Things To Do in Atacames

Sunbathing, swimming, and relaxing are the main activities here. While there are sometimes good waves to be caught at the beach breaks all up and down this section of coast, serious surfers will want to head to the point break at Mompiche. You can rent jet skis and Hobie Cats from a variety of stands set up on the beach. Rates run from $10 to $20 (£6.65-£13) per hour.

If you want to do any organized tours, check in with your hotel desk, or contact Delgado Travel (tel. 06/2723-723), a large, national tour agency with an office in Esmeraldas. Tours include sport fishing, whale- and dolphin-watching, and visits to La Tolita and the mangrove forests of the Cayapas-Mataje Ecological Reserve.

Atacames has a well-deserved reputation as a party town. The beachfront Malecón is lined with an almost uninterrupted string of open-air thatch-roof bars that have loud reggae and Latin music and cheap drink specials. This is the perfect strip for a leisurely pub crawl, stopping in at whichever spot seems the most happening or appealing. Many of these shacks have celebrity-sounding knock-off names such as Friend's Bar, Cheer's, Hard Rock Café, and Planet Atacames. In addition, I like Madera Fina, which may be related to the popular bar of the same name in Manta. Two of the more established dance clubs include the Scala Disco (tel. 06/2720-404) and Ludos (tel. 06/2731-225), both on the Malecón.

There's much, much less nightlife to be had at the beaches west of Atacames; in fact, they are rather dead after dark. Though that can be a good thing to some travelers.