Best beach towns in Equador

Hi, I would have to say anywhere from Montanita down to Salinas.

I just got back from my first trip and spent several days on the beach.  Your question about "best beach towns" needs explanation.  What's "best" for a young surfer with baggies hanging halfway down his legs, I-POD hanging from his ears wouldn't interest a retiree looking for peace and quiet.  You can find either.  I visited Montanita, and that's strictly a young person's town:  loud, packed, everybody projecting "look at ME"!  As opposed to laid back Puerto Lopez (where I stayed), a fishing village, and some points further north. Also, time of year, and holidays make quite a bit of difference at the beach.

To clarify, when referencing "best" beach town I am looking for a quiet beach for retirees. So Salinas to Montanita is for the young crowd and Puerto Lopez north to Manta would be less crowded?

Uh, not exactly!

Your best bet is to come visit and check it out for yourself. 

Salinas has many retired folks, condos on the Malecon (boardwalk) parties on holidays and quiet the rest of the year and in low season.  Nearby are the areas of Ballenita, Punta Blanca and Punta Carnero -- all with slightly different flavors, private beaches, different views, some condos, some townhouses, some private homes, some more rural.

About 2 hours further north is Montanita, our hippy hangout and international surfers destination but just over the hill is Olon with quiet beaches and soft waves... and then the rainforest (mostly protected areas no one can buy)

Further north, Puerot Lopez and Solango -- a bustling fishing port and some wonderful places to stay, great people very laid back... and then onto Manta, Crucita, San Viente, Bahia Caraquez...

So you see... it's not that easy to say what is the best...

And I didn't mention my own piece of paradise, La Diablica -- but you will just have to come visit to and find out why I love it here! (could have something to do with having lobster on my table so often)

Susan

bullet1943 wrote:

Hello Susan!

I'm planning a trip to Ecuador possibly later this year. Altho I travel extensively in Southeast Asia, I'm looking into the possibility of locating a winter getaway from the wicked winters of Michigan, and one that doesn't cost as much.
I am on a rather limited pension, however I hear that one can live fairly comfortably on 1200-1500 monthly. Is that a fair estimate?

I won't burden you with a lot of questions at first, but I hope that you can give me some basic info?

1. What's the weather like in your area in September, when I may come this year, and what's it like in February-March, when I'd like to escape from here?

2. Could you give me a broad idea of what a 2 bedroom apartment would cost in your area, if available, for a 2-3 month rental?

3. It appears you manage/own an Inn? What would it cost per day to stay there in September? I do plan to travel, but I'd like to sample your area that you seem to like very much.

Thank you,
Larry Walls
Fife Lake Michigan

4.

Hi

The persons than like surfing in the best quiet place, it,s Playa San José, we have a little hotel there, we sponsered a Quick Surf tour.  It's on the road of the spondylus, Ruta del Spondylus km 606 between Manta and Puerto Cayo.  Many canadians People went here and the said this is the best beach than i saw in my life...... and many of them (more than 200 lotes we sold to them, at Canadians People), if someone looking for a quiet place, with security to make surf this is the best place.... every ecuadorians peoples will tell it about this beach. For see pics of the beach, go to see this web site  miradorsanjose.ec and this other one cabanaslachantalita.com for take a look of this beach.  If you have questions you can write to me.

I have friends who live and work in Canoa and they have a great set up if you want to get in touch to ask about surfing, living,etc.. They came here on thier honeymoon and never left.

Look up Canoa Thrills on the web.  Hope it helps.  Jon

savvyroundtheworld.wordpress.com

I have a question regarding the climate along Ecuadors 1,400 miles of coast...are there cooler areas, with some kind of trade winds, as in Hawaii? or are they all pretty much hot and muggy like those in Costa Rica? I would really appriciate any info on this. AM relocating, LOVE the water and the beach,grew up on island beaches, but not sure I can deal with allot of heat...

Anyone know anything about the beaches up north, near Esmeraldas?   I heard Pedernales was nice, but is it safe? any expats up there?

noventa wrote:

I have a question regarding the climate along Ecuadors 1,400 miles of coast...are there cooler areas, with some kind of trade winds, as in Hawaii? or are they all pretty much hot and muggy like those in Costa Rica? I would really appriciate any info on this. AM relocating, LOVE the water and the beach,grew up on island beaches, but not sure I can deal with allot of heat...

I can speak for my area of the coast -- we have some hot days in February and March, when the winds quiet down in the mid afternoon, other than that we have breezes to winds here.  But the trick -- is to purchase property with a true western exposure!

Right now is "winter" -- low season/ Whale Season! -- and we also refer t it as "closed shoe" season.  Sweaters in the morning and late afternoon and a jacket at night (or my favorite, some of the beautiful shawls made by the weavers here.)

Right now at 2am (yeah I geek the computer late at night, speeds fastest then) I am in bed with a down blanket on my sock covered feet, and long sleeved jammies...though I have the window open so I can hear the waves crashing in the background and I do love my sea-air.

You will find more "tropic" like climates up in Esmeraldas -- but here around Salinas on the Santa Elena Peninsula it is nothing like Costa Rica's hot humid ...or south Florida's, or Washington DC in the summertime ...nor is it as hot as Dallas/Ft Worth, nor is it as windy as the wind off Lake Michigan into Chicago.

...Best thing to do is come visit!

By the way -- September -- is when the sun starts to come back more each day -- less clouds, more sun, more chance of sunset viewing.  It's the month the Whale's leave, usually right before the equinox and the September full moon -- so if you want to see our biggest visitors plan accordingly.

Not quite sure how to do this but would like to chat more with Susan about her location. ...would also like to chat with the person that said they "have a little hotel" in Playa San Jose."  Thanks.

Wow, we've been waiting four-and-a-half years for someone to revive this thread  

Four-and-a-half years since "Ocean" brought us into her       2 a.m. inner sanctum and waxed poetic about the whales and the Equinox and the full moon.

Anyway, welcome to Expat.com Ecuador.  A way to reach those folks is to click on the name above their avatar to the left of a post, and then click on Send a Message.

Of course, we can't promise that the party who was posting about Playa San Jose in 2010 is still paying attention to this blog

cccmedia in Quito