Before we got to our destination of Salidas, we stopped in Montanita.   I had no idea what I was about to find out.  My best friend could actually  ride a horse too!!!!   What a caballero on a caballo.  I was so taken away by his abilities to ride the horse on the beach in a full gallup.  As for me,  I just trotted and mine loved the water, so I was a lot farther behind as we rode.   

Montanita is a small town where so many people find, no matter where they are from in the world.  The town was full of restaurants and a huge night life.... We must have driven thru at least 5 different towns before we found the horses we were about to ride......

The hostels in Montanita are full all the time with backpackers and hikers and students just touring the country. 

I don't think Montanita ever sleeps either.....   we had a little to much to drink this night to and I carried my best friend this time and returned the favor to him. 

The last bus ride didn't feel very long (probably an hour or so) and we got to Monanita before lunch time. Not sure what hostal to go to we just walked along and the sign for the "Centro del Mundo" hostal appealed to me so we followed it. As we were having a look at one of the rooms I saw Mo chilling in a hammock on the floor above. We had met him on the Ferry from Belize to Honduras and had spent some weeks with him in Honduras. The hostal has a great location right on the beach so we decided to stay there.


Nice surfer town. One of the best party places I've found on this trip. Could stay here a while.

After having spent almost a week in Montanita when we'd only planned 2 days there it eventually really became time to move on as we're fast running out of time. I had also strained a muscle in my shoulder so I hadn't been able to surf for the last two days anymore in any case which made leaving a little easier. However the realisation that this was the last beach with warm weather and water that we'll encounter on this trip made me almost want to run back and stay another week.

However without any real plan of how to get to Quito we walked up to the road and waited for the next bus to Puerto Lopez. We didn't wait longer than 5 or 10 minutes and after paying the 2.5 USD fare we were on our way.

This review is for Hotel Funky Monkey's restaurant only because I didn't stay in the hotel. The hotel restaurant was remodeled sometime between January 2005 and March 2008, because I ate and boozed there both of those dates and the pictures show the differences. As most Montanita restaurant/bars do, the Funky Monkey has 2 for 1 happy hour drink specials every evening, made with fresh fruits and cheap booze and they are great! They have a very extensive menu for all meals, though I didn't ask how many of the dishes were actually available while I was there. It is common for the restaurants to have nice long menus, but when it comes time to order, you may only be able to chose from a few of the items. I have found this common in a lot of small Ecuadorian villages, good thing I'm not a picky eater. The best deal the Funky Monkey offers is breakfast. I got eggs, bacon, toast, fresh juice, coffee, and a huge plate of fresh fruit with yogurt sprinkled with nuts for only $2.99. It was terrific. Other meals can vary in price from average to expensive, depending on your taste.

First time I came here I was.....well I dont remember sorry he he....I came with a friend...and well.....all start quiet and everything...but something that got our attention and that was that ppl is really nice here, the minute you get here ppl start saying hello and asking where are you from and things like that, before you know it you are  having a drink with this ppl....I think is super cool!....

Well the Beach is just amazing and is so relaxing the sound of the ocean and well the nice view are the perfect combo......well after we made a couple of friends we start looking for a place to sleep....and well we found one was really nice and everything the problem was , that this place was a little far, but we stay there anyway we were tired so we stay... we took a bath and change our clouths we were all stinky...nah! we were not he he.....

We went to the beach for a little walk, and well while we were walking we saw this guy and he smiled at us and say hi so we say hi back, we start talking, he was from Spain and we ask him were he was staying and well he was staying at the coolest place ever......"Centro Del Mundo".....we went to check the place and was fast we felt in love with that place.....has an amazing view and lotss of ppl staying there....

We went to pick our stufs and we change, we went to stay at "Centro Del Mundo"....when we got there we saw 3 cute guys, they start talking to us and everything they were from Argentina, all the sudden we got plans to went out! yuju! finally party time! he he.....well we start the celebration cuz we were going out lol......1 guy from Australia came to talk to us and well he is in our plans now....cool!...we are all going out that night......

