Ayampe

Although only a 30 minute bus ride from Montañita, Ayampe feels like a million miles away. Gone are the large neon signs, hundreds of backpackers, non-stop music and stalls selling souvenirs and trinkets. Instead, you’ll find a charming surf town with a handful of dusty roads lined with colorful flowers, the smell of Palo-Santo permeating beautifully constructed buildings and a dial set to peace, quiet and tranquility. La Buena Vida offers Surf Packages for those looking to learn the sport, or improve their skills.

The Wave

An exposed beach break breaking right and left depending on the swell, this wave really offers a wide variety of options for all levels of surfers.

If a dominant North swell is showing, our beach lights up like a point break with rights peeling on the outside for about 200 yards then to an inside section that barrels hard. If you catch a South or West swell, the conditions will vary depending on tides with many empty left and right peaks to ride, but never the less the waves are rarely flat.

If you are learning with us, we will take you out when the tide is low in the surf and close to shore to judge your ability. However, if you are an advanced surfer incoming tides always bring bigger surf with an outside peak just a short paddle away. The best part about our beach is the lack of big crowds due to our remote location in a very large mountain range. There are several spots where you can surf practically alone.

Swell & Consistency

Our beach breaks year round with little to no crowds. Our best season is late November-May, which has consistent surf, really sunny days, and warm water. However, our property is open in the off-season, too. The average wave size is 3-6 feet daily with 1 to 2 big swells a month. The bigger swells can produce waves anywhere from 6-12 feet with great form. Out of 365 days per year, Ayampe and the surrounding area have waves 300 of those days. It’s a surfer’s paradise out here!

Winds

Unlike Central America, Ecuador does not suffer from mid-day harsh onshore winds. If we do get onshore winds, they are usually light in the morning. Early in the morning, you will find no winds with perfect glassy conditions; guaranteed. In the off-season, the winds will pick up light onshore, but the waves still hold up because of the strong southern swells.

If you are thinking of coming over to Ayampe, get an understanding of how the different seasons affect the Surf here