Canoa Overview

By Katie Tibbetts

Mompiche may have the surfer’s hearts, and Atacames may have the bars, but Canoa is sure to romance almost anyone into a stupor with its long stretches of white sand, chilled surf, and easy-going town. Whether you like long walks on the beach or lengthy chats in bars, Canoa’s spell-binding atmosphere is bound to capture your attention for a day or two, or more; it’s not uncommon for travelers to come for the night and stay for a month.

Quiet dirt roads crisscross through town, running into the main street and beach front, lined with restaurants and hostels that fill to the brim with foreign and Ecuadorian travelers alike on the weekends. During the week, however, Canoa maintains an unhurried pace which settles nicely with the hushed sound of waves breaking and the palm fronds shifting in the breeze.