Coastal towns

Hey!
Are you still looking into coastal towns?

Yes, hoping to hear some responses to help us narrow down our search.

This year, I been looking for a coastal town that offers a little bit of everything. As you might know, never one finds a perfect place. There is something missing, always.
But, maybe one can find some place that is very close to our perfect, dream place.

I visit:
Salinas/Santa Elena
Punta Blanca
Ballenita
Libertador Bolivar
Montanita
Olon
Curia
San Jose
Manglaralto
Ayangue
Ayampe
Puerto Rico
Puerto Lopez
Puerto Cayo
Very shor visit to Jipijapa
Manta

Depending of what one is looking for, there is many places to choose from
What I been looking is a place that has a clinic where I can get medical attention in an emergency.
Has pharmacy
Has Grocery Store
Has a quite beach where to walk
Not a party town.
Not so big, so I can walk almost everywhere if I want
A place that has some real estate available that has ocean view, but is not too expensive.
So, considering those things, I found and like Puerto Lopez.

The corp of engineers have been working on the water supply. I notice that people still has their cisterns, so they collect the water and are ready if the water supply stops. And if it does, they call the water truck and get their ciserns full.
For drinking water there is big bottle water (like the ones from walmart) for $1
I notice a lack of sewer syst. So, people makes septic tanks for each house.
I have seem some little bar bussines on the board walk that play music at nigth. Im ok with that because I stay in a place not very close to the board walk and Im able to have a good sleep.

There is a TIA grocery store wich has almost everything. What I do is make a list of what I want and when I go to a mayor city I get everything in advance so I have my stock.
That includes medicines.

Of all the place that I mentioned above, the cheaper real estate that I found is in Puerto Lopez, considering the following

Location.

In Salinas I found a small lote for sale, but it did not have any view of the beach, or the ocean.
San Jose did have the view, but did not have any medical services or grocery store.
Olon, was nice and quite but the lotes available were very expensive.
Montanita is a very hippy town, party all day long, all night. Many, many people around every day, so the beach many times is crowdy.
Puerto Cayo could be a good option. but did not find any clinic. There is lots available, beach front. But, I will like to have some elevation, just in case for tsunami or whatever.

Manta, has all the above. But, I did not want have to drive for shopping. I dont want to take the bus or taxi neither.
I found a condo for sale, the apt had some ocean view.
But I was unsure about the idea of having condo rules and all the yadayadayada


What is your dream place? Have you travel to the coastal towns?

I noticed that veryredneck left Bahia de Caraquez off his list of possible locations. You may want to consider it during your investigation.

Bahia is one of the larger coastal towns in Ecuador and many think the nicest. It has long been the vacation home choice for residence of Quito.  It is located just over 1 hour from Manta, 4 hours from Guayaquil and 5 hours from Quito. Unlike most of the coastal towns all the roads are paved, it has many restaurants and shops with a new shopping center open next week.

It has a hospital and a fair sized expat community.

I also believe that it has one of the niciest climates anywhere. It is less humid and rains less than both north and south of it. There are many choices of accommodations to satify most budgets.

The highways in all three directions are fairly new and in great condition.

And if golf is your thing, there are three courses currently under construction within one hour from Bahia.

Be sure to take a look.

homebaseecuador wrote:

I noticed that veryredneck left Bahia de Caraquez off his list of possible locations....Bahia is one of the larger coastal towns in Ecuador and many think the nicest. It has long been the vacation home choice for residents of Quito.  Unlike most of the coastal towns all the roads are paved, it has many restaurants and shops with a new shopping center open next week....It has a hospital and a fair sized expat community....The highways in all three directions are fairly new and in great condition.

Welcome to expat-blog, Homebase.  Your first post was terrific -- well reasoned and full of pertinent information.

Bahia, with its expat population and modern amenities, is the type of beach community best-suited to most Expat retirees, probably including GloBug, the original poster in this thread who is planning a visit in 2015.

