Ayampe Beach, Ecuador, South America

by Dixie
(Ayampe, Ecuador)

We are originally from Australia and have now been living in Ecuador for the past year. My husband is involved in a project development on the Pacific Coast - Ayampe.

We love this place so much that we have rented a wonderful ocean front beach/bungalo and live here whilst the project is being worked on. It is such a unique place where the rainforest meets the ocean. Ayampe is North of Montanita the surfing capital of Ecuador. But we also get surfers who come into Ayampe, as Montanita is so over crowded. Here I can walk the beach and be totally alone. Other times I will see about 11 surfers at the most, fisherman, families swimming and enjoying themselves and maybe other walkers.

As I walk I have the ocean on one side of me and the rainforest mountains on the other. I find the most equisite shells and there is one section where the Ayampe river washes down into the ocean. Here I find all sorts of wonderful rocks, blue/green gem like looking rocks and then there is the quartz, purple, white, rusty just amazing.

Yes I have heaps of shells and rocks and have become quite creative with decorating bottles and bamboo and anything I can find.

We love the weather changes and at the moment it is very quiet and called the Garua season. It drizzles but it is still comfortable for us and we can still go walking. Then there is the wonderful wildlife all around us. When the sun is shining I have baby green kermit the frog looking iguana's sit on my verandah and eat the hibiscus tree. Humming birds and donkeys come into our yard.


Then of course there are the hundreds of crabs that run along the beach in a swarm at certain times of the day. The locals go diving for octopus on the rocks and fish from the shore.
Everyone is always friendly and it is a wonderful community to be a part of. I feel very privileged. I teach my neighbors children English and they in turn help me with my Spanish.

Ayampe is wonderful and I would be happy to tell people more about it if they want to write to me. The project my huband is working on will soon be launced and will be a wonderful place if people are looking for a condo that is still within their reach. We will definately be living in the development as well as keep our apartment in the mountains. Thats the beauty of Ecuador you can afford to have the best of both worlds.

Nori's Reply: Dixie, thank you for such a beautiful account of Ayampe and Ecuador. It sounds like a magical place. I have never been to the rainforest, or to South America! Both look magnificent. My sister and I tried surfing in Montauk, Long Island and are dying to give it another try. Maybe we will be lucky enough to ride these waves someday... ;-)