playa de los frailes

We had the walk and enjoyed it pretty much also because in our opinion the first and second beach are way more beautiful than the third one ... (Less or no people and the beaches are more natural but still no shadow)Awesome place anyway ... 5 stars for sure!

The walk from the entrance gate to the beach was hot and dusty, but it was worth it for beautiful clear waters and a beach not overrun by tourists. Wish it didn't close at 4, I would definitely recommend coming here for a day

This is one of the few unspoilt beaches still left in Ecuador - the views are stunning, the water is translucent and it is well worth making the effort to take time to visit (just make sure you pack some water and food, as there's very little there, apart from 3 stunning beaches, each with a different type of sand and water).

It is turquoise, a bit windy, untouched, a really nice place to visit. Get there early, there is a line for registration and tons of sunblock.

This is a great day out from Puerto Lopez. Get the bus for 10 minutes and get dropped off at the park entrance. From there it's a 40min walk to Los Frailes beach, or a $2.50 mototaxi ride. But the better option is to do the longer trail - guides say it's a 1.5/2 hour walk but it only took us about 1 hour. It's a 3km trail through the dry forest which takes you to two other beaches before reaching Los Frailes. We were told you couldn't swim in the first two beaches but we did because there were lots of other people in the water and it seemed fine. The first beach was especially calm and relaxing, while at the second one the water was definitely rougher. Los Frailes is a beautiful sandy beach but beware, it closes at 4pm so you need to give yourself enough time to get there and enjoy it for a while. There is also nowhere to get food or drink - we survived on snacks we had brought for the walk, and at Los Frailes we bought water and icecream as those were the only things on offer.Once you're back out at the park entrance it's easy to flag down a bus to take you back to Puerto Lopez.

This is one of the most beautiful beaches in the are. It is located in in a National Park which helps to keep it clean. A must-see/enjoy if you are in the area.

one great thing that stands out first is that this national park, like all in Ecuador, is free.....it has one stunning white sand beach, but for me the best part are some "hidden gems" that you can hike to...depending on the tide there are very secluded private beaches, rocky areas, deep caves to explore

This area of the national park is very arid and dry. Smooth sand with very few if any rocks. Awesome cove where waves are much calmer on north and south sides, and stronger in the middle. Great for swimming, calm enough for small kids. We went to Ecuador during its rainy season, but playa Frailes had no clouds.. I was ROASTING. Small vendor by beach entrance, ice cream, cold drinks, and souvenirs. Also a changing room and separate bathroom area. The tranquil waves and hot sun definitely brightened up our gloomy rainy season trip. You might want to lather up on sunblock or bring an umbrella for shade because I burned, and usually don't. Remember you are near the equator! Beach was clean and no stray dogs! Also there is a park official at primary gate where you sign in with a passport number, and another who will check your bag before you enter the beach. Not sure what they're checking for.. I imagine weapons or booze, and was not a super thorough check. Short drive from puerto lopez, a great beach and a must see, my favorite in Ecuador so far. Better for swimming then surfing. Enjoy!

The beaches and overlooks were beautiful. Very few people out on a cloudy September day, so we had the place to ourselves most of the time.

Definitely worth a day trip from Puerto Lopez- the beach was clean and oddly free of sellers and other retail opportunists.

You can relax or do a bit of hiking! the setting of the place is amazing, and so many little crabs and lizzards

A simply amazing beach , well worth a visit , is free to enter but don't forget it closes at 4! You can take a bus there from Puerto Lopez in about 30 minutes.

This beach is beautiful, clean and surprisingly uncrowed.Would suggest you hike to the observation tower.Not a difficult hike and the views are awesome.We even got to see whales breaching in the distance.On the way down take the path to the left which will take you down the cliff to another series of gorgeous beaches.When you go I would suggest you go by taxi.It will take you all the way into the parking lot area which is only a stones throw from the beach.If you take the bus it will drop you off at the highway and than you are looking at a significant walk.There is no admission charge and I'd recommend going during the week.Get there early so you can enjoy it all since the park does close at 4PM.It can get a little busy on Saturday and Sunday.Bring plenty of water and some snacks.Only a vendor that sells ice cream

We hired a car to take us because we were still recovering from a bad food poisoning incident. If you take a bus, you have to walk probably 2-3km from the road to get to the beach.Having a car/driver for a day only cost us $20 and it was worth it, as he drove use to Agua Blanca afterward.The park closes at 4pm!Beautiful beach, very clean. There's a simple snack bar (no alcohol allowed) about 100 meters from the beach if you need anything. We rented an umbrella for $4, which was a good call. There's not really anywhere to get shade.Beautiful place! Definitely recommended. Pack a picnic, towel, and plenty of sun protection!

A few friends and I were travelling up the Coast of Ecuador and came across this wonderful little gem. We walked along the beach and hiked the short trail to the look off point. Found some little critters along the way too! Lizards, small snakes (eeeek!) Would love to come back to spend more time at the beach.