Surfs up!

The main street in Montanita

If you were a surfer, you'd never want to leave Montanita. It's a town on the Ecuadorian coast that grew up around a wave. Once a little fishing village, now a bustling beach resort with hostels made from bamboo, hammocks, juice bars, and pancakes.

Today, Montanita feels like a good little place to kick back for a couple of days. It's amazing the difference the sun makes. Yesterday the sky was grey, the wind was cold and the beach looked far from inviting. The dirty-looking sand was scattered with litter and dogs roamed the shore, digging holes. But the waves were big and that's what Montanita is all about. It's the reason surfers come for a day and stay for a month.

Montanita's beach