Beaches

Well, I picked Salinas for a reason...crime is almost zero here, green emerald warm sea water, warm weather all year long, good infrastructure, proximity to mall and supermarkets, yet quiet, with some variety in restaurants, many outdoor activities, quite untouched naturewise and the most important to me: no sticky humidity! I would also recommend -after Salinas- Punta Blanca, Olon and Montanita. Punta Blanca is private but isolated,no shops. Montanita and Olon are 45 min drive further north, both have a wider beach, are great for surfing but humidity already rises up the coast that far. Olon more peaceful than Montanita, yet you cant miss Montanita, is the party town in this region with a wide variety in restaurants, outdoor recreational activities. It attracts a much younger crowd but it is definitely worth visiting because is full of energy. Hope it helps. Drop me a line if you are coming this way, we could get together take care.

If you like poverty, garbage and raw sewage then Ecuador's beaches are for you. There is a reason few gringos live there. Moncora Peru has beautiful beaches, they still have the poverty, but the beaches are clean with out the raw sewage.

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Tmac...appreciate the honest response...biggest reason for checking out Ecuador first is because my wife is Colombian and will be visiting her family in Medellin frequently...my experiences in Colombia were not good ones(ex. got robbed in a taxi at knife point)...thanks...Dana

Hello Loving Ecuador!...thank you for suggestions/info re: beach towns...am not too crazy about humidity so will definitely check out Salinas area...you mentioned that humidity goes up as one heads north on coast...is the reverse true...less humidity further south? I will be moving with my 90 lb dog and a cat...is it difficult finding a house/apt (to rent initially) with animals?...anyone/business you trust that can help people with finding rentals?...what is your impression of Cuenca/Loja and Vilcabamba areas...I appreciate your time and thoughtfulness!...Dana

Hi Dana, what makes the Salinas area drier and the beaches nicer is the fact that it is on a cape, its sticks out in the map representing the most western tip, the scenery is beautiful from both sides and it gets wind from all directions, so it stays dry. There is a beach further down, it is called Playas. Playas is good but it is more inland with a higher humidity and closer to a 3+ million people port city like Guayaquil, it gets pretty packed and busy. Here it is rather tranquil and private, with the level of infrastructure of a city and no crime.
I have contacts, an expat here can help you with rentals, you will definitely need it! he may need some time to accommodate your pet too I will private message you...

Loving Ecuador...thank you so much for your generous response!...I particularly appreciate any help with rentals that would accept my dog/cat...I agree with your desire to not be too near a large city...I currently live in the forest in a cabin in the mountains of Virginia and treasure the quiet...particularly after a crazy day at work!I am looking forward to visiting your home and maybe my wife and I can meet you some day for lunch or dinner there...thanks again!...Dana

Sounds great! I would love to meet up for lunch or drinks. You live up in the mountains aaah so nice, pure nature. Sounds lovely. You are very welcome Dana.

LOL thats true, we have just ignored that poster, negativity didnt affect some of us. But I hope he is happy in Moncora!

Some of the most pristine beaches are along the northern coast. The beauty of a secluded and pristine beach is a great addition to living in an area too. Of course this also depends on what you like, larger cities with more crowds or smaller areas with seclusion and beauty. You can have it all in Ecuador. I keep hearing from those that do not live along the northern coast of the humidity...we do not find that to be the case at all except for the rainy season but admittedly we are from Florida so anything less than 80% humidity is a good thing for us...;-). I have also heard about it being full of bugs etc....again...we do not find that to be the case except during rainy season and the higher you go, the less bugs you have even here on the coast. Depending on your tastes for parties, surfing, seclusion or crowds....you can get it all along the coast...for parties, good food, surfing etc...Montanita or Canoa, a little taste of the city Salinas (Little Miami), or Manta...more inland along the river..Guayaquil, smaller walking around towns with great beaches..Crucita, San Clemente or Bahia de Caraquez, seclusion and beauty..the beach areas from El Matal to Pedernales, with the Arco de L'mour being on the beach in Tasaste. Hope that gives you some ideas...have fun.

Hi there

Climate-wise the coastal area is very similar.........

Beauty-wise, Montañita and Canoa are two typical, "hip"towns, but the natural beauty of beaches like San Lorenzo, Puerto Cayo, Frailes, or a little further north Jama, Pedernales, etc etc should be investigated.

For more lively towns/cites,all with very nice beaches... Bahia de Cadaquez, Manta, and Salinas.