They should be thinking about renting during their first year in EC -- not considering buying property in a backwater fishing village such as Puerto Lopes, where engineers are "working on the water supply...If the water supply stops...they call the water truck and get their cisterns full....  I notice a lack of sewer system."

There's a reason that undeveloped lots are cheap in a place like that -- the municipal services aren't up to snuff.

Some day, years from now when more amenities are in place, it might be an awesome town for retirees.

But for most older Expats today, the last thing they need in a move to Ecuador is to have to deal with an infrastructure-challenged pueblo; 
"tampoco" buying a lot there to build a place from scratch.

Hi,Im John Fisher. Iv'e lived 4 years in Ecuador,on the coast and have explored all the towns south to north from Salinas to Esmeraldas.Now,things are changing rapidly as new developments spread along the coast.
My ist word of advice would be to dedicate a couple of weeks to travelling and staying at different coastal locations.
Rent for 6 months or a year before considering a purchase. We all have different proclivities but for most expats I would recommend places with reasonably developed infrastructure,--which makes them comparatively more expensive.
I personally like Puerto Lopez,the quintessential dirty little fishing village with its undefinable charm and energy.
Infrastructure has improved in the last 3 years but is still a work in progress. Land prices,especially beach front is increasingly difficult to find in developed areas and has risen dramatically in price in the last 3 years.
I currently live in Manta,for a number of reasons particular to my own situation but here are some thoughts;
Manta has an undeserved reputation as a noisy commercial city.Most of the negative blogs I have read about Manta are from people who didn't really spend time here and gave off the cuff impressions,----many others who offer. the "I heard",baloney .Manta has arguably the most consistent and sunniest year round weather on the coast. I live year round without air conditioning but am on an ocean view cliff with constant sea breezes. There is a regional airport with connections to the international airport at Quito or other domestic locations.Good beach for walking,good restaurants,night life if you want it, hospital and medical clinics,several good "food supermarkets", local fresh seafood,
the rambling and exciting Tarqui market, and accommodation at a wide range of price levels.
Don't discount Manta as a possible retirement or vacation destination.
John Fisher www.3dayspanish.com

JOHN FISHER wrote:

I've lived 4 years in Ecuador on the coast and have explored all the towns south to north from Salinas to Esmeraldas....l live year-round without air conditioning but am on an ocean view cliff with constant sea breezes.

Good coastal round-up, John.  Thank you for sharing your experience of four years on the coast, with expat-blog readers.

Three thoughts:

1.  What would you say are the best three coastal towns to be living in in case of a major medical emergency...
2.  The "dirty little fishing village" where infrastructure is a "work in progress" is a favorite for you and justly so, but probably a trap for senior Expats moving to EC who don't want to be retiring to a place where, for instance, the water supply is problematic.  For them, that's no bargain at any price.
3.  Living on a coastal cliff and getting constant breeses:  now that's the way to live on the EC coast.  With temps reaching the high 80's in coastal communities many months of the year, I bet a lot of expat-blog readers would be interested to know how to find a coastal-cliff "hogar."
Perhaps you could share such information in your next post.

Thank you all so very much for your wonderful posts. The information you've given me will be very helpful. Is anyone familiar with Manglaralto? It hasn't been mentioned on anyone's list and I'm not sure if maybe it's because it's a small village or maybe there's a reason why it hasn't been mentioned. Also, those of you who are currently living on the coast, what type of water/beach activity do you enjoy where you live? We enjoy sailing, snorkling, swimming and beach walking. Are these activities that we can expect to be able to do in Ecuador?

GloBug wrote:

Is anyone familiar with Manglaralto? It hasn't been mentioned on anyone's list and I'm not sure if maybe it's because it's a small village or maybe there's a reason why it hasn't been mentioned.

Ah, Manglaralto.  Sister pueblo to Montanita but much more mellow.

