u00a0 Grab a frothy beverage, set up a make-shift hammock and enjoy the sun, while listening to the gently crashing waves.<\/p>\n

However, if your beach tastes run to the more \u201cfun and exciting\u201d variant, because maybe all the surfing, whales and marlin left you only hungering for more adventure, then perhaps you should head over to Atacames Beach, in the northernmost province of Esmeraldas.\u00a0 The beach is very similar in appearance and expanse to the aforementioned Punta Blanca, except the atmosphere is decisively different.\u00a0 From the minute you roll up to this enticing beach, you will be met by the rhythmic drumbeats of every considerable music, from salsa, to reggae to meringue, all pulsating from the dozens of beachside cabanas that dot the landscape of Atacames.\u00a0 Fresh catch-of-the day seafood and a cacophony of drinks await beach-goers in Atacames, who seldom have to saunter more than a few feet, to find themselves perched on a beachside stool, being served by bartenders with many a tale to tell.<\/p>\n

If the Atacames scene sounds enticing, but you want a more \u201cgrown-up flair\u201d, you can\u2019t escape Ecuador, without heeding the siren\u2019s call that beckons you to the premiere beach resort community of Salinas.\u00a0 Nestled on sliver of a peninsula, thus surrounded by ocean, Salinas is the playground for Ecuador\u2019s elite, as well as most international travelers.\u00a0 Often branded as a \u201cSouth Beach-like\u201d scene, Salinas is much less artificial and much more demure, rustic and sedate, but every bit as enjoyable.\u00a0 With oceanfront cafes, a diverse set of ever-changing restaurants, most specializing in seafood cuisine, and an amazing array of oceanside activities, Salinas is family friendly, but also a diverse enough locale for the adventure seeker.\u00a0 At night, the outdoor cafes often offer strolling musicians, while hot nightspots like Sin, La Case de Roy \u00a0and the Barcelo Colon Miramar Hotel \u00a0offer rollicking good music and an exciting dance floor scene.<\/p>\n

When planning your Ecuador beach vacation excursion, one \u201ccan\u2019t miss\u201d Ecuador travel resource is \u201cEcuador Beaches\u201d (http:\/\/ecuadorbeaches.org<\/span><\/b>), operated by Mark Cowtan.\u00a0 It documents dozens and dozens of exciting beach locales, with exceptional detail and excellent photography. With the information in this report, plus the extensive updates on the Ecuador Beaches website, all you will need is some beach wear, sun tan lotion and your creative imagination.\u00a0 Playtime in Ecuador awaits and it is limited only by your particular desires!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Daily Brief – Playtime in Ecuador So, you\u2019ve perused the global travel magazines, watched the endless parade of international travel TV shows and have jumped on the blogsphere to see what is hot in the world of travel.\u00a0 Likely, you have discovered one locale that is sizzling right now – Ecuador !\u00a0 Grab the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":308,"featured_media":38800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[2475,2473,18067,7962,32110,21872,7731,32108,32107,32117,32113,32112,32109,32114,32116,32106,32115,32111,32104,32105],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Ecuador-Coastal-Living-\u2013-A-Reality-Check.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38817"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/308"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38817"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38817\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38847,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38817\/revisions\/38847"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38817"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=38817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}