My friend and I went out first guys stay at the hostal...well....we neened FOOD!! so we ate and everything, well we start asking around where we can party and everything was the first time that we were there so we didnt knew a thing  well the name of the place was "CAÑA GRILL" a nice place where a band plays and after that a cool DJ owns the party! you can dance all night long!.....

You also have bars lots of bars here all over the town, but if you are anything like us and you like to dance and listen to a cool rock band you should come here to "CAÑA GRILL"....the band starts at 12:30 pm....they play cool rock and between songs they act alL crazy and well in a good way they are really funny =).....the song that I love to hear from them is "Clint Eastwood"...they  are really good .....well after they are done playing ....well thats when the DJ starts doing his thing....

Charo's is as close to the water as hostals get in Montanita. This place is very nice, you can tell from when you pull up to the front. I didn’t take enough pictures of the place, but trust me this place is nice. I don’t remember it from my last visit in 2005 so it is either completely new or had a major reconstruction since then. You walk into a nicely tiled entry with chairs and a TV to lounge around on the right and the dining area on the left. If you keep walking you go past the kitchen straight out to the back pool area. This is a great place to hang out. There are plenty of hammocks, lounge chairs, and tables to sit and enjoy some quiet time, but you’re in Montanita so go to the beach! The pool was pretty good sized and there is a Jacuzzi off on the side that is nice after longs walks on the beach. Oh and there’s a poolside bar that has a couple of blenders. Keep walking to the back of the property and there is a gate to get to the beach. There is actually a dirt road and rocks before getting to the beach, but that is how most of Montanita is situated. I was able to walk in and get a room, but the only available ones were for two people and equipped with a/c for $40 a night. I’m not sure how many rooms they had, but I would guess about 20. I forgot to ask what the prices of the other rooms were, but I’m guessing mine, with a/c, was not the cheapest. I decided to go for it, what the heck! They asked what floor and I said the top because a little extra stairs never hurts. I got to third (top) floor and entered my room, it was on the road side, so I didn’t get an ocean view, but that was not too big of a deal for me. There was a private balcony for my room that overlooked the street below. My room looked like it was pretty new, from the tile and furniture to the woodwork; it all looked of good quality. The bathroom had a good sized stand up shower and fast hot water. There was also a twin size bed, TV with satellite, air conditioning, and curtains. I kept thinking this is a nice place! The only downside to the room I had was the street noise isn’t blocked out that great by the window, so if you are a light sleeper, it might be too loud. I slept like a baby though, I had the a/c going one night and it got cold! I only ate breakfast there, but it was great. I had eggs, hash browns, toast, fruit juice, and coffee for $3.50. That is a pretty standard price for breakfast in town, but most don’t serve hash browns, so that was a pleasant surprise. I really liked this hostal and I would stay there again if I had someone with me. It is very clean and the staff is uniformly dressed which surprised me and they were super friendly.

