Vistamar Guest House & Retreats

Vistamar is such a special place and genuinely felt like a second home to us all. Mateo is an AMAZING host and truly goes above and beyond, the staff is incredible, friendly, and attentive, and the meals were some of the best food we experienced in Ecuador. Could not recommend this place more and cannot wait to return here in the future.

I had the best birthday I could’ve asked for. Everything was perfect! It was the best decision to come to this retreat. The people I met were amazing. I recommend this experience!

Matteo and the entire team at Vistamar Retreats recreated my conception of what true hospitality means. The team strikes a perfect balance between giving suggestions / assisting with planning and trip coordination,and being hands-off / allowing you to enjoy your time. The amentities are fabulous and revolves around a strong emphasis to enjoy being outside in the incredible environment that is Ayampe. Every meal we had with Fleur was top tier and Matteo's recommendations for restaurants had us blown away each time. Lean into the outdoor, laid-back adventure attitude of Ayampe and take every nugget of wisdom that Matteo offers- it will make for an unforgettable trip. I have nothing but gratitude for this experience and will hopefully be back to visit very soon!

Ayampe is such a special little town in Ecuador and this is the perfect place to stay when you are in ayampe. Great views of the ocean / sunset from the top floor/yoga deck. 3 minute walk to the beach / town. Also very clean and people come to tidy up every day. The wifi is good so it is a great place to work from home. Lastly, the chef who can come to cook for you makes amazing food!!! 10/10 would recommend

Could not have hoped or dreamed for a better experience! Mateo, Cesar, and Juan are unbelievable hosts and seemingly have every connection in the book. They are unbelievably welcoming, hospitable, and helpful. I could not recommend a better place to get away / vacation!

The most wonderful experience - spent 5 weeks here with many friends coming in and out from the states, worked remotely and surfed every day. Couldn’t recommend it more, Matteo and his team are extremely kind and accommodating

Such a great place to stay. Juan is a very nice and accommodating guy. The view from the balcony and the roof is unique. It’s very quiet and just a couple minutes walk from the beach. The room was nice, the bed was comfy, all in all just amazing. Everything was so well integrated with surrounding nature.

The perfect place for a relaxing stay in Ayampe. Amazing staff, incredible homemade food, and the best view in town! If you are a digital nomad or work remotely, this is the place for you. Excellent internet speed and various places throughout the space to work from. My partner and I had zero issues with taking video calls for work during our stay. Would highly recommend for both solo and group travelers!

I love the location of this place as its got a beautiful view of the lagoons & ocean. Rooms are super nice & well kept, Matteo is lovely to communicate with, he is very responsive & kind.

I recommend this place for anyone, its got a great community vibe to it, & it has a yoga deck on the top floor!

Ive stayed at Vistamar twice now and each time has been perfect all around. Comfy, well-kept rooms, beautiful views, good people, and really like the food that was served for breakfast and lunch every day. And you can’t go wrong being in the town of Ayampe. Highly recommend for anyone, all shapes and sizes, to come stay at Vistamar and get you some of the buena onda your life has been missing! 10/10 cookies

A beautifully designed space with an exceptional team leading and taking care of it. I couldn’t have imagined such an authentic and local experience at any other place in this gem of a place called Ayampe. Very thankful to have stayed at Mango House and to have had access to Yoga classes [with one of the best views in all of Ayampe] and common spaces at Vistamar.

I love this place do much I had 0 desire to go home. Host is super transparent and kind, plus his staff is top-tier!

I had a fantastic few days. Although I booked last minute a flexible and tailored itinerary was put together for me. The food was incredible, the adventures I'll never forget and I am loads better at surfing 🤙. Great accommodation with the most amazing views.

I will definitely miss Matteo's three dogs which are great mascots for the place!

Vistamar was so great that I extended my stay a week AND came back for a second stay at the end of my trip. It’s an incredibly relaxing spot with great views of the ocean, the rooms are beautiful, clean and comfortable, the food is amazing, and Matteo and Juan were super welcoming hosts, making everyone feel like family. My favorite place in 10 weeks of travel.

First of all thank you! I was not sure where I am going at first, being that I chose the place to celebrate my birthday and thanksgiving. everything went smooth from the beginning: communication with the hosts, having a driver waiting for me at the airport to getting to the place and having all I needed and more.
if you thinking of coming to Vistamar, think no more - that's The Place to relax, unwind and do everything you want. I felt like I was home in a day. Everyone is so nice, genuine and relaxed. Very flexible with everything! And that's a key for the best stay.
Recommend a 150%! Even if you come for a few days, you will have a blast as long as you are up for an adventure and have open mind for experience and your surroundings ❤Thank you!!!!

Really great place. Every detail is thoughtful. Rooms are clean and well constructed with wood. Amazing in-house food and beer selection. Close walk to beach and surf. Fast wifi for video calls. Matteo and Juan and great hosts.

This feels like home - even like family!
I’ve traveled quite a lot and this is by far my favourite place I stayed at!
I ended up staying for 3 months which says it all (didn’t plan to stay that long 🙈)
All their rooms are amazing. They are spacious, clean and with lovely details. They get cleaned everyday by their awesome staff.
The kitchen is fully equipped (and always clean!) so you can cook your own food if you want to. They also offer breakfast/lunch/dinner which is some of the best food in Ayampe! I loved eating there not only for the food but because I got to meet so many amazing people and it always felt like a having family dinner.

They also offer different fun activities. Can recommend them all!
Also there are the best Yoga classes at the deck with an amazing yoga teacher. From the deck you have the best view in Ayampe!

But what makes this place truly special is the people. Matteo & Juan are great hosts and there is literally nothing they can’t do or get you 🙈 They both are so attentive and fun to be around. Juan also gives surf lessons (he is an awesome instructor) Learned how to surf quite a bit thanks to him!

Loved every moment of my stay - thank you!

The best place in Ayampe !
Clean, safe and, most of all, beautiful. All the staff is really helpful and friendly so you immediately feel at home. Mat, the owner, knows everything about the activities and the things to know about the area, he's the best ! Amazing food and great ambiance. Honestly it's hard to leave !
See you all next year 🦚

I am a regular traveler and would rate Vistamar as one of the nicest, most-strategically located of all the places I have stayed. The guesthouse was very clean, purposefully designed, had everything we needed to feel at home, and was an easy walk to the beach and the rest of Ayampe.

Matt’s communication was great too, he attended to all our requests with great kindness and went above and beyond to make the stay memorable. I would highly recommend this place, and will be staying there again on my next visit to Ecuador.

Wonderful boutique hotel right in front of the Ayampe River estuary with great views of the ocean. All food is organic and made fresh daily by chef Flor. The communal dining is wonderful as you get to meet interesting people and have great conversations. Mateo, the owner, joins in for dinner and the entire team is very service oriented.