When you wander the streets of Mompiche it feels like you’ve left Ecuador for a Caribbean island. Horses trot alongside beat-up old cars and there seems to be a no-shirt no-shoes rule in town.
The surf village of Mompiche has managed to keep its dusty pueblo feel until now, but big hotel developments are pushing their way onto the coastline. Residents are getting worried that their beloved surfer hideaway will turn into a resort town within the next few years attracting unwanted amounts of tourist attention.
Although tourists contribute to local revenue, residents feel that too many visitors will turn Mompiche into another resort town like Atacames (2.5 hour bus ride to the north) or Montañita – a gringo-friendly party town five major beaches to the south.
Mompiche’s remoteness makes it a world-class surfing destination
Montañita and Atacames are easily accessible by bus from Quito whereas Mompiche has one road in, one road out. There is no direct bus to Mompiche so you need to buy an $8 bus ticket from Quitumbe Terminal in Quito to destination Muisne, 8 hours. Bus drivers and ticket salespeople will forget to mention that you need to get off the bus at the intersection of El Salto 30 minutes outside of Muisne so be sure to tell your bus driver to drop you off early. From El Salto the sweaty hour-long bus ride direct to Mompiche will cost you $1.50 and leaves twice daily. 9:30AM and 4PM.
The difficult route is in part what keeps the flocks of tourists away, but there is rumour floating around that the roads might improve once the hotel complexes are established.
Once you step off the bus onto the dirt street of Mompiche you quickly realize it was worth the long and confusing trip. The sound of the waves breaking, the smell of seafood and the swaying of the palm trees ease your mind.
Mompiche consists of two streets that intersect as a T leading to the ocean. The bus lets you off on the main street and from there you can start your hunt for a hostel. Unless it’s a holiday weekend, reservations are not necessary. Most hostels and cabanas offer open-air living and the option to camp. For $4 you can rent a hammock for the night at popular surf hostel DMCA or a room with shared bathroom for $8.
“We try our best to make the hostel your second home,” says Ana Torres who manages the DMCA. She brings you candles when the power goes out, shows you where to rent a surf board and lets you know where the good waves break and when.
The Point in Mompiche, Ecuador
Gangs of irate roosters try and wake the village around 7AM but the surfers are already up and moving. The beach is already covered in footprints heading in one direction – to The Point.
Torres too makes her way to The Point on days off. She says men, women and children surf there, but it’s rocky and the waves are strong so speak to a local before paddling out. The Mompiche locals love to share the waves with beginners and it’s not unusual for them to miss a good wave because they have opted to wait and help you catch it instead.
Surfboard rental is readily available around town whether you need a beginner board or something more advanced. Boards should cost between $10 and $18 per day but bargaining is an option if you are looking at a multiple day rental.
The atmosphere in the water and on land is relaxed and slow moving. If you find that some surf shops and restaurants are closed at odd times of the day, it’s probably because the owner is taking a surf break. Check back again in an hour or during low tide. That’s daily life in Mompiche, totally unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere in Ecuador.
Out with the rustic, in with the new?
Italian surfer Roberto Scotto d’Avello and his Ecuadorian friend of many years Johnny Carriõn have been surfing Mompiche’s left-hand point-break for over 9 years. They rise with the sun and head to the ocean before brushing their teeth or eating breakfast. It’s easy to see that they have two passions – the surf and Mompiche itself. They have watched the village grow from rustic lodging to fancy cabanas and now on to posh multiplexes.
Scotto d’Avello adapted to the laid-back customs of Mompiche happily leaving his capitalist culture behind. But he worries that developing the area will change the sleepy atmosphere of his new home because the new people in town have come mainly to make money, not to surf. “The new resort development around The Point is very ugly,” says Scotto d’Avello. “Not only are these new places ugly, the owners are trying to make the beaches more exclusive for their customers.”
Carriõn and Scotto d’Avello explain that the owners of one of the cabana complexes near The Point displaced some large rocks from the area to create a barrier separating the main village of Mompiche and The Point. The barrier gives a sense of exclusivity to that area of the beach but forces surfers to walk around.
Tourists are always welcome assures Carriõn and Scotto d’Avello, but they hope tourists will continue to support the local culture and economy instead of opt for the glitz and glamour of foreign-owned hotels and restaurants.
Small restaurant owner Margarita Gonzales has been serving local seafood dishes for nine years and admits she could not survive on local business alone. “We get people from all over the world, thank God,” says Gonzales. She raves about her famous langostina al sal for under $6 and she heads to the back to get more vegetables. She pulls back a curtain in the kitchen and reveals a pantry with a mattress surrounded by shelves piled high with vegetables and cans. “When there are lots of tourists I have to stay open late. I end up sleeping at the restaurant because I have no time to go home.” At the moment, Mompiche only fills with tourists on holiday weekends, but if heavy tourist traffic becomes a daily occurrence, the lifestyle of residents like Margarita Gonzales will change dramatically.
Other than surf and seafood, Mompiche has little else and that’s what makes it Ecuador’s top surf spot. As long as tourists realize the harm of overdeveloping the area, they will be an asset in keeping Mompiche the dusty pueblo that it is.
Looking to book a trip to Ecuador? Check out the tripatlas.com/new Trip Builder where you can connect with travel agents who will give you custom prices on your trip.
Mari Suyama is a freelance writer from Toronto, Canada who is currently on a one-year journey working and volunteering in South America. She is tripatlas.com/new’s South America Expert – go to our South America Trip Guide for more.