hallo mini liebe, endlich schaff ichs mal wider zum schribe...i e letschte wuche bini eifach noemm dezuecho. immer voll im "stress". meh als pics ufelade hani nid gschafft.
aber am beschte vo vore, am weekend nach Banos bini mit dr silvie in usgang. mier sind de zerscht is "Zocalo" e bar im Mariscal. Hend de usegfunde dass doet immer am Di-Do&Sa e liveband spilt. Man, di jungs sind wuerlklich guet, spilet salsa und anderi suedamerikanischi tanzbari musig. Uf all faell bini de mit em Danee (em saenger) chli is gpraech cho. Er het mier verzelt dass er im 05i i dr schwiiz amene hochzit vomene kolleg het choenne uftraette, und na de no chli umegreist isch...er hets sogar bis i kanton uri gschafft...hahaha, er het de willhelm tell und d urner flagge kennt, ha fascht noemm choenne, so en zuefall. dr gspraechsstoff isch uf all faell gsicheret gsi.
er het mier denn au no verzellt dass er en CD am mache isch und au tanzunterricht gid (da er vo dr ecuadorianische suedkueste chund isch er eh en passionierte taenzer), und das alles naeb em musigstudium...
naja, da ich i dr schuel ja de afigs chli salsa glernt ha, hani de natuerlich grad mal muesse teste wie guet das afigs mit emene profi klapet. natuerlich hani mi de wie de groescht afaenger agstellt, aber isch trotzdem no cool gsi! Spaeter simmer de all zaeme (silvie, ich und d band) is mayo68, DEM salsaclub in quito...para practicar mas... isch uh luschtig gsi, und im mayo hets eh immer il gueti taenzer.
Anyway, d wuche druf isch na mega unerfreulich gsi, voll dr stres. Am mittwoch (31.1.) gani id schuel und de wird mier als erschts mal mitteilt dasi d fam muessi wechsle, will d schuel in striit cho isch mit dr familie...het ja mal wider was mit geld muesse ds tue ha! typisch! bin mega truurig gsi, will bi dr olgita hets mier wuerklich super gfalle!naja, bin de zumene aeltere paerli bracht worde, isch vo afang ah nid so dr het gsi...sie hend nie gross mit mier gredet. bin de uf all faell gar nie gross im huus gsi. nach dr schuel is mariscal und am abig in usgang, is zocalo dr band go zuelose.
d silvie und ich hend de zimlich vil kollege kenneglernt. bsunders d erica und dr marco hani is herz gschlosse, so liebi luet, und alles natuerlich au super taenzer.
bsunders de marco, er het mier im zocalo de grad gratisunterricht geh, voll peinlich vor all dene luet, aber isch au luschtig gsi. han mich de entschide dasi eiduetig no meh salsa wetti lerne und ha mit em danee fuer die folgendi wuche termin abgmacht.
ah, am fritig hemmer i de schuel no en spezielli aktion gha, hend e typischi mahlziit vo de "Getchuas" (indigenas vo ecuador) kochet, nennt sich "Llapingachos". Isch mega speziell aber fein. Bestaht us Haerdoepfel, chochbanane, salat, tomate, avocado, vil zwibele und enere komische wurscht.
Am weekend (Sa) bini mit paar chicas uf otavalo. es isch ds letscht weekend fuer d nela (CH) gsi, und mier hend denkt, mier machet no was zum abschied. usser de silvie, nella & mier sind no 2 chicas us daenemark mitcho, wo de ab em maentig au bi ues id schuel sind. isch no schoen gsi, sind nid nur de markt go aluege sondern au no e wasserfall, "Cascada de Peguche".
Am abig simmer fuer an abschiedsdrink is Zocalo. Leider isch es beidene chicas nid sehr guet gange, beid Mageproblem in Otavalo scho es biz. Sie sind de beid scho gli mal gange, aber ich has mier nid la naeh dr band no chli zue ds lose. bin de au nid elei ghocket, dr Marco und d Erica sind de no cho. Nadem d band fertig gspilt het, simmer all zaeme ane charity-Party fuer en kolleg wo unfall gmacht het. Es isch eifach genial gsi doet. Und all hend chli gaeld spaendet. Und die wo e band hend oder professionell tanzet hend de no e uftritt gha. voll cool gsi saeg ich uech! man o man, da hets grad chli salsataenzer(inne) gha, nicht schlecht!! ich has eifach au mega gfunde was die alles uf d bei gstellt hend um chli geld ds sammle!
D party isch de bis i die fruehe morgestunde gange und am sunntig hani kei schritt meh gmacht. ha mich mental uf mini erscht salsastund muesse vorbereite
die isch de am maentig au scho cho..uiuiui...bis zum momaent wo d stund agfange het hani no gmeint ich choennt mit de grundschritt woni scho weiss chli bloeffe...pfff..denkste! han de grad mal muesse usefinde dasi mich fuessufwaerts bis ez foellig falsch bewegt ha. Scheisse ich bi mier e halbstund wie de groescht idiot vorcho, ha mini koerperbewegig doch nid eifach uf chnopfdruck choenne aendere! dr Danee isch fascht verzwiflet und da d stund i dr Wohnig vo ihm dihei gsi isch het natuerlich au no de marco si mitbewohner zuegluegt, und glachet!...voll peinlich! aber schlussaendlich hanis de doch no gschafft und ha de no anders choenne lerne, all die verschidnige dreihige wos gid...puuuhhh...confusion! han i dere wuche schlussendlich 3h untericht gha, und einiges glernt, und natuerlich bini de au immer wider is Zocalo und Mayo go praktiziere. Que semana loca!!! und das no nid mal nur wege dem, woni am mentig nach em salsa hei cho bi, hani gmeint mich trifft dr schlag! da isch doch tatsaechli dr herr hostvatter i mim zueg am wuele...que feo!! han de no am abig alles packt und am naechschte tag hani i dr schuel maeldig erstattet. si hend mich de am dsischtig no ueber mittag i mini 3. family bracht. bi zur gliche frau cho wo au d silvie und d chicas danesas wohned..hend de e richtigi fraue-WG gstartet, voll cool! und au d Loerna, di neu hostmam isch voll en liebi und voll cool und ufgschlosse.

