Manta - El Escondido
Surf spot · Ecuador
Is it worth the trip?
51Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 4 ft swell at 12 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 367kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Wed 4 · 53 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 342kJ
- Wind
- WSW 8 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 303kJ
- Wind
- E 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 219kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 25 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft16 scrumbling
- Energy
- 101kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 36 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 137kJ
- Wind
- W 3 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Mon 9 · 40 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 scrumbling
- Energy
- 112kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 279, good
- Tue 370, good
- Wed 453, fair
- Thu 561, good
- Fri 640, poor
- Sat 725, too small
- Sun 836, too small
- Mon 940, too small
- Tue 1036, too small
The spot in five facts
- Faces NWtakes swell from the NW
- Offshore: SEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 3–13 ftof swell
- Water 25 °Cno wetsuit
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 79, good | 4 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 413kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 70, good | 4 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 367kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 53, fair | 3 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 342kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 8 knots | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 61, good | 3 ft12 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 303kJ | wind from the east, 2 knots | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 40, poor | 3 ft10 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 219kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 2 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 25, too small | 1 ft16 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 101kJ | offshorewind from the south, 3 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 36, too small | 2 ft14 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 137kJ | wind from the west, 3 knots | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 40, too small | 2 ft13 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 112kJ | offshorewind from the south, 3 knots, offshore | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 36, too small | 2 ft12 scrumbling3 ft at break (est.) | 101kJ | wind from the north-west, 1 knot | 28°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovLow 02:59 −0.8 mHigh 09:05 +0.8 mLow 15:24 −0.9 mHigh 21:56 +0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 04:17 −0.7 mHigh 10:24 +0.7 mLow 16:39 −0.9 mHigh 23:09 +1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 05:33 −0.8 mHigh 11:41 +0.8 mLow 17:52 −0.8 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Manta - El Escondido on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Manta - El Escondido
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More surf near here
2 places
- El Murcielago 0.7 km away
- San Mateo 10 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Manta - El Escondido
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces NW (334°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (154°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–13 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 600 m out (1 in 62). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 24°C in August, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 27°C in February, its warmest (no wetsuit). The town to stay in is Manta, 1.7 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 wind sports spot.
Water about 25°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$737–US$1,390 each
about US$737–US$1,390 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MEC, estimated from distance and season, changing at PTY, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$362–US$750 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$134–US$221 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$154–US$281 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$67–US$107 |
| Total | about US$737–US$1,390 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
about 5 min by car · 75 places to stay
about US$47/nightcountry average
About Manta its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in San Lorenzo on Booking.com
about 45 min by car · 4 places to stay
About US$47 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 14h 25m
About 14h 25m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MEC, changing at Tocumen International Airport (PTY), then 25 min by road
Flights ORD → MEC on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.