Seeking short term beachfront rental

Dear RCA Lee,

Welcome to the Ecuador forums of expat.com ....

I have been having good fortune with www.airbnb.com lately.  I am currently at an AirBNB apartment a few blocks from the Pacific Coast of South America.  I am paying about half what I did on my last trip to this city, when I stayed at a hotel two blocks from here.

As with many AirBNB properties, I have a full kitchen with stovetop, fridge and microwave, fully-equipped.  The entrance has 24-hour doorman security.  There are plentiful shops and restaurants within a 3-block radius.

For next year, I haven't yet decided whether to stay at a hotel with a pool .. or an AirBNB apartment when I visit coastal Bahía de Caráquez (bah-EE-ah day kah-RAH-kez), Ecuador, after voters approve the new casino(s) there.

Bahía has been a happenin' place, highly popular with Expats as a modern, weather-friendly balneario.  Then an offshore earthquake out in the Pacific Ocean did damage to some of its buildings in 2016.  The place is starting to come back to its ascendant past.

Many coastal communities were damaged in that quake .. and I don't believe Bahía is any more susceptible to future sismos than most other coastal places in Ecuador, going forward. 

cccmedia in Lima, Peru

Hello CCmedia,

Thank you for the information and didn't know about the 2016 effects of the earthquake, and am glad to hear about reconstruction, it is Hard work, most definitely, wish all the best with the task.  I will definitely keep Bahia and AirBnB, in mind & tell the hubby about it.  Meanwhile,   have sent 2 real estate brokers requests for information and am looking forward to their replies.  It is very good to meet/correspond with you. 

Igualmente, RCA Lee.

The truth is that few real-estate agents in this hemisphere will devote much if any time to a prospective rental of less than one month for a new potential customer.

The beauties of AirBNB are the many pictures of available apartments for your dates  .. reviews by dozens of past guests if the place has been on the site for a few years .. and the weekly discounts available on many properties.  (I am getting a 25 percent discount on my monthly rental here, more than offsetting the service and cleaning fees). 

There also are the advantages over a hotel, such as a full kitchen in many apàrtments, extra bedrooms in some units and lower pricing.

Also to mention:  the ease of communicating with your local host .. and the ease of booking your dates.

AirBNB has become the Uber of the lodging business .. and if you haven