A lady self-described as a "Thrifty Drifter" posted some great photos of this beach town at her blog, showing the birds, sunsets and daily life of Manglaralto.

Also, this text:

There is a central church, several tiendas, two cyber cafes, two schools, a "free" medical clinic, a soccer field and several streets lined with one and two story houses.

I absolutely fell in love with Manglaralto in all its charming, dusty, authentic, hospitable, gorgeous glory.  At 3 AM, the cocks start crowing.  At dawn, the call of the fruit sellers drifts in your window.  At 2 PM, when school lets out, hoards of schoolchildren dressed handsomely in their uniforms wielding backpacks and ice creams fill the streets with laughter and mischief.  At 5:30, the cooking fires start and the air is filled with the smells of burning wood, charcoal and the scent of cooking meet.  In the evenings, whole families sit on their doorsteps...chatting with neighbors while swatting at mosquitos....

Family life spills out into the street....More often than not, large groups of people gather for soccer or Ecua-volley each evening on improvised courts in the middle of the street.  Children, dogs, chickens and donkeys roam freely.  (thriftydrifter.com)

Nobody ever mentions the northern coast.  Estero del Platano is one of the best beaches in Ecuador and is up and coming.  Here is my blog about traveling the northern coast and all the crazy adventures that come along with Ecuador.

http://atruetalltale.wordpress.com/

Also here is a dream property for sale in the area


http://quito.craigslist.org/reo/4721921085.html

On our previous visit to Ecuador we traveled to Manta, Bahia and San Clemente, also visited Montecristi, Santa Marianita, San Lorenzo and Crucita.
We really liked some,
Bahia is very laid back and clean, nice group of expats
San Clemente is a great fishing village a little rustic but nice with all amenities and lot of developments, hopefully it will not change too much, as we met the most wonderful locals over there and we felt like part of community right away, those places seem to attract more and more expats.
Crucita seems to be smaller, only visited once or twice.
Manta has everything new and modern, it is not the most beautiful city, but it has some charm, feels like small town, very accessible as there is taxis everywhere, what I really like about Manta were modern, new  ocean front condos, which I would buy right way except they are all high rises which I dislike, maybe I will reconsider, by visiting several people, I was pleasantly suprised, how wonderful those places are, living by the ocean is absolutely the best and you do not hear any other noise.
Manta is very modern in some aspects, great albeit small airport, wonderful choice of modern furniture, supermarkets, local markets, and lots of super nice restaurants.
We met so many people and Manta expat group was simply wonderful. Going to stay around Manta
this time for three months and hopefully we will find a condo or house to buy, perhaps around Manta and maybe Cuenca.
We hope to meet many wonderful people again

EvaCanada wrote:

On our previous visit to Ecuador we traveled to Manta, Bahia and San Clemente (and other coastal towns)....
We met so many people and Manta expat group was simply wonderful. Going to stay around Manta this time for three months and hopefully we will find a condo or house to buy, perhaps around Manta and maybe Cuenca.

Eva,

Your eagerness to consider buying a condo or house on your second visit to Ecuador prompted me to create a new thread called "Newcomers: This Real Estate Thread Could Save You $150,000."  It's on expat-blog's Moving category.

cccmedia, Quito

Thank you Ccmedia,
Probably a great post, I am sure you have lots of valid points, we are not first time expats, very sure about our move to Ecuador, we can live anywhere, we choosing Ecuador for several reasons and we are sure about our decision. I can argue about other benefits of purchase vs. renting, it is personal decision after all.

EvaCanada wrote:

Thank you Ccmedia,
Probably a great post, I am sure you have lots of valid points, we are not first time expats, very sure about our move to Ecuador, we can live anywhere, we choosing Ecuador for several reasons and we are sure about our decision. I can argue about other benefits of purchase vs. renting, it is personal decision after all.

