Santa Marianita Ecuador: Kitesurfing Capital of Ecuador

We’ve heard a LOT about this popular expat destination since we moved to Ecuador. Several of our viewers have either moved there already, or are planning a move there, so we wanted to go check it out for ourselves.

Playa Santa Marianita is located just 20 minutes south of Manta proper, but it’s actually one of the 7 parishes or burroughs of Manta. A cab ride costs $10 each way, but we were told there is a shared ride that costs $1.

Santa Marianita is best known as the Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding capital of South America because the flat beach and the wind conditions coming off the Pacific ocean are always just right for the adventure sport. We were considering a lesson, but after seeing the 8-pack abs as the Kitesurfers strolled up from the beach, we decided to wait until we’re in better shape.

Get the Ecuador Cost of Moving & Living Calculator that we mentioned in the video.

Watch Our Video About the Kitesurfing Capital, Santa Marianita, Ecuador

JP Stonestreet

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Hola todos! Welcome to my author bio page! Let's see. Where to begin... I grew up in the country on a lake outside a small Kansas farm town. As soon as I could, I got the hell outta there! Since then, I've lived and/or worked in Kansas City, Washington D.C., Denver, San Francisco, and Ecuador. I started and sold a dotcom, wrote a book about it, started a YouTube channel, and now I write a lot. Amelia and I have embraced the Unconventional Life and we want to help you do it, too!