Mompiche

Mompiche is a village of a few hundred people on a bay in southern Esmeraldas, and its reputation among surfers rests on a long left-hand point break off the headland that peels for several hundred metres on a good swell, one of the better waves on the Pacific coast of South America. The bay itself has dark sand from volcanic sediment, backed by forest that comes almost to the water, and mangroves and the beach at Playa Negra lie a short walk away. It is still a fishing village first, with pangas on the sand and a single sandy street of cabins and comedores, though a large resort was built along the bay and changed the balance.

What you actually see

• The long left point break - the wave that draws surfers.
• Dark volcanic sand - the beach colour that gives Playa Negra its name.
• Forest to the shoreline - the green backing the bay.
• Fishing pangas on the beach - the village's working trade.

When to go

December to April for sun and the biggest swell; the point works best on a solid west swell. Two days. The village is quiet midweek and busier at weekends.

Honest expectations

Access is slow: the coastal road is long and the last stretch is rough. Facilities are basic and power cuts happen. The point is a serious wave over a rocky bottom, not a learner spot. The bay can have strong currents.

Nearby

Muisne is north-east; Atacames lies further up the coast.