Check them all out on internet, especially photos, to get a better appreciation.  Websites like Trip Advisor often have people post reviews....

for the safety issue, take the necessary precautions one should always take when abroad, to avoid petty thefts....most us expats stick out like a sore thumb in the street!

Good luck!

Can someone tell me how the ocean temp compares to florida and Caribbean ?  And what about 12 hours or darkness every day..... Is that true? THANKS,

Hey Dana
Here is my experience, somewhat limited.

Salinas is very popular: I found that the apartments and condos crowd the beach front. Also, I finished one of the days on the beach with an oily, crude oil type film on the bottom of my feet...probably from the loading terminal down the coast or boat bilge. I will not be returning. Note: a great little hotel located on the beach, El Carruaje.

Manta's beaches go on forever, very popular. The beach area on the north part of the city is fun, but the town part made me nervous.

The "heads" go to Montanita, but I need to check this out on my next trip.

Probably the most pristine beach I ever witnessed was Tortuga Bay, a short walk from Puerto Arroyo in Galapagos.

and if you check Lonely Planet, they indicate that one of the best places is outside of Guayaquil, but I did not check it out.

Best of luck, amigo

Greg

Larry...appreciate the info...I used to live in Gainesville, Fl....moved to Va. mtns in '86...body changed and doubt I would like much humidity now...re: smaller towns vs. larger...definitely would prefer quiet/clean and safe over partying/big box store availability(convenient but again , not crazy about noise/too many people)...thanks again...Dana

Hello Mike...thank you for input...sounds like smaller/quieter beaches like San Lorenzo/Puerto Cayo and Frailles would be more my wife and I's style...speaking of "bugs"...are there any areas of Ecuador with malaria ie need for prophylaxis meds? you are right...Trip Advisor good site for travel info...my problem is that I'm a little "rusty" re: traveling ...~ 20 yrs ago traveled a lot...~30+ countries...lived and worked in North Africa...but minimal travel last few yrs...nothing WD40 can't fix!...Dana

Hello Pensionado!...thank you for info particularly re: hotel Carruaje in Salinas( I do plan to visit that area...I'm told climate is less humid there...)I will at some point go to Galapagos...what is the climate like at Tortuga Bay?...Dana

Wow, some great posts except for the guy in Peru.  Dont know where you went to the beach in Ecuador but you didnt go where Ive been.  If your looking for good beaches head up North.  If your looking for pristine beaches San Clemete, Same are two great clean beaches. Here is my blog that will give you some insight on Ecuador.  Should help with most of your questions, plus its hilarious....

http://www.atruetalltale.wordpress.com

Has anyone had any experience traveling with a rental car...is it safe with respect to standing out as a tourist(again, my wife is Colombian and roadside "bandits" are a reality there)...are the cars in pretty decent shape for long distance(plan to explore Quito to Vilcabamba)...any particular pitfalls in dealing with rental companies ...or suggestions of who to deal with...or stay away from?...this site has already been incredibly helpful...thanks again!...Dana

Luna...started reading one of your articles...plan to read 'em all! Have you ever read O'rourke or Vonnegut?...you sound a bit like them! You rented a vehicle ...what is your opinion about safety traveling cities(which I tend to avoid if possible) or out in isolated countryside?...of course you are traveling with another guy so not the same(I'll be with my wife)...but your opinion please...Thanks!...Dana

Hi Dana,
Dave & I live in Bahia de Caraquez...loving it! We have been in Ecuador for two years now. Bahia has just enough infrastructure to be convenient for shopping. I rarely feel the need to go to Manta for stuff. I find it all right here. We don't have a vehicle....we can walk everywhere...it's a charming small town. Miriam

Hi Dana,    My husband, myself, and our 10 year old son were in Ecuador for 3 months from March to June.  We are heading back in February.  We toured the coast from Salinas all the way up to Rio Verde.  We ended up renting a furnished condo apartment in  "Ciudad del Mar" in Manta for $1000 which was beautiful.  From there, we headed out on various trips to see the other beach areas.  We liked Salinas, but it is a bit too big of a city for us.   We liked Bahia de Caraquez, Jama and SanClemente areas.   We did not like Pedernales as much, but really liked the beach just north of there.   There is a very cute, quaint, little hotel resort there with delightful hosts.  The beach is a great Shell beach.   We did like the beaches up north near Same, although the town needs some help, and the prices are a bit too high due to it being a sought after holiday area for Ecuadorians from Quito and beyond.   We did not like Esmeraldas much, as we did not feel very safe there!  The area north of Esmeraldas up to Rio Verde is beautiful, and the beaches are great, but we are not sure if that area is quite ready for expats.  Not sure of safety etc., due to it's proximity to Colombia and some of the problems you mention.   We loved the weather along the whole coast.   The Manta area was the driest section, it was greener as you go north, and Salinas was the hottest during the time we were there.   The ocean water was bath-water warm and we loved it!!   Canoa was nice as was Montanita, but both of them are a bit too surf/hippy style for us.   We did rent a car for most of the 3 months we were there, and drove it ourselves all the way. The costs of car rentals are out of this world.  This next time we are buying a car.  The new road that is going in north of Manta is great.  There are still some sections that were not finished at that point.  We tried using a driver, but after his driving felt we were safer driving ourselves!!   The bus was not a good choice for us.   Hope this information helps with those who are wondering.