Where else have you lived? Have you ever lived in a Third World country? CCC had great advice for you on the other thread.. Many of the Canadians who made this move had a very difficult time and still do.  The visa/residency issues alone are a nightmare for Canadians

My husband and I are traveling down to Ecuador over Christmas,  we are looking forward to our first trip there. From what I have been told from a couple people I know that have traveled there, the only cities/towns on the coast with lots of amenities are Salinas,  Manta and Bahia. Montanita is starting to get built up but is still very much a surf town. Esmeraldas has amenities but is not very nice is what I have been told. We are looking to retire and don't really want to live in a sleepy fishing villages. While I hear Cuenca is beautiful it is colder and wetter than the coast and we would really prefer  living near the ocean. I would like paved roads, shopping centers or similar, restaurant's, a place that is relatively safe and some expats to socialize with. Could I get anyones thoughts that live or have been there.

I am not sure where you are getting your information from being neither Canadian nor ever been to Ecuador.

Sometimes I think there are more Canadians here in Ecuador than Americans.  In fact, if you check with the Ministry of Tourism they will tell you that a greater percentage of Canadians per capita come to Ecuador than Americans. I am also friends with a lot of them and they love living here. In fact, because of the multi-cultural nature of their country I think they have an easier go of it than us Americans.

As for getting residency,  from my many conversations with them and my fellow Americans we both have the same issues which my guess are far less than trying to get residency in either Canada or the USA. It is still relatively easy to get a residence visa here and except for the difficult person that runs the Vancouver Ecuador Consulate it is a relatively painless process as government processes go.

From your list of prerequisites you might have been describing Manta. I have lived several years in Manta as have
a contingent of 50 or so other expats,mostly from the U.S.but with a sprinkling of Canadians,Brits,and Aussies as well.
There are regular expat get-togethers and social functions. The weather is arguably the best on the coast if not in all of Ecuador if you like sunny,warm weather,with very little rain,and Pacific breezes that reverse at night and run offshore.
The Murcielago beach area has modern buildings overlooking the ocean, proximity to good- as- it- gets grocery shopping,a couple of excellent restaurants, 3 km.or so of walkable beach, and ready access to banks,shops,and other amenities. We also have a regional airport with 1/2 hr.connections to international airports at Quito and Guayaquil.
Manta has medical clinics and a hospital and good dental services. For some reason Manta has been downplayed if not actually maligned as a place to retire.
I personally find it hard to beat as the premier Ecuadorean coastal small city with a full complement of amenities and great weather. I have driven the length of the coast several times,visited all the towns,stayed in many of them,have a particular liking for Puerto Lopez and Manglaralto as smaller laid-back destinations.
I am also a Canadian,have always had a penchant for being by or on the sea, have lived in many countries,and Manta just feels comfortable for now.

Hi LindaB, obviously I am a little bias living in Bahia.

I am going to skip the small centers as you already said you want shopping, paved roads and a little bit bigger expat community.

Here are my thoughts starting with Salinas. It is one of the four largest urban areas on the coast. It has two main beaches, one that has rows of condos that are largely owned by the upper class of Guayaquil and are used for weekends and holidays. The other main beach is full of hotels and restaurantsimproved  and is more of a party beach. Several streets in the residential areas remain unpaved which always mystified me. It does have great shopping, possibly the best on the coast and is close to Guayaquil. It is a little too crowded for me on weekends and I prefer it a little bit quieter.

You mentioned Montanita which indeed is a surf town that is growing leaps and bounds but is still more for the young that what I would look for. Just up the coast from Montanita is Olon. It is much more quiet had also has been growing. It is a nice community,  but is too small for my tastes and does not have the shopping you requested.

Next on the way up is Manta. It is the fastest growing city in Ecuador is what I am told. It is also the largest on the coast, has an airport that receives flights from Quito and hopefully one day from the USA. It has lot's of shopping to satisfy your shopping requirements and has a growing expat community. It does have a great large beach area that on weekends gets fairly busy. However, most of my friends visiting from the USA say that they much perfer Bahia. (Please don't shoot the messenger,  just repeating their view) They say Manta is like a town that just kept expanding. Does not have the character of Quito or Cuenca, is not as clean as all the others and the architecture is nothing special. For my taste it is a little too big. But if you want a big city on the coast, than I would choose Manta over Guayaquil any day.

