The last stop on my trip was Montañita. To be quite honest I was a little hesitant to go because it has a reputation for a raging party scene, and that is not really my thing. For the dates I was there it turned out to be untrue, though one local said the crowds would be arriving for Christmas within a few days. Whew, just missed the mayhem.

Among other reputations, Montañita is also known for a being a great surf destination, a chill hippy vibe and as a place where illegal drug usage is mostly ignored. Both of these were indeed true. The surfing looked good though I passed on renting a board. Everything was very chill. Marijuana was definitely a common smell around town. And my friend and I were offered marijuana and cocaine (my very friendly people nonetheless) just about every time we walked on the beach. No pushiness… usually you were offered henna tattoos and then when they showed you their book of options they’d quietly offer from their “other menu”. If you visit just casually decline and it’s all good. 👍

Beach Vibes

I spent most of the time in Montañita relaxing in the hammock or one of the beach seats. I read a bunch and reflected on the trip and on life in general. I love adventure but it was healthy to slow down for a few days to relax and process things.

Food

Montañita was pretty cheap. One of my favorite meals was at a small vegan shop right next to my hotel, Hotel Kundalini. For $5 you got a 3 course meal and juice that was 👌. It was right on the beach so the view was spectacularly fantastically phenomenal as well.

We also had Italian food that was pretty good, and ate at the restaurant at the hotel a few times just to keep things simple.

Happy Hour

Happy hours were great: usually $3 cocktails and 2 beers for $3. As is true on other parts of the trip, the thing I enjoyed most was the people. Mike and I were met by our friends Patrick and Miake for the last day and a half before leaving, and we all had a great time drinking $3 mojitos and talking about life. I don’t know the name of the bar but it was a great spot, and it’s right on the beach. We went there twice because it was probably the best mojito I’ve had.

Sadly most trips have to come to an end. I had to go back to Guayaquil for an 8pm flight to Quito and then a midnight departure home to Atlanta. I do have to mention that the airport lounges (free with Priory Pass) were top notch in Ecuador. Guayaquil was the nicest one I’ve visited.

And that’s it for Ecuador. I wish I had a lot more time, as always. I would have love to summit some of the mountains which require glacier travel. Banos sounded pretty fun and I didn’t make it there. I also missed the amazon and of course the Galapagos.

I came back with some great new friends, some interesting books/podcasts/ideas, a bit of life direction and some great memories.

Cheers and happy new year! 🎆 🍻