This week I got an email from a subscriber…“Hey Dom, I’d like to put a business on the beach in
Ecuador, and from your experience, what would be the top
3 most visited beaches in
Ecuador, based on visitors and not whether they are foreigners or nationals?”
ME: Well, I don’t have the exact statistics (I don’t think anyone does!) but from my experience I’d say the mostvisited beaches in Ecuador are…
1. Montanita- Been THE big, new hot spot on the coast for foreign and local tourists alike since 2011. This place is packed shoulder-to-shoulder on weekends and holidays but has tourists year-round, every day of the week.
2. Salinas- For decades this peninsula has been the go-to beach getaway destination for locals from the nearby city of Guayaquil, and also from the Cuenca area, and since about 2011 been growing in popularity with foreign expats. The problem is the noticeable lack of beachfront hotels because most of the boardwalk is covered by condo buildings limiting tourism growth.
3a. Atacames/Tonsupa- For decades its been the go-to spot on the coast for locals from Ecuador‘s capital and second largest city (Quito).
3b. Playas- Another up-and-comer, its proximity to the largest city in Ecuador (1 hour from Guayaquil and a new road coming) helps a lot.
3c. Puerto Lopez- Popular with foreign tourists due to the whale watching (July-October) and its proximity for day-trip excursions to “the poor man’s Galapagos” The island of Isla de La Plata. But its proximity to one of the largest cities on the coast of Ecuador (Manta) as well as Porto Viejo helps a lot to attract locals on the weekends and holidays.