This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel.
San Pedro is a small town near Ayangue, in the Santa Elena Province of Ecuador. It’s on the Pacific coast south of Montanita. San Pedro is a very small town with only a few hostels, restaurants and bars. It’s set on a calm, sheltered bay an hour north of Salinas and thirty minutes south of Montanita. San Pedro and locale is a fishing community; if you like fish, you can pick some up from the local fishermen or buy it fresh at one of the local restaurants. Ayangue, the neighbouring commune, is well-known for its lobsters!
To get to San Pedro, which is about 3km off the main highway (Hwy 15), you can take a bus from Guayaquil, but you’ll need to have the driver let you off at the intersection. From there, you can walk in (twenty-thirty minutes) or hitch a ride. Your hostel may be able to suggest alternate transport.
San Pedro itself is quite small, so while there’s accommodation here, most of the attractions are outside of town. This part of the Ecuadorian coast is a great place to see whales in the June-October months, when the humpback whales migrate north. There are a few places along the wide beach for more adventurous sports, like tandem paragliding, snorkelling, scuba diving, and kite-surfing. The water is shallow here, thanks to the way that the mountains slope into the water, so expect warm temperatures for swimming.
Hostel accommodation in this area can be found in San Pedro (just a few!), Ayangue, and further north in Puerto Lopez, Puerto Rico, and Montanita. The beaches in this area are lovely; don’t miss the pink Playa Rosado! With the Machalilla National Park just outside of Puerto Lopez and the Isla de la Plata an hour offshore, you should stay along the Santa Elena coast for more than a few days. Your hostel reception will be able to arrange tours for you.
Written by local expertz for San Pedro
Jakob Lombardi
