Ecuador is one of the world's best-kept surfing secrets. Between the Galápagos Islands and the Pacific coast, the country has at least 50 surf spots where the waves consistently break overhead. The coastal water is warm, especially from December to June, but the Galápagos are wet-suit territory pretty much year-round. The best surfing months are December to June, when the ocean is often glassy in the morning, and the sky is usually clear. From June till November, the water gets choppier and cold, especially in the Galápagos, and onshore winds can further complicate conditions, though the mainland experiences days with good conditions year-round.
Galápagos surfing is considerably more expensive, due to logistics and lodging costs, but the islands have few surfers and the waves are consistently overhead and uncrowded. San Cristóbal island has about five breaks, most of which are over volcanic-rock platforms; though pleasant from January through May, the water gets cold here during the June-to-December rainy season. The U.S. company Wave Hunters Surf Travel (tel. 888/899-8823 in the U.S. and Canada; www.wavehunters.com) offers 1-week surfing packages that include the flight from Guayaquil, lodging at the Canoa Surf Resort, and transportation to surf breaks that cost $1,600 to $1,900 (£890-£1,045).
Pacific coast surfing is considerably less expensive and offers more options than that in the Galápagos. The coast has about 50 breaks, most of which lie between Manta and Salinas and along the coast south of Salinas. Montañita, a tubular right point break, is one of the best. Casa Sol Surf Camp (www.casasol.com), in Montañita, offers accommodations, surf tours of coastal breaks, and instruction for novice surfers. Río Chico, north of Montañita, has an excellent left when there is a southwest swell. Las Tunas, near Ayampé, is a fun beach break that can easily be surfed from Finca Punta Ayampé (tel. 09/6273-458; www.fincapuntaayampe.com), an ecolodge that offers surf tours, whale-watching, and other activities. Salinas has several breaks nearby, the best of which is a reef break in front of a military base that is only accessible by boat. San Mateo, near Manta, is a long, consistent left that can get very big. Canoa, on the northern coast, has a good beach break that can be fun for beginners and experienced surfers alike. Mompiche, south of Esmeraldas, is an intense left that breaks over lava rock -- for experienced surfers only.
Waterways Travel (tel. 888/669-7873 in the U.S. and Canada; www.waterwaystravel.com) sells packages ranging from a week at Casa Sol, either surfing Montañita or touring nearby breaks, which cost $400 to $650 (£220-£358), to a more expensive package that combines a tour of various coastal breaks with a week in the Galápagos, to a 2-week stay in the Galápagos for $2,000 (£1,100).
