Atacames

Atacames is where much of Quito goes to the beach: a wide brown-sand bay backed by a solid wall of hotels and by a beachfront strip of bamboo bars that run cocktails and marimba and salsa at volume until very late, especially in the high season and on national holidays when the town is packed to capacity. The culture here is Afro-Ecuadorian, the strongest expression of it on the coast, and the marimba music, the coconut-based cooking and the encocado, fish or shrimp stewed in coconut milk, are the real reasons to eat here. It is not a quiet or refined beach and does not pretend to be. Surf is modest and swimming has strong currents.

What you actually see

• The bamboo bar strip - the beachfront run of cocktail shacks.
• Marimba and Afro-Ecuadorian music - the sound of the northern coast.
• Encocado - fish or shrimp stewed in coconut milk.
• A wide brown-sand bay - the beach itself behind the hotels.

When to go

December to April for sun; national holidays and Carnival are chaotic. A day or two. Midweek out of season is quiet and many places close.

Honest expectations

It is loud until dawn and the noise is unavoidable near the front. Currents are dangerous and drownings happen. Petty theft on the beach is common. Water quality after big weekends is poor. Hotel standards are low for the price.

Nearby

Esmeraldas is north-east; Mompiche lies south.