Atacames River Downtown

View of Atacames with Suicide Rock (near Sua) in the distance © Luis-Victor-Medina-Hopkins

Atacames and Tonsupa Valley

View of Atacames river valley showing the towns of Atacames and Tonsupa © Gran Guayaquil

Atacames and Tonsupa

View of Atacames and Tonsupa in the distance

Atacames Beach – South

View of the southern part of Atacames and distinctive headland © Marcelo Quinteros Mena

Atacames River Estuary

North end of Atacames beach with river and estuary © Galahad de Guayaquil

Atacames River Valley

Ariel view from the ocean to the river valley and main town of Atacames © Galahad de Guayaquil
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Atacames Beach

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Atacames has a long, broad beach, stretching for over 4 km, offering a variety of water sports including surfing, fishing, and whale watching tours. There is even a small aquarium El Museo y Acuario Marino.

Many of the inhabitants are Afro-Ecuadorean, giving the town a friendly Carribean feel in the food, the music and art. The main town is set in a lush river valley. The river winds its way through the town and runs parallel with the beach for about 1 km, forming a small peninsula filled with beachfront hotels, restaurants, bars and discos along the Malecón.

Atacames is known for being a bit of a party town especially during the high season from June to Sept. It is one of the most popular weekend and holiday destinations for people from Quito, since it is only 4-5 hours drive, or 30 mins by plane. It also attracts visitors from nearby Colombia. If you want a quieter spot, consider some of the nearby villages.

To the north, the other side of the river estuary, is another attractive beach called Tonsupa, and at the south end of the beach is the small fishing village of Sua sheltered by the headland with a distinctive landmark called Suicide Rock (Peñon del Suicida).

Beach activities include:
 Type of beach  Golden sand
 Length of beach  2.5 mi / 4 km
 Wind Direction  light cross-shore
 Restaurants and Cafes  Many on Beach and Malecón
 Distance to Salinas  334 mi / 537 km
 Distance to Guayaquil  283 mi / 455 km
 Distance to Manta  214 mi / 344 km
 Distance to Quito  205 mi / 330 km
Surfing: Atacames has easy left and right beach breaks suitable for all surfers. They are only about 50-100m though and can get crowded at weekends.

Party: There are lots of discos and bars, if you want to party all night long. You’ll find lots of great Afro-Carribean music.

Whale watching: You can take whale watching tours from the beach during July thru September.

Bird watching: Check out bird island near the village of Sua, plus take a boat up the Atacames river, inland from the town you will see a wide range of tropical birds.

Surf and weather by surf-forcast.com

Hotels and Hostals around Atacames Beach

NameServicePrices
El Hotel-Cabañas Caída del Sol Cabañas $15-25
Cabañas Helmantica Cabañas
Castelnuovo Hotel Hotel
Hotel Orus Hostal $10-20
Hotel Miramar Hostal $10-20
Rincon del Mar Hostal $10-20
Chill Inn Hostal $10-20
Hotel San Jose Hostal $10-20
Andy Hotel Internacional Hostal $10-20
Hotel Galeria Hostal $10-20
Hotel Palmera Real Hotel $10-20
Hotel El Tiburón Hostal $15-25
Hotel Carluz Hostal $15-25
Malecón Inn Hostal $15-25
Hotel Via Via Hotel $15-25
Hotel Cielo Azul Hostal $25-50
Hostería Cayapas Hostal $25-50
Hotel El Marques Luxury Hotel $50-$100
Hostería Belamare Hostal $50-100
Hotel Juan Sebastian Hotel $50-100
Hotel Club Del Sol Luxury Hotel $50-100