Great post wanderingbears, very accurate info and great to know there are new highways under construction north of Manta. Thanks.
Dana: Lots of people drive around but there are still no strong maintenance laws being reinforced on rental car companies. I would have the car get a basic check up at a garage before hitting the road for a long trip, should something come out wrong you can always switch it. Better safe than sorry. Good luck!

Thank you mmmweaver for info...My wife and I like you and your husband are looking for a smaller town/quiet and safe...another person on the forum also seemed impressed with Bahia Caraquez

Thank you wanderingbears!...great, practical useful info...we were wanting to rent a car simply to have better control of where we went and time we have(only 3 weeks for this trip)...If I may be so crude, would you mind sharing with me what company you rented from, was it from airport(we are flying into Quito)with drop off back at airport?...and if feel ok what the approximate cost was?...did you feel like the car was safe/functioned well?...if it was a small car, do you think it would perform well enough in the mtns( if we have enough time, we want to see the Loja/Vilcabamba areas)? Your information seems so practical and useful...forgive me for taking advantage of that...and thank you for the time to respond!...Dana/Maria

I would recommend that you check out the beaches for yourself.  On our first visit to Salinas, we didn't like it (one day).  Our second visit (one month in Feb., the rainy season) was a little better but we still were not convinced it was for us.  Our next visit (3 months) convinced us we would like to live in THAT AREA, not the town.  Other beaches along the Ruta del Spondylus (new name for the Ruta del Sol) vary in quality and infrastructure.  Manta and Salinas have the best infrastructure and that makes those areas nearby very attractive.  Quality varies.  Cleanliness varies.  In Salinas, a crew picks up trash every night.  In Playas, not so much.  Montanita is OK except for the noise at night.  Olon is beautiful as are many other beaches.  You really need to see them and decide on your wants and desires.

Forgot...Car rentals.  Had mixed results.  We did rent from budget in Manta airport and car was excellent.  Rented long term from an outfit in Guayaquil and had one good car and one very, very bad car.  Really hard to say what you can find.  Hiring a car and driver is also a crap shoot.  Had one driver who was excellent, but judging by the average driver we've seen there, I would not be willing to take a chance on them.  Will drive myself and that has its risks.  If you have ever driven in Italy or Tehran or Belgium, you can drive in Ecuador.  Also, NYC taxi drivers can survive there.

Dana,   We rented from Budget in Manta, not the airport.   We haggled and haggled until we got a livable rate, which was very high by US rates.   Got one car that was not to our liking, so took it back the next day and got a different one.  The second car was quite new, worked well, was clean, 4X4, was a larger SUV type.  (We had a lot of luggage)!  This was great for driving up and down the coast to check on various locations and properties along the beaches.    The insurance on the vehicle costs as much as the daily rental.   We got a month rate which equates a lower daily rate.   The total rental was just about $5000.00   We rented for about 6 weeks.   At the end when we went to take it back, the young man who had worked out the deal with us, was gone, and the ladies who were there tried to stick it to us.  We did not pay them any extra!   I would suggest only renting a car on the days you need it for going out of town and then using a cab or bus in town the rest of the time.    This next time we are there, we are going to purchase a used car.   We figure we would have paid it for about 1/3 to 1/2 half of it with the money we used on the rental car.  But we were not ready to buy one at that point.     Any way you cut it, it is very different than here in the US.    The cost of cars are more, the drivers you can hire are sometimes good and sometimes not,  the rentals are high, etc.  But, until one gets settled in, what can you do?

