Any bus drops you off at a bus stop on the side of Spondylus route—a coastal road that basically connects the entire western coast of South America. If you go north, you end up on the border with Colombia, where you can hop onto the Panamericana, which goes all the way to Alaska. Southbound, you reach the penguin lands, also known as Tierra del Fuego, in Argentina. But for now, let's walk just a quarter of a mile to the west to see what Montañita is about. Chaotic, isn't it? You are in the middle of "Old Montañita," a fisherman's village that once gained popularity with surfers and then with a techno scene. (Read our walk into the history of modern Montañita on page 3; it's peculiar.) Popularity with foreign tourists created an appealing destination for domestic travelers, and that's the reason why it feels like a noisy bazaar right here in the middle of the village, where everyone wants so aggressively to sell you food or whatever. This old part has its small town square next to the village church, and despite being polluted with chaos and identically looking restaurants, shops, and mini-bars, it has its own charm during the early morning hours, before the touts come out to work. That area closer to the town square is actually the place where you can observe the friendly residents living their daily lives; there's less noise and restaurant touts than closer to the bus stop. Don't miss the ice cream store on the corner of the square: it's the only one in town, and the gelatos are not bad at all.

Old Montañita has two core anchors. Let's put first the one around which the settlement was literally created—the fisherman's beach, where you can see small boats taking off to return full of shrimps and fish. The other anchor, a short walk from the first one and also located right on the beach, is the Lost Beach club, home to the Trotamundo festival and its high-level techno parties all year around, at least 4 nights a week.
Outside the club entrance, there's a small street that we suggest calling "Pusher Street" (however, this name is yet to be picked up by the public). The first street in the opposite direction from the beach is heavily busy almost at any time of the day or night, but especially at night and on the weekends. You can see Ecuadorian tourist couples and families strolling; you will be bombarded by different music playing from each venue, and the venues are small and pushy. The most pleasant venues are located right as you walk into the street from the entrance to Lost Beach. One of them is Tikki Limbo, a classy large bakery/coffeeshop/restaurant, and opposite it, a smaller bar, Pipa, which seems like a place to buy smoking paraphernalia but in fact is a cozy and very professional bar run by a cool dude who will be happy to chat with you in English and where you can meet good locals and travelers alike.
In that street crossing, you will see multiple people sitting on the pavement with their small tables—usually they have dreadlocks and mostly they are Chilean, Peruvian, or from other Latin American countries—making their living by selling small accessories that they craft. These are the "artesanales," the hippie-minded folks who add a lot to the vibe of Montañita (read more on page 4).
Other than that, "Old Montañita" has a really nice gym, Arena; a quality coffeeshop, Wave; an elevated walk over the beach ("Malecón"); and the busy beach itself. But mostly the tourist hassle and street commerce. Luckily, the village has much more to offer. Despite being small in size, you can find yourself in areas so much different just a short walk away, which makes Montañita diverse and attractive. Flip the page to discover other areas of the village, where you want to spend your time (and book your room).

When you walk north through the beach (or cross the bridge following the Spondylus route, which locals know as "calle principal," or "main road"), just after the river you find an area that is much more tranquil and has only hostels but no street trade and touts at all. This small area has no name and is a much better place to get your peaceful sleep. The beachfront has two luxury (by Ecuadorian standards) hotels, Dharma and Kundalini, while all the hotels between them and the calle principal are on the lower price side. Walk a bit more north, cross one more river, and you get into the area La Punta, or "the tip," which is so very different. The hotels here are real 3-star; there's no noise at all. Instead, you will find stylish restaurants and surf rentals, since this area borders the pro surf spot near the mountain. The beach side is home to the officially best (but so affordable!) sushi restaurant of Ecuador, Shankha. The vibe here is more for 30+ year-old wealthy travelers. There's a yoga studio and a few clothes shops selling Rip Curl, Billabong, and other renowned brands. If you are following the Spondylus route, you will see the Surfista monument at the beginning of the La Punta area. Take the smaller road closer to the beach, pass the RV parking, and if you go up just half a mile (better walk because they usually close that road for cars), you find the beautiful monastery and church on top of the hill. Just a few steps more and you will see a large cross on the left. Don't miss walking up to it. From the small viewpoint, where you will probably be alone, you will have an incredible view over Olon. (Check page 5 for our guide to Olon, Ayampe, and a few more nearby destinations worth your attention.)

To the south from where Old Montañita ends, you step down the Malecón, and there starts Nueva (New) Montañita. Still unpaved, under construction, free of anything but a few small shops. More developed at the first lane from the beach, quite wild and authentic in constructions and lifestyle further from the beach. But you will probably opt to walk by the beach, and it's a nice stroll. What's good in New Montañita is the housing situation: if you're not lucky enough to rent a good hotel or Airbnb at La Punta, chances are you will come across a good offer in Nueva Montañita. And it is a great and very convenient place to stay, since while it's just a dollar taxi ride to almost any part of the village, you will be staying in absolute peace, with zero noise and hassle. Missing the crowds? Just take a short walk to Old Montañita. What's also cool about New Montañita is that owners of the seaside properties somehow don't choose to close their plots with fences, and you can see the beach and walk to the beach.
New Montañita ends with a river, right after which Manglaralto village starts (check page ...). You can cross the river by the beach easily, and if you are hungry and it's not yet dark, you should enjoy one of the local restaurants that are right there on the other bank of the river. Their $3 worth day menu (menú del día) never disappoints, especially if you are into fish and seafood.

Sector Tigrillo starts just south from the central bridge of Montañita and lasts east, so opposite to the ocean. The corner with Spondylus route road ("calle principal") is quite busy with small restaurants, all of which seem to be owned by Argentinians. Almost all of them have the same item on the menu—empanadas. The corner restaurant, Medias Dulces, is a really attractive spot to sit down and watch the people passing.
Further into Tigrillo Street, you will find no food venues, but it's a cool area to walk and even better to stay. Affordable, peaceful, and further from the road—more and more in contact with nature and seeing how the landscape changes to picturesque hills.
Less than half a mile south along the Spondylus route, you can find a turn in the direction opposite the beach, and just a 5-minute walk up the hill brings you to the Montañita Viewpoint ("Mirador"). While the view is nothing like the one from the monastery above La Punta, this viewpoint lets you observe Montañita, neighboring Manglaralto, far into the ocean, and in the opposite direction, the beautiful hills. Most of the time, you will find yourself alone there; however, the area is always well lit and has seats and rain cover. It's quite an unobvious spot to visit, but it's very sweet and romantic at any time of the day.
That's about it. Check out our reports about nearby Manglaralto and Olon, which are worth a visit. We will be covering Montañita in depth in the coming issues: the places, the people, the food and the parties. New Montañita ends with a river, right after which Manglaralto village starts (check page ...). You can cross the river by the beach easily, and if you are hungry and it's not yet dark, you should enjoy one of the local restaurants that are right there on the other bank of the river. Their $3 worth day menu (menú del día) never disappoints, especially if you are into fish and seafood.
So, don't forget to subscribe