Now for Bahia, it is a quiet city except for the holidays and one month in the summer when the condo owners from Quito all show up. All the streets are paved and it has a new mall opening up in the next couple of weeks. It is perhaps the wealthiest town on the coast as it was built with money from shrimp farming and is one of the two coastal areas that the wealthy from Quito visit for their holidays. It has a growing expat community and lots of shops and restaurants to enjoy. With the highway infrastructure and bridge that opened four years ago you can drive to Quito in five hours and to Guayaqil in four. Manta airport is just over one hour away. It clean and safe and you find family regularly walking the streets late at night. The weather is close to perfect as it is not as hot or humid as both up and down the coast.

I would not waste the time going to Esmeraldas as it is not all that nice. If you are interested in the coast I would recommend flying into Guayaquil and driving or taking a bus to Salinas and from there travel up the coast to Bahia. You should get a good idea from taking that route.

Greeting from Puerto Lopez, been here for  about 18 months, We like the people, the slow life style, feel safe in this town, the weather, the daily returning of the fisherman, and the fresh fish.
Where we are staying we have a beautiful view of the town and port  a nice breeze, and no mosquitos.
What I wish would change, bad dirt roads,  roaming dogs and chickens, cutter ants that are eating our plants up and hard to get rid of, and loud music, 
We have always said that we are sure where will will end up living as we may not have seen that place yet.  But for now,  we look forward to getting to know this town and the people better in the years to come.

Good luck and be safe.

cccmedia wrote:

There is a central church, several tiendas, two cyber cafes, two schools, a "free" medical clinic, a soccer field and several streets lined with one and two story houses.

I absolutely fell in love with Manglaralto in all its charming, dusty, authentic, hospitable, gorgeous glory.  At 3 AM, the cocks start crowing.  At dawn, the call of the fruit sellers drifts in your window.  At 2 PM, when school lets out, hoards of schoolchildren dressed handsomely in their uniforms wielding backpacks and ice creams fill the streets with laughter and mischief.  At 5:30, the cooking fires start and the air is filled with the smells of burning wood, charcoal and the scent of cooking meet.  In the evenings, whole families sit on their doorsteps...chatting with neighbors while swatting at mosquitos....

Family life spills out into the street....More often than not, large groups of people gather for soccer or Ecua-volley each evening on improvised courts in the middle of the street.  Children, dogs, chickens and donkeys roam freely.  (thriftydrifter.com)

Sounds like living in the provinces in the Philippines.  Wonder how cooking meet smells.  In the Philippines they cook mostly seafood, not much MEAT available.

Greetings all!
I am excited to be returning to EC next Feb. with trip planned from Quito down the coast to check out the spots folks are kind enough to share on this site. Will end up passing through Cuenca and finish off in Loja before returning when the snow here (hopefully) has disappeared.
One item of note that I feel important to bring to folks' attention, especially my fellow Canadians, is the fact that there exists a departure tax if you are planning on a permanent move to EC from the true North strong and free. Just sayin'... so it might be worth your while to look into this issue with your favourite tax adviser. Unless, of course, you already have done so in which case comments from those who have been through this process would be very welcome, for enlightenment.
And, for general information purposes and those who thirst for a brew with a "close to home" flavour, I am looking at setting up a nano brewery in Cuenca.
Can I get an "AMEN"?
I am currently working part time in a brewery here in my city and am gleaning all the info I can.
As a retired Chem. Eng. with 30 years in industry, I find the process to be simple enough so am looking forward to getting things rolling in a couple of years.
I should mention that I speak la lengua after growing up in Colombia and Peru so fun times are in the offing.
Cheers, and Merry Christmas a todo el mundo!