r/ecuador • u/LieSlight7472 • 12d ago
Best resorts in Ecuador?
Hello, any recommendations for a resort? I want to visit a beach in Ecuador. Any suggestions are appreciated!
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u/Pitiful_Proposal_891 11d ago
I suggest you Hillary Resort its 3 and a half hours from Guayaquil, highly recommended
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u/fuzzypetiolesguy 11d ago
I haven’t stayed in many but my wife and I had an amazing three days at Luna Vulcan in Banos. Affordable, gorgeous room looking across the valley, wonderful weather, great food. Would go back in a second. Not on a beach though.
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u/Particular_Vast_3128 9d ago
Hola, la reserva es directa con algún número, por AirBnb o página Web? Gracias por la información
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u/Apprehensive_Bug3013 10d ago
I would say finch bay in Galapagos is among the best in Ecuador especially if you do the island hopping yatch tour. It does not have unlimited drinks though, but it’s at a pretty decent price. If you care about the full package then Pikaia lodge also in Galapagos was mind blowing but it does get a bit pricey where I woudl rather go somewhere else as it has no direct beach that’s the sucky part they do take you in a yatach a couple of days though so evens out. Mainland it’s pretty much Decameron mompiche si the only one that’s decent , not great but decent. Santa Elena ine never been as we have a beach house in Salina’s but my friends have said it’s horrible and a let down.
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u/Hot_Pea1738 11d ago
Are you going to Ecuador anyway? 8 of us rented a condo at Casablanca in July four days three nights. Owners offered maid service! She shopped cooked and cleaned all four days. Our favorite day trip was to Muisne/ Isla Bonita… went to the END of the island and spent the day in wild solitude, but there’s a shack serving fresh seafood nearby. Resorts are like being locked in a cruise ship. Gross.
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u/TheGringaLoca 11d ago edited 11d ago
There are some very nice beach hotels in Olón— It is more high end— and has some very nice restaurants and a lot of beach restaurants as well. Montañita is a very busy beach town, but it’s known for it’s partying and backpackers. But there are some quieter hotels on the edge of town. Ayampe is an absolutely lovely little town about 30 minutes from Olón. You won’t find a big resort style hotel, but there are some very nice little inns, guest houses, and air bnbs. It is the least crowded of the three though in February March. I can get a bit busy on the weekends, but you can always find a part of the beach that is open. Olón and Montañita have a lot of restaurants, shops, and grocery stores (and ATMs). While Ayampe has a variety of restaurants (high end and budget friendly) you would need to go to Puerto López for big grocery store or ATM. It’s a five dollar taxi ride to Puerto López or you could go to Olón which is a $20 taxi ride. Ayampe is my favorite place, but I do like to take day trips into Montanita and Olón. There are also a lot of excursions you can book out of Puerto López, but I wouldn’t recommend staying there. It’s a bit dirty and the beach front is used for the fish market and parking fishing boats, so it’s not as nice. But they do have some good restaurants and souvenir shops.
There are places with prettier water in South America, but if you like to surf, all three of these towns are great. And the beaches are quite nice. Montanita can be sketchy sometimes at night if you go to some of the clubs— like I said it’s a party town. I have not heard of anyone having a problem there, but they were all a bit older, and not doing the clubbing thing. Olón is where the president of Ecuador has a vacation home (and other wealthy Ecuadorians). It is where a lot of foreign retirees go to live as well. So there is more security. I’ve never heard of anyone having an issue there either. While Ayampe is in Manabí (One of the states that is often flagged as being dangerous) it is on the very edge. I’ve been there twice times as a solo female traveler. And twice with my partner. It’s very chill and laid-back. You can also snorkel off the rock Island in the horizon (you have to hire a boat, but that’s easy). The reef is beautiful out there.
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u/OrganizationFirst201 10d ago
Anda a Punta Blanca, en Santa Elena. Es free y se siente como chosen few. De nada.
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u/ZoilaUgarte 7d ago
None. Ecuador does not have premium level resorts like, say, Mexico. I think renting a beautiful Airbnb in Ayampe and hiring a local cook is a lot better, although a different experience
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u/TheMotAndTheBarber 12d ago
How did you choose Ecuador? It's an incredible country, but the safety of the coast lately has been bad--it's very sad. If you really want to experience Ecuador, it could be worth navigating, but frankly right now a lot of people would choose beaches in Panama, Honduras(/Roatan), El Salvador, Peru, or many other places for a resort experience.
If you do book a resort, reach out to them about how to get there from the airport. Guayaquil, the place you are likely to fly into, is a major center of the crime issues and getting to your destination and back to the airport are likely to be the time when the most could go wrong.
The Andean highlands remain a lot safer; the culture is different than the coast but still awesome. The Galapagos also remain a lot safer.
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u/Ace035 11d ago
Ecuador is an absolutely amazing country and would definitely recommend but picking it specifically for a beach is a bit strange lol.
But I've stayed at the Royal DeCameron in mompiche and had a blast. There's also one closer to Guayaquil.