| ◄ Prev Beach |
Playa Ballenita |
Next Beach ► |
| Ballenita has a long sandy beach with lots of beach access from a cliff that is about 10 meters above the beach. Plus there are several places for parking off the busy main road between Ballenita and La Libertad. There are quite a few attractive beachfront properties along the cliff, but they are mixed among others which are shabby and run down. |
The beach itself is broad and free of rocks, except at the points at either end. The water is pretty calm and there is a nice cross wind. At the extreme west end, the beach is sheltered from the wind by the headland, so the water here is much calmer for bathing with small children.
In the middle of the beach and at the east end there are a few small waves providing body boarding fun for bigger kids. There is not much in the way of permanent shade structures, but in high season a few people rent umbrellas and boogie boards. For the most part the beach is fairly clean, but it certainly is not the among the cleanest.
Ballenita beach also has a small Malecón with a handful of cevicherias offing lunch for $3 – $4 per head – about half the going price of the Salinas Malecón. The town of Ballenita is a residential area for working class Ecuadoreans and has little to offer for tourists. Other than a few bodegas, there are a couple of cheap bars and restaurants which are strictly targeted towards the local community.
The main exception is a famous landmark, the Farallon Dillon, which is a bizarre combination of hotel, restaurant and maritime museum, located outside of the town on the highest peak of the cliff. Around that area there are a also number of up-market residential homes, and there is dirt road access to about 30 homes that are on the beach front of Capaes beach.
Beach activities include:
  |
  |
  |
  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Type of beach | Grey sand |
| Length of beach | .75 mi / 1.2 km |
| Wind Direction | Cross-shore |
| Restaurants and Cafes | A few at Malecón |
| Distance to Salinas | 9 mi / 15 km |
| Distance to Guayaquil | 74 mi / 120 km |
| Distance to Manta | 114 mi / 184 km |
| Distance to Quito | 367 mi / 591 km |
It has a good bar and restaurant, and an unusual maritime museum and decor. This is a great place to stay for New Year, as you can see the traditional fireworks displays from many of the beach towns and resorts along the coast.
Kitesurfing: Because of the broad beach and steady cross winds, this is a decent spot for kitesurfing. But it is not very convenient for windsurfers, because its quite a hike lugging a board and sails down from the cliff.
Hotels and Hostals around Ballenita Beach
| Logo | Name | Service | Prices |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cabañas Restaurant Caida del Sol | Cabañas | |
|
Hotel Ballenita Inn | Hotel | $15-25 |
|
|
Eddys Hostal | Hostal | $15-25 |
|
Farallon Dillon | Hotel | $25-50 |
/0.png)
/1.png)
/2.png)
/3.png)
/4.png)
/5.png)
/7.png)
