Ayampe is a lovely, peaceful fishing village. Very few tourists, although locals say there are more during Carnaval. The village consists of two streets and four small hotels (that I'm aware of). There are two tiny convenience stores which mainly contain water and ice cream, one bar, and I think just one restaurant in the hotel Cabanas La Tortuga.

To get there, I took the bus to Santa Elena ($3) from the Guayaquil terminal, then waited a long time for another bus ($3) that drove up the coastal road known as El Ruta del Sol. I was hassled constantly by taxi drivers until the bus arrived, but the ride up was lovely, everything dissolving away. It took longer and cost more than I expected, but I was so glad to be there.

Watch out for the rocks!

The beach there is a bit rocky—it's mainly sand, but there are so many rocks strewn near the coastline that they're unavoidable at high tide. Many locals wear shoes in the water, and I did as well.

Watching the fishing was great, especially when it was time to pull in the full boats. Lots of people get involved, including women and children. I really wanted to try asking to go out fishing one day just to see the process, but because the seas were so rough later on I never saw them fishing again.

When I needed a bigger town for a few hours—for the restaurants and Internet—Puerto Lopez is 30 minutes away by bus, with frequent buses on the main road. The bus also goes in the opposite direction for Montañita.

Boats anchored at Puerto Lopez

One of many secluded beaches on the Isla Salanga tour

From Puerto Lopez, tours are available to Isla de la Plata, "the poor man's Galapagos." I took the snorkeling trip to Isla Salanga instead, which I definitely recommend.

It was far from great snorkeling, as there really was no reef, but it was such a relaxing day. We stopped by many lovely, isolated beaches that were only reachable by boat, were fed constantly with fresh fruit and other snacks, and of course enjoyed the scenery and refreshing salt air!

There is really nothing going on in Ayampe, but it was perfect for me. I just wanted to chill out and not deal with partying backpackers, and I had the opportunity to meet some hospitable locals as well. It's a charming place to unwind and simply stare at the sea.

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