Manta

Hi barbieism!

Welcome to Expat.com

Armand

"Best" how? You'll have to be more specific in your requirements for what constitues the best beach, then someone can help answer your question.

Don't worry about an answer, you'll have enough commentary to write a travel journal.
I have my own opinion on the beach community but I'll will wait to see the overall consensus and feedback you get.

It's all good

Welcome to the Expat Forum, Which beach is best is the one you like the best.  They all look pretty nice when the Sun reflects off the water on them.  Yesterday we were in San Jacinto/San Clemente and the beaches were beautiful.  Saw another one further north and it was beautiful.  Suggest you come check them out for your self as we all may have different opinions.  Manta is a nice place , we lived there last year.  A little too large for us, we like smaller towns.  We live in Bahia de Caraquez 90 minutes north of Manta.
We checked out the entire Coast from Salinas to Rio Verde and we liked all of it.  It depends on what you like.  Enjoy the adventure of learning and looking!  Ecuador's Coast is beautiful and largely unspoiled.  The climate varies by areas from warmer south to cooler north.  We're kinda in the middle. 
Living It and Loving It in Bahia, Ecuador.
Charlie

wanderingbears wrote:

The climate varies by areas from warmer south to cooler north.  We're kinda in the middle.

Hi Charlie,

Since you're traveled the entire coast, and have previously mentioned that Guayaquil is horribly humid but Bahia de Caraquez isn't, how would you compare the humidity of Salinas and Manta to Bahia?

How about further north? Is Esmeraldas and San Lorenzo even cooler than Bahia and also less humid?

Your experiences will help us narrow down our pre-move investigations.

Buenas Noches (Good Evening),  The further north we got the more moisture there was.  Salinas is drier.  Esmereldas is wetter yet.  Just north of a rain forest.  I don't recommend Esmereldas as not safe in town, especially evenings.  Too far north at this time as it will be a while before that area develops.
I Still strongly recommend you look for yourself.  Each person needs to see what they prefer.  We like trees and growing stuff.    Not too wet but humidity is not an issue here in Bahia.  We didn't want to be much further north past say Jama as it's too far from services etc.
I could not stand a humid sticky place.  Went to Ohio in August, Miami in October OMG so humid and sticky. 
Enjoy the adventure of looking and learning about Ecuador, The Last Real Frontier. Checking it out and learning is part of the adventure, and half of the fun!
Living It and Loving It, here in Beautiful Bahia, Ecuador.
Charlie

Nice meeting the forum....Armand! : )to state my question best is that I would like beach front property for rental, don't want to commit anywhere, and currently living in Tampa Florida, kinda use to a bit of city life, so not too secluded from where we can enjoy the culture, but live in a nice beach resort area where expats do live, this way there will not be much of missing home...I've lived and visited and can make do just about anywhere, fluent in spanish, but would like to live in a place that is an inbetween Ecuadorian culture and some western amenities...my main goal is to live way below my pension...for the economy in the states, is not looking good right now for retirement. I'm far from retirement age, but would like a good head start as the prices keep rising in the states. We like to settle in sooner than later. thanks in advance for your feedback! : )

Look at the Montenita area. Not in town but 30 kilometers No. or So outside the town, a 2 dollar cab ride takes you to the clubs and restaurants and shops you seek and then you get to leave to go home without the towns noise and tourists.

Hi Charlie- Finally cool enough here to work in the yard and Garden. Humidity in CT and MA so bad in July and August. We take showers, go to the beach and have wonderful lightening and thunder storms It pours rain and cools things off. Used to go out during the pouring rain when we were kids and terrified mother that we'dt struck by lightening. That's how you say go to hell in Portuguese "rais du parte" Lightning strike (split) you . My first husband was Portuguese. Don't want to retire in Rio de Janeiro though!!!

OK, next topic besides life stories

On the topic of humidity along the coast, would it be safe to assume it's at different levels during the course of a year, or does it remain at a pretty constant monthly percentage? I grew up on the east coast, trust me know what humidity is. Summers are miserable at all hours.

With that being said many of the other countries I have lived were on the coast, and what could be considered a humid tropical climate, but usually once the sun started to go down the humidity would break, and nice breezes would roll in. Found it in general to be quite comfortable for the most part. Wondering if areas along the coast in Ecuador have similar patterns?

North above Manta are your best humidity levels going South below Manta increases the humidity levels the further south you go until you reach Salinas and then you'll know the difference between No & So.

tfpob wrote:

North above Manta are your best humidity levels going South below Manta increases the humidity levels the further south you go until you reach Salinas and then you'll know the difference between No & So.

I'm confused ...

Your comment seems to be the reverse of what I've "gleaned" from 2 months of research including this blog and other internet sites and maps.

Did you perhaps dangle a participle?  Or perhaps my last "cigarillo de marihuana" was a wee bit on the strong side? 


   Carlos   aka  "El Gringo Bueno" 

That's what other feel, Having been with the military and lived in Peru, So Ecuador, No Ecuador and not to mention my time in Southern & mid Columbia I can tell you you're wasting time and energy thinking you can minimize the areas humidity.Just stay out of the rain forests or jungles where you'll shower just by waking up. No need for running water.
By the way, that's what wrong with blogs, they're opinionated and almost always from folks who've spent days somewhere or more importantly trying to sell you an  area for their own profit. I have spent 5 years there. Keep in mind misery loves companionship.
Adios

Thanks tfpob for the info.

Think for my next trip will rent a place in Manta, and work my way north from there.
As I said in earlier posts am only looking to find a place that I would like to spend a month or two at every year. No intentions of living, or investing in Ecuador. If find a place that I like then great, if not so be it. The world's big, and have no emotional connection to Ecuador one way or the other.

Good plan using Manta or the surrounding towns as a jump off. The good part is that the highway from Quito to the coast is complete which by the way is now driving up the coast costs housing costs due to Quito's upper scaled folks buying shore properties for their family weekends. Not to mention what took 6-8 hours now takes 2-3 or so. For you, it allows to you explore Quito and it's surrounding smaller villages which are really cool places to hang out in for a day or so. As an example great leather goods and prices up that way.

keep in mind Manta is the coasts most populated town/city (500k) and as such rents will be higher. Also keep in mind taxi's or even a private driver might be worth considering if you choose one of the outlying Manta burbs. The rent savings probably half that of manta's will more then pay for the taxis or drivers. You might find as I did that once I knew the area, I no longer went into Manta except for harder to get foods etc. fact is, I tried to avoid the place choosing the pace and people in the smaller villages which really aren't that small. FYI, I grew up in Brooklyn so if I say they're really not that small. Additionally, the night life is pretty much on par with manta's within 20-30 kilometers of Manta so?

Tim, where do you live? sounds ideal...I want to get the most for my money...but in the coast...doesn't need to be a big happening place, but close to one as you mentioned, I too am originally from Brooklyn...: )

Before you decide to go all in, why don't you rent a room from my folks who live in a very modern complex in Manta. It's called Nerea and it's walking distance to shops and top restaurants in Manta. I work for a major airline so I am there every other month from the states. The only request is paper products and soaps because this is fairly expensive there. Also for whatever reason, the status for alcohol seems to be Whiskey of all things. Johnny Walker Black is most requested so I will bring 2 bottles and that pays for my time there and round trip on Aerogal to UIO. You can see the property on Airbnb under Dwight.