Iguana Backpackers

Montañita


Pass the river and turn right to reach this brick-and-bamboo building with a handful of simple rooms: the cheapest option is an open-sided loft (with mosquito nets over each bed). There's a shared kitchen, welcoming ambiance, and surfboard rentals (three hours for $5), as well as two-for-one drink offers in the bar and hammocks for guest use.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Montañita attractions

2. Acuario Valdivia

6.45 MILES

Acuario Valdivia is an animal rescue center where you can get an up-close look at some of the marine life of Ecuador (sea turtles, penguins, blue footed…

3. El Pital

15.84 MILES

An option for reaching the high forest in and around San Sebastián is to go via El Pital, a community ecotourism project 9km (35 minutes by 4WD) east of…

4. Mirador de Salango

16.8 MILES

Awesome sunset views of Salango, Isla Salango and Río Chico from a wooden observatory jutting out over the sea on a spit of land between Las Tunas and…

5. Salango Archaeological Museum

17.23 MILES

A fascinating collection of more than 245 ceramics pieces is exhibited here. Objects date from 3000 BC to 1500 AD and account the settlements of the…

6. Fritz the Whale

19.22 MILES

Fritz the humpback whale washed up dead on the beach 40km south of Puerto López in 2004. His skeleton was recovered with the help of Hosteria Mandala and…

7. Agua Blanca

20.19 MILES

A visit to this small indigenous community and its surrounding territory is a chance to escape tar-and-concrete modern Ecuador. You’ll find the turn-off,…

8. Archaeological Museum

20.2 MILES

Well worth a visit. Spanish-speaking guides explain the significance of the artifacts, including well-preserved ancient tools, ceramics and funeral urns…