My home

I would like to tell you about my favorite part of Ecuador first, my home. I was born and grew up in the Ecuadorian Coast. My American father built his hotel in a small backpacker town called Montañita, where the waves are perfect and the people are welcoming. He loved meeting new people and nothing made him more passionate than travelling the Ecuadorian Coast looking for waves, I can’t tell you how many times we got stuck in off-road places or completely abandoned beaches having no idea how to get back to the main road. He knew the best places are the ones hidden away, the ones that are not advertised, the places only locals know about. If you like sunny days, smiling people and road trip fun, the Ecuadorian Coast is something you have to experience.

The first thing you should do is get yourself a map of the “Ruta del Spondylus” or, much easier, type the name on google maps and it’ll show you the complete route. Previously called “La ruta del sol” or The sun’s route, this is a road that covers most of mainland Ecuador’s amazing beaches. It begins in the city of Esmeraldas. This beautiful city gets its name, which means emerald, from the fact that it enjoys full green vegetation year round and because in the past, many emeralds were found in the area. The first place I recommend visiting is a small town called Mompiche, right in the border with, my home province, Manabi. Mompiche used to be more of a surf spot, my father used to take me when I was younger and try to teach me how to surf, after a few hundred falls I started to realize it’s not really for me. Today, not only can you go to Mompiche’s small but charming town if you surf or want to learn how to, but you can also relax in Royal Decameron’s Mompiche resort. It costs an average of $100 per night, but it’s very much worth it because it’s all inclusive, and compared to other resorts, it’s pretty cheap. If you’re planning a trip there, the weather is best from December to April, but keep in mind their prices do go up in holidays and local festivities. Also, if you’re looking to travel on the cheap side, but still want to go to the resort, you should check out their web-page, as they offer a lot of discounts if you’re flexible on dates. Don’t forget Mompiche is filled with cheaper hotels or hostal options if you’re travelling on a budget.

https://www.decameron.com/en/otr-destinations/ecuador/mompiche/royal-decameron-mompiche

Next stop you should make along the route is a little town called Cojimies, which is about two hours away from Mompiche. Cojimies is great if you like to eat seafood and go to the beach. There are cheap but great hotels all over the place, and it’s one of the best places to eat all different types of fresh seafood, from fish to lobster to seashells. Along the way you might find yourself in my home. It’s a good time to tell you I grew up in a secluded, private beach, surrounded by palm trees. Can you see yourselves watching amazing sunsets over the pacific everyday? That was my life. I swear, sunsets here are like snowflakes, no two sunsets are the same. I grew up making wishes every time the sun got swallowed by the ocean, they say if you see a green flash right after over the ocean, your dream will come true. I can’t recommend this place enough, it’s full of fun, loving people that will welcome you with open arms and will never fail at making you laugh. This was my grandparent’s home, my mom’s home, and now my home. I have moved a lot in my life, and I haven’t always lived here, but this place is the one point on earth I will always come back to, it’s where I leave my hear when I leave. My mom loved this place so much, that even after travelling as much as she did, she came right back here and built a hotel from scratch, name “La Caracola”. If you’re planning a trip with friends, or you just want to relax with a book in a hammock under the palm trees, you should be booking your trip now. Did I mention a room here goes for $25 per night, including an amazing Ecuadorian breakfast? Who knows? Maybe you’ll even find me here.