Ayampe Surf Guide
Chill town with empty waves. Takes swells from both the north and south to give solid lefts and rights.
Quick Facts
Left and right beach breaks
Good beginner and intermediate waves
Can have strong currents out back
Mellow town good for chill surf trip
Introduction to Ayampe
Mompiche is a small town in the province of Esmeraldas that is home to some solid breaks. With over 7km of beaches, you’ll essentially never find an overcrowded lineup here. It’s home to a solid peeling left point-break, a great beginner spot at Playa Negra, and some rivermouth and reef breaks. The town itself is quiet, and you won’t find tons of parties, restaurants, or overpriced goods. As far as we know, there isn’t an ATM here so bring cash! And board rentals are limited but available.
Ayampe Surf Season
The main surf season in Ayampe is from December to May/April. The winds are offshore nearly every day, and you’ll get consistent head-high waves. These come from the northwest swells coming via storms in the North Pacific. In the North American summer and autumn, you’ll get more mixed conditions. There are good days and bad days, with weeks at a time of onshore wind. However, the water stays warm enough and the swells keep rolling in. It just won’t be as clean.
Where to Surf in Ayampe
There’s really one main spot to surf in Ayampe and that’s their giant beach. It has plenty of peaks up and down the coast here, with lefts and rights on offer. When the northern swells roll in, it almost seems like a point break as there are fairly long peelers out there. It’s best for intermediate or better, while the inside waves give plenty of opportunity for beginner surfers to get some practice.
Crowds - Nope, spread out
Surfer Level - Intermediate+
Ideal Swell - NW
Ideal Wind - NE
Break Type - Exposed Beach
Consistency - 70% (higher in the right season)
Be Aware: Strong rips out back
Surf Camps, Classes, and Lessons in Ayampe
Vistamar Guest House - Vistamar is amazing. They really sum up the experience of being in Ayampe in general. Their surf camps are holistic in nature. This means they offer holistic surf coaching sessions, meditation and surf yoga classes, organic food, and plenty of opportunities to take care of yourself. It’s the place to be for a wellness-oriented surf camp. Five day camps start at about $1,400, and 9 day camps run $2,000.
Safari Surf - Safari Surf has locations in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Panama. They don’t really do standard pricing, but their weeklong stays cost from $1,200-2,200 depending on what you add on. They can include transportation from the airport, some meals, video analysis, and more. One of the nice things here is you can build your own surf camp!
From the Store
Other Things to Do in Ayampe
Most of you are probably headed to Ensenada to surf, but there are other things to do while you’re taking a break from the waves:
Visit La Bufadora - One of the largest marine geysers in the world, La Bufadora can shoot water over 30 meters (100 feet) into the air! It sits just south of Ensenada and is worth checking out to see some powerful ocean scenes!
Hike El Salto - El Salto is a beautiful and rugged canyon just north of Ensenada. You can hike to the waterfall, rock climb, and rappel. Definitely recommended for the outdoorsy people looking for somethign active to do!
Whale Watching - In winter and spring you can go whale watching in this area. The most seen whales here are the big grey whales passing to start a new generation. It’s pretty amazing to be out there and see the whales up close!
Getting to Ayampe
Ayampe is fairly remote. This is rad as it keeps the lineups fairly empty.
Driving - The best way to get to Ayampe is to take a domestic flight to Guayaquil Airport (GYE), then drive the three hours to Ayampe. You can find a taxi at the airport fairly easily!
Public Transportation - At this time we can’t recommend taking the bus in Ecuador.
Restaurants in Ayampe
La Esquina del Cafe - A great place for breakfast. Solid pastries, delicious coffee, and relatively affordable breakfast plates. Real local vibe.
Bhakti House - Our go-to vegetarian place. Tons of healthy and affordable meals. They have a nice mix of foreign food and local dishes all made with a vegetarian spin!
Ayampe Tacos - Well we live in Mexico and love tacos, so have to include the best taco place in town!
Travel Tips
We really rarely do this on our site as we don’t like fear-mongering… But here goes. Ecuador has had a bit of security concerns since 2024. Many areas are under semi-regular states of emergency with curfews and restrictions in place. This is in an effort to combat organized crime. Parts of Quito and Guayaquil are experiencing the highest rates of violence, but coastal provinces like Esmeraldas have some organized crime activity as well. Bus travel is strongly discouraged, as is driving at night.
Be sure to check out our Resources page for tips on traveling, spending money, support, and more.
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