ds folgende weekend isch de scho mis letschte in quito gsi...que triste! ich ha de entschide dasi gern no mal en 2taegige usflug wuerdi mache, und d silvie het de gmeint sie chaemi au. mier sind de uf Mindo, das isch ca. 3h busfahrt in richtung weschte vo quito entfernt. i dere gegend hets no mal so was wie en urwald, nebelwald nemnnt sich das. isch meeega schoen gsi. und ues isch natuerlich wider mal nued ds tuer gsi und hend ues innere "luxuslodge" igmietet fuer Sa/So. aber das het sich aecht glohnt! hend imene baumhus gwohnt, d alag het meehreri pools und 2 jacuzis gha, und au d usflueg i dr umgebig hend direkt im hotel choenne buechet werde. Perfekt fuer es richtig fuuls weekend!
Am samschtig nami simmer de grad no ds "Tubing" go mache. isch wie RiverRafting eifach billiger... da werdet 7 laschtwagepneus zaemebunde, me hockt druf und ab di post! ds einzig wo es fid sind helm, schwimmweschte und schnuer zum sich a de pneus feschtdshebe. nix da mit neoprenazug und anderem luxus...hahaha..uf all faell simmer de uf dem iiiiiischale fluss glandet, scheisse isch das chalt gsi, isch glaub so zimlich mid chaeltischte erlaebnis i mim lebe!...aber het trotzdem no spass gmacht. Nachdem simmer de no di huseignig schmaetterlingsfarm go aluege, aber sich chli entueschend gsi, het voll nid vil viecher ume gha. daefuer hend i dr hotelalag so zuckerwasser zueg parat gmacht, a dene d kolipris sind cho schnuppere und trinke. joeoeoeoe....di sind sooooo herzig saeg ich uech, ha gar noemm choenne ufhoere mit zueluege....
am abig simmer au grad im hotel blube, sind ds fuul gsi is dorf ds laufe, wer au eh nued los gsi. mindo bestaht naemlich nur us einere strass und e paarne abglaegne hotel wie uesem. naja, nach em znacht hemer ues en cubalibre genehmigt, scheisse, er hets grad chli in sich gha. am 9i simmer zrug is baumhuus und mier hend nued anders meh choenne mache als schlafe, unglaublich!
12h spaeter, am sunntig, simmer nach em zmorge de no fuer ei stund uf ds ross. isch no schoen gsi zum d umgaebig chli gnauer ds kennelerne, aber mis ross isch so fuul und lahm gsi, ich has staendig muesse atribe damit di andere mich nid abhaenket...hihi...uiuiui uf em heiweg und am maentig haett mier de arsch ja de au nur es bizli weh ta... Autsch!

