All-Inclusive Surf & Yoga Retreat on Ecuador's Wild Pacific Coast

A typical day at Vistamar starts early, because that's when the surf is cleanest. Guests head down to the beach at Ayampe for a session with one of the local instructors — boards are provided, and coaching is matched to your level whether you've never stood up or you're working on your cutback. Breakfast at the house follows, usually fruit, eggs, coffee, and whatever was bought at the market that morning.

Mid-morning tends to be yoga. The property has its own shala, and sound healing sessions are run there too, using singing bowls and gongs. Classes cover the usual range, from slower restorative work to stronger vinyasa, and the shala is used for both group sessions and private ones. Afternoons are left open on purpose. That's when the add-ons happen: waterfall hikes into the hills behind Ayampe, boat trips, surf-skate sessions, or a spa treatment arranged on site. In the evening there's another surf session for anyone who wants it, then dinner at the house.

None of that is locked in. The itinerary is written for each booking, so if you'd rather surf in the afternoon and do yoga at sunrise, or take a full day off to walk into the village and read on the beach, that's what the week looks like. The list of possible extras is long — cultural visits, boat trips, more than a dozen activities in total — and the team will build them in without charging extra for the ones that are part of the package.

The location does a lot of the work. Ayampe is quiet, and the beach is broad and mostly empty outside weekends. Behind the village the land rises into jungle, with waterfalls a short hike away. You're far enough from the bigger towns that evenings are dark and silent apart from the surf. Getting there means flying into Manta or Guayaquil and taking a road transfer along the coast — the team can arrange that as part of the booking.

Compared to other surf and yoga weeks on this stretch of coast, the difference here is the flexibility and what's bundled in. Most camps sell a fixed timetable with extras costing more. Vistamar sells a week where the schedule is yours, meals and accommodation are covered, and the activities — hikes, boat trips, cultural visits, sound healing — come with it.

The team is made up of local surf instructors and yoga teachers who work at the property year-round, supported by the owners who live on site and run the place. They know the break at Ayampe well, including when it's working and when to drive to a nearby beach instead. Guests are given a walkthrough of the week on arrival, then left to get on with it.

What's included

- Accommodation at the Vistamar property in Ayampe - All meals prepared from scratch on site - Daily surf sessions with local instructors - Board and equipment use - Daily yoga classes in the shala - Sound healing sessions - Waterfall hikes and jungle excursions - Boat trips and cultural immersions as scheduled - Personalised itinerary built around your preferences - Wifi at the property

What's not included

- International and domestic flights - Travel insurance - Airport transfers (can be arranged for an extra cost) - Some spa and massage treatments - Alcoholic drinks - Personal expenses and souvenirs - Tips for staff and instructors