Spanish School Ecuador
About Otra Ola
Otra Ola opened in 2010 -- the dream business for Canadian expats, and husband and wife team, Ryan and Vanessa.
Ryan, an accomplished snowboarder and natural born teacher, and Vanessa a yoga instructor, left the mountains of Western Canada in 2008 for the warm waters of Ecuador, a slower life and a tranquil place to learn Spanish and surf.
When they couldn’t find suitable Spanish or surfing schools, the idea for Otra Ola was conceived. And when they came to the small seaside town of Ayampe, they knew they had found the perfect location for Otra Ola.
Over the next two years they spent many hours surfing the waves, living and learning the language from locals, traveling for additional yoga studies and hundreds of hours on construction to open Otra Ola Surf, Spanish and Yoga school.
Otra Ola means another wave and it is the couple’s philosophy for their lives and business.
“Slow down, take a break, appreciate where you are -- there will always be another wave.”
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Living Green in Ecuador
Ryan and Vanessa are passionate about the environment and recognize the importance of leaving as little of a mark on this planet as possible. They are working to make Otra Ola a truly green business with
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a dry composting toilet to preserve water
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use of grey water from kitchen for gardens
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composting all organic waste from the café and their own home
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recycling as much as possible
In the Community of Ayampe
“We are so blessed to have found Ayampe and to have been welcomed into the community with open arms,” Ryan explains. “That’s one reason we’ve begun a surf club for the local kids.”
For most of the local kids the Otra Ola surf club gives them their only access to surf boards and trained mentors to teach them about the sport and everything from how to look after their equipment to general safety in the ocean.
“We also teach them about the importance of the ocean not only to their lives but also to the rest of the world,”
Ryan explains. “It’s important to cherish its gifts.”
Now, with two young children of their own, the couple says it is important that their kids are integrated into the community and the surf club is a great way to bring all the children together for fun and learning. The couple encourages and welcomes all guests at the school to contribute to this amazing club when they are visiting Otra Ola.
IN THE MEDIA
Edmonton couple builds family life in small-town Ecuador