D wuche druf hani au wider 3h salsaunterricht gha, und inzwuesche klappet au di meischte dreihige. (fuer mich sind die scho meega schwirig aber de danee het gmeint das siged basics fuer wenn me ds schwirige zueg wetti mache...haeeee??? no schwiriger???) naja anyway, d erica het im zocalo mal gmeint:"tu aprendiste super rapido...para una gringa!" (du hesch megaschnell glernt, fuer en gringo)....hmmmm..weiss bis huet nid oeb ich das wuerklich als kompliment cha uffasse.
Ui, am mittwoch isch ja au no valentinstag gsi....tag der liebe und der freundschaft! ich hoffe ier hend alli schoen brav gfieret! ich bin a dem abig mit dr tara und paar anderne englenderinne is bungalow6 ad ladiesnight, ganz nach em motto "maenner hend mier nid noetig" isch no luschtig gsi und spaeter ane simmer de au no is Mayo go salsa tanze.
Tja, und de isch scho donschtig gsi, mi ultima noche en quito con todos mis amigos de aqui! que triste!!! D Lorena mini hostmam het vorgschlage mexikanisch go esse, iri schwoeschter het es megaschoens restaurant. gesagt, getan. D lorena isch cho, d silvie und d chicas danesas. han au mini 3 amigos de ecuador iglade, de danee, de marco und d erica, aber es het de nur de danee choenne cho, under de bedingig dass mier am 1i im Zocalo waerdet si, will er ja muess schaffe. No problema!
ds esse isch mega fein gsi und uf di 1ni simmer all zeme is Zocalo go wiiterfiire, sogar d lorena isch cho, si het woelle luege wie ich afigs cha tanze. d chicas sind all beidruckt gsi vo dr musig vo dr band (si hend mier ja nid woelle glaube dass si wuerklich guet sind). und daenach hani de mit em danee muesse vorfuere was r mier afigs bibracht het...hahaha...buehne frei fuer saskia & danee...het echt spass gmacht bim tanze no mal alles ds gaeh, ha natuerlich kei faehler woelle mache. smile... d chicas sind wider mal begeischteret gsi, und hend bim danee grad e gruppestund fuer di folgendi wuche buechet....hihihi.
Tja und de hets scho gheissae byebye...que triste! aber es hett muesse si, schliesslich hani am fritig nach dr schuel uf e bus in richtig montanita muesse. vamos a la playa!! han ja doet ez au ei wuche spanischunterricht, und carneval isch ueber ds weekend ja au no gsi.
naja, aber hie isch es so loco. ich weiss au nid, passt mier nid wuerklich. es het ueber d fasnachtstaeg sooooo vil luet gha, het mier nid woelle gfalle. huet reised zum glueck di meischte wider ab, und ich hoffe dass es ez chli besser wird. huet hani au no mini erschte spanischstunde hie gha. mini lehrerin isch voll easy drauf. hend de ganz morge nur gredet, null grammatik. guet ha ire au gseit dass ich schwerpunkt uf ds rede legge. isch uf all faell easy gsi. si chund ez die wuche jede morge mit em bus uf montanita und am mittag wider zrug uf puerto lopez. am fritig gani de nach der schuel mit ire zaeme uf puerto lopez, will ich di folgendi wuche ja doet schuel ha.

