krlee03

Ecuadorians in Salinas are warm, friendly, and helpful, and the expats here seem to assimilate to their new culture better than anywhere I have seen so far. I became very ill here for the first time in my travels and received excellent free health care. There is even a doctor who does house calls for a small fee. For complicated operations or procedures, the bigger cities - Quito, Cuenca, Guayaquil offer better options. There are some good restaurants in town, Cevichelandia is extremely popular - several ceviche restaurants in one location - with locals and tourists. There are great restaurants run by expats that add variety beyond traditional Ecuadorian selections. Sin, Ralph's, Hostal Aqui, Common Grounds, The Smiley Gringo, and Smokin' BBQ are local favorites run by expats. Ecuadorian almuerzos (lunches) are filling, delicious, and inexpensive. By far the best thing about Salinas, besides the wonderful people, is the beach. Clear, calm, warm water - you'll think you're in the Caribbean - with excellent sand beaches. Chipipe Beach is the bigger and nicer of the two, but Salinas Beach is where all the action is, so it is a matter of preference. This destination has a row of high rise condos fronting the beaches which can be a plus or minus depending on what you like. It's a popular tourist destination for Ecuadorians and can get pretty crowded at times. Montanitas, a colorful surfer party town is a short bus ride away. La Chocolatera is another option for surfers who want to stay in Salinas.

Boquete has a very strong expat community and an active online forum. It's easy to get help with virtually anything you can think of. At one point, I had several freelance writing jobs due and my computer quit working. It took a few weeks for a local computer tech to get the required parts and fix it. In the meantime, an expat answered my plea for help and lent me a computer for the three weeks. Another expat brought an external hard drive to me from the states. There were countless other situations where expats stepped up to help out. The Panamanian family I rented from was extraordinarily gracious, and one of the brothers often gave me rides. I felt very at home immediately in this community. The expats are very organized and offer classes and get-togethers around virtually any interest from art to herbs to hiking. They've built a local theater and put on amazing, high quality productions; they've built a state-of-the-art library; there just aren't enough good things to say about this community. Great bakeries, a specialty deli, wonderful restaurants and friendly bars. Great coffee and awesome coffee tours. Stunning countryside; the land of eternal spring...and rainbows.

Granada is supposedly one of the most beautiful colonial cities in Central America. There wasn't really anything that I liked about Granada. I felt unsafe most of the time, and I failed to see the beauty of it. Of course this is completely subjective; so no hate mail, please. It was just my own experience.

The phrase Pura Vida definitely applied here. This is a very laid back, chill, beachfront community. Nadine and Rob Pisani of the Happier Than a Billionaire books live here, and they were gracious enough to let me interview them for my travel blog. (Very funny and charming couple.) The area has an exotic beauty to it. I was expecting it to be more expensive, and by comparison Costa Rica and Belize were the most expensive of the countries in Central America. Costa Rica in general was beautiful and friendly. I never felt unsafe, even the three times I stayed in San Jose. I recommend the hostels around the University there. Other beach destinations in Costa Rica are also lovely. I didn't make it to Lake Arenal, but would recommend it based on the many travelers I've talked with along the way who said it is a must-see. Tamarindo also has my very favorite coffee (that I miss dearly) - tarrazu.

Antigua was recommended by several expats, and it's easy to see why. It's architecturally stunning. Intellectuals would fit in well here. The expats seem to get along surprisingly well; I never heard a word of the usual sniping that seems to plague many expat communities. They have a local literary magazine, several bars, cafes, and restaurants that are all superb, and they're in the heart of Anacafe coffee country. Their proximity to Lake Atitlan and the surrounding Maya villages is an incredible bonus to this destination. There are several popular Spanish language schools in Antigua, which may account for the type of expat who lives here...interesting.

I loved Belize in general. Caye Caulker would've been my favorite if it weren't for the noseeums and lack of a terrific beach. I loved that there were no cars on the island other than emergency vehicles. Placencia was great. The expats there were very friendly and welcoming, the community as a whole seemed open to expats. It's the only English-speaking country in Central America, which made it easier to navigate. The beaches in Placencia were nice, lots of tour opportunities to Maya ruins, Monkey River jungle trips, etc. There is a vibrant community of local artists and a variety of really lovely artwork. Visa renewals are inexpensive and easy to acquire.