Ayampe Beach Front Villa, ocean view.

This property is exquisitely located about 20 yards back from the Ayampe beach — this is hard to tell from the photos because there are mangrove plants separating the gated property from the beach. The mangrove plants are trimmed to provide amazing views of the Isla de los Ahorcados, while at the same time making the property almost invisible to passers-by from the beach. There is a good view of the main surf breaks where you can check conditions from the comfort of the king-sized bed before venturing out for an early morning session. Despite the extremely poor weather during our stay — cloudy/rainy/gloomy month of May and spring tides (aguaje) making beach conditions difficult — this comfortable duplex condo made the stay much more bearable and entirely worthwhile. We were pleased to find out on the day we arrived that the king bed had a pull-out bed tucked underneath, which was perfect for our child to sleep on. There was also a grill outside on the patio, though we didn't end up using it. In addition to a very luxurious bedroom layout inside and large master bathroom, there is also a smaller half-bath downstairs, an outdoor spigot to wash off sand on your feet, as well as a complete outdoor shower with hot water (when coming in from the beach on those chilly days in May through August!) There was a very large television in the bedroom. The satellite TV (DirectTV) seemed to have been expired, but we didn't need this anyway and ended up using the Roku with YouTube and working Netflix account. Maria the host was very friendly and responsive via WhatsApp and gave us all the info we needed. For these reasons, we felt that the price per night was reasonable, compared to many of the more rustic bungalows and hotel offerings nearby. The only potential issue we saw was that parking is a little tight when all the units on the property are occupied. Getting in is easy, but to get out, there isn't enough space to turn our Gran Vitara around, so we had to back the vehicle out carefully snaking through the property. If you have an oversized vehicle like a Ford F150, you'll probably need to arrange alternate parking with Maria. Ayampe is our long-time favorite holiday beach. And is highly recommended for its seclusion and small-town beach vibe. The prevailing swell direction from the south Pacific causes Ayampe to be heavily affected by spring tides. Search google for "calendario aguajes ecuador" and plan accordingly.