naja, und wohi ich danach gah weiss ich no nid. han ja woelle schaffe. aber mis bevorzugte projekt gids leider noemm, waer ja au a dr kueste gsi. mini schuel het e wuche vor minere abreis ufgaeh di luet probiere ds kontaktiere und mier am fritig no 2 aehnlichi projekt id hand drueckt. ds eintae gfallt mier nid will es eifach nach geldmachrii usgseht und bim andere chani nid in kontakt traette. scheisse! naja, in quito arbeite waer eifach, aber ich mag ehrlichgseit di stadt nid 4 wuche laenger aluege...isch eifach ds vil und ds gross und sowiso, haet denn zwar chli ziit zum mit mine amigos doet ds verbringe, aber das reicht mier nid. naja, wenn mier nid grad no was supertols zum arbeite finde wirdo wohl eifach uf quito zrug nach puerto lopez und vo doet us wiiteri reisli in ecuador mache. gaebti ja no vil zum aluege, de ganzi suede vo ecuador hani no gar nid gseh.

also muess ez hoere, wott no an beach huet nami yeeeahhhhh! de beach isch so geil hie!
hebet sorg und maeldet uech mal wider, ghoere immer gaern was i dr schwiiz grad so lauft!

liebs gruessli & besito
saskia

p.s.: fascht vergesse: pics wie immer uf www.piktschers.ch! uf die vo montanita muender de aber no chli warte, ds internet cafi hie isch so was vo schrottig! unglaublich, zrug id steiziit...hihihi

We left Guayaquil looking for a break in our travelling aiming especially to get to a nice beach, while being pleasent yet not over the top for Em's birthday. And we found it, which was kind of surprising. We decided to try a hotel in Baja Montanita, a little bit away from the main tourist drag as we figured it would be a bit more low key, and we were right. We found a beautiful resort with a swimming pool, beachside bar, a great restaurant, air conditioned rooms, and most importantly, a soft bed (something we hadn´t experienced in quite some time). The water was amazing, the hotel was extremely beautiful, and it simply was an idillic two days by the beach with some alcohol and a sunset in front of us.

On Em's birthday we tried to learn to surf, which was brutal, but also fun. By the end of 2 hours Emily decided she should stick to her best water sport, boogie boarding. After some "surfing", we headed to town, had some lunch, went back to the pool, and then celebrated with a dinner by the sea. D surprised Em with a delicious bottle of good Chilean wine (tough to find in these latitudes) and a birthday cake complete with candles. Recieving birthday wishes and love form loved ones at home sealed the deal of this awesome brithday.

We liked Montañita so much and were so relaxed that we decided to stay in Montañita but move to a new location. We found a nice place in our price range and spent the next few days soaking up the sun on the beach. D kept at surfing and learned quite a lot while beating up his body. As mentioned earlier, Em stuck to boogie boarding and is convinced she could be a competitive boogie boarder (if there was such a thing). Montañita was defintely the break that we didn't know we needed. Great place to spend a few days and have a few brews. Try to get a place off the main drag if you are looking for something chill.

Catch local

Catch local  bus an

Catch local  bus an hor

We catch local  bus an hour and a half down the road to Montanitia, Very Hippy Ville, seems like a mini Koh San road.   We spent 3 nights here, again taking it very easy, frisbee on the beach, watching surfers, reading, afternoon snoozes and eating our daily fix of mixed seafood Ceviche from food stalls (Best cevich yet.)

On the sunday we made a move to Canoa, have heard the weather is more reliable further up North and that Canoa is more relaxed the Montanita. (Ecuadorian coast seems to be bathed in a coastal fog, so not much sun this time of year, still V hot though), We catch 3 buses passing loads of locals villages and towns, everyone kicking back on a sunday, cooking up street BBQ´s and swinging in Hammocks.  Arrive to Bahia on last bus, then have to catch a panga across the river to San Vincente, then a taxi to Canoa, arrive after 7 hours, its getting dark, but already seems like our kinda beach, Much wider, no rubbish and lots of Madagascan Travelling Palms.

Check into Bamboo Hotel, get a nice little cotttage sea view and Balcony, We will probably spend 3 or 4 days here before Quito.