Dana,

  Yes we rented a car for the week.  We picked it up right outside the airport.  We did it online before we went and got a great deal.  Think it was a total of 350 total with unlimited miles.  Not sure the company but it was the only one that gave unlimited miles.  Yes the car was small "chevy spark" but it was brand new and we put some serious ware on it.  If you flying in to Quito rent a car and head for the coast.  Head north then west. I recommend a stop in Mindo for the night.  Dragonfly Inn is nice. Then head to the coast and head south.  Hit all the beaches and you wont be dissapointed. Just depends what you want.  Safety hasnt been a issue with us.  The people up North are great.  Once you head into the cities that is where you have to watch out.  Hope this helps, got some great info in the first posts of the blog (page 2)about all the beaches we visited and our rental car experience.

http://www.atruetalltale.wordpress.com

OMG wanderingbears. US$ 5000.00 for 6 weeks in car rental. Glad to hear you think it was ok. Sorry to say this but honestly prices get better than that. Did you bargain in Spanish?...for US$ 5000 you can buy an used 2002-2006 car in good condition here!

5000 grand?  You can borrow my car next time for half that!

We are purchasing a car this next time, so we will have it ongoing.

You need to haggle with different car companies to get a semi-decent rate.  We had our car for six months for $4300, including insurance.  We also got the Budget quote of $2000+ per month.  Need to look around.  Buying a used car for only a few months has its problems also.  Have to sell it before you leave.  Need insurance.  Have an accident or get stopped without it and you have serious problems.

hi docputter,   which car rental company did you use?

The company we used was in Guayaquil but because of the problems we had with the rep, I swore I would never recommend that company to anyone.  Their price was good but they kept wanting us to return to Guayaquil for paper work changes to the car.  The rep was completely dumb, for lack of a better word, about how to care for a car.  We had a problem with the satellite system that controls the alarm and starting the car and she wanted to blame this on the fact that the oil had not been changed.  Her english was non-existent and her spanish was pure ecuadorian, thus eliminating the spanish that the rest of the world speaks.  There was more confusion and bitterness generated by her than by dealing with the petty government paperwork.
Speak to reputable car dealers in Guayaquil or Quito about short term leases and if they don't offer one, they may be willing to point you in the right direction.  I would pick a Chevy dealer in either city.  Our dealings with these in Salinas and Quevedo were so aboveboard and unlike here that I would bank with those companies.  Best and most honest service we got in Ecuador.  They all went way beyond the norm to help us.

To Dana Williams:
I was just re-reading your posts and thought I would add some information regarding Salinas. The Salinas area is basically a desert when not in the rainy season.  In the rainy season it can be brutal as it was this past year.  There was street flooding and mosquitos carried off our car (only kidding, they weren't organized).  Humidity was very high and February was the only time we used air conditioning.  Rain was so heavy at times that windows could not be opened.  But the locals told us that this was unusual and was the wettest wet season they had ever seen. 
We did have a very good and honest real estate agent that I would recommend.  She covers the southern coast of Ecuador from Salinas to Montanita.  She is an American ex-pat, her company is Island Estates International and her name is Kimberly Kagan-Quintana.  Her advice was invaluable and she has become a friend.  She handles rentals but can also get you other rental agents in town that can help.  Animals. especially dogs, are not much of a problem there and are welcomed almost everywhere. 
Please send me a private message if I can help with anything else that you do not want to post.

Missed a point.  Colombia, Cuenca, Villcabamba.  Cuenca has an airport so that you can most likely get to Medelin from there easier.  Cuenca is a wonderful town.  We spent a month there and loved everything but the weather and the fact that there was no ocean (joke!).  It was chillier than we like and the rain came more frequently than we thought it would.  But it is the mountains and it was the rainy season.
But the city has more to attract than many other places. The old city was fabulous and the views form the higher areas of the city were great.  We were in the Ordonez Lasso area and it was quiet and peaceful and safe.  But also convenient to the old city, the super market and the "market" or mercado.  Many places to visit and shop.
Villcabamba was another visit for about a week.  Very quiet.  Very, very quiet.  We were three blocks from the center of town and never used our car once we got settled in.  Good food everywhere in the center of town.  A beautiful place.  We expect to vacation there when we get tired of the excitement of the Salinas beaches.  We really loved the town, ate at local restaurants and the ex-pat hangouts also.  Went horseback riding into the mountains with a guide and walked all over the place.  Great town but no ocean.  Weather was great.  Cool at night but spring like during the day.  We are going to return there for at least a month

Hello fdmcg!...thanks for responding...Do you live in Ecuador now?...did you suggest living inland because it is greener/cooler there?...I would probably choose to live in mtns but my wife does not tolerate colder weather well(she is from Medellin, Colombia where the weather stays the same for most of year except for amount of rain)...any problems with safety for gringos in Cuenca area?...thank you ...and Happy New Year...Dana