Salinas (Mar Bravo)

About This Spot

Salinas sits on the westernmost tip of mainland Ecuador, a busy resort town on the Santa Elena peninsula. It's a secondary kite spot — Ecuador's main hub is Santa Marianita near Manta — but it does get rideable wind in season. Prevailing wind is SW thermal, driven by the cold Humboldt Current meeting the hot, arid peninsula; it builds late morning and peaks midday to late afternoon (roughly 11:00–16:00). Most reliable May–December (the cool, overcast 'garúa' season), typically 14–22 kt, kite 8–12 m. January–April is the warm/wet season: lighter and less consistent (8–15 kt). Air 22–29°C, water 22–28°C (boardshorts/shorty). Annual averages from the airport station are modest (mean SW ~8 kt, gusts to ~24 kt), so come for the afternoon thermal, not all-day wind. Two very different faces. The south/southwest side (Mar Bravo, by the airport) faces the open Pacific: real swell, shorebreak and chop, plus strong undertow and rip currents — 'Mar Bravo' literally means rough sea, and drownings happen here. SW wind is cross-/side-onshore, which helps self-rescue, but the surf and current make it an intermediate-to-advanced, wave-comfortable spot, not a beginner zone. The north side (Bahía de Salinas / Yacht Club) is far more sheltered and flatter, but crowded with swimmers, boats, jet-skis and moorings in season — only good for flat-water riding when empty. Launch is wide sand. Note Mar Bravo lies within Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) land near General Ulpiano Páez airport, so beach access can be restricted and airspace limits apply — check locally. No established kite-school scene (lessons are in Santa Marianita), so come self-sufficient. Access is easy: ~2.5 h from Guayaquil (GYE, ~150 km) with abundant lodging. Hazards: rip currents/undertow, shorebreak, high-season crowds, bay boat traffic, and possible military/airport restrictions.