Air Quality in Quito and Cuenca

Equador Bound wrote:

I am interested in what the usual air quality is in both Quito and Cuenca and whether one has better air quality than the other.

Having read and posted on this over the past year, I have found no reliable source to say whether Quito or Cuenca has five percent better air than the other.  Both cities have serious bus-produced pollution problems.

I offer these three concepts....

1.  Quito is about 1,100 feet higher in altitude.  Since there is less oxygen the higher you go, common sense tells you that this is a breathing-factor in favor of Cuenca.

2.  If you move to either city, rent a place away from the bus lines.  I live right on a uphill bus route, and have learned to keep my windows closed during the daytime when the buses are active.  I prefer to air my place out only in the evenings on days when it has rained.

3.  Visit our active Expat.com thread "Diesel pollution from the buses..."
Type Diesel pollution into the searchbox atop this page, and click on the search icon to the right of the box.

cccmedia in Quito

Equador Bound wrote:

I am also looking for a moderate temperate range, which I keep reading is the case in both locations, but   I would like to confirm that with someone actually on the ground....I am looking for an approximate 50 - 80 degree.  I can handle the rain as long as the sun comes out.

Thanks

Leigh Schrom

Being just 15 miles from the linea equinoccial, Quito has virtually the same daily-high temperatures year-round -- 67-68 degrees F., or 20 C.

Cuenca is typically a few degrees F. cooler.

It rarely gets as high as 80 F. in either city.  Evening lows are typically in the upper 40s and low 50s.

There have been many anecdotal reports online from Expats who believe that Cuenca is rainier.  But the statistics I have seen at online weather sites don't bear that out.

Even here in the highlands you won't encounter snow in any month unless you live well up the side of a volcano.  Which, as you know, is not recommended given recent events.

There is no 'q' in Ecuador.

cccmedia in Quinto, I mean Quito


Time and temperature brought to you by 'La Cosa Nostra' Italian restaurant in Mariscal sector, Quito....

Quito forecast... high temperature tomorrow: 68 F.

I agree with cccmedia,

I have been in Quito since 10/13, and have lived within a mile of the old airport and now above the U.S. Embassy on the opposite hill. I can tell you that in any area in or near town where the buses run the air quality is bad and can often look like L.A. or Denver smog. It is not uncommon to see people with scarfs or particle masks at street level.

As you get farther from the bus routes is eases up, and you can see the smog over the valley. The fact that the altitude is much higher than most are accustomed to can be a problem for the first few days to a couple of weeks. If you are a smoker, or have any respiratory issues it will be that much worse.

The weather is as stated above, you have to remember you are in the mountains at 9k or better in Quito. Cuenca is lower and can a bit milder from what I have found.

You will find it stated many times, to come and see for yourself before jumping right in. The best rule of thumb coined by cccmedia is to visit the country in the areas that appeal to you, then rent not bye for the first year as a safety measure.

You will find a great deal of "Boots on the Ground", information here. Just peruse the various subjects, and by all means if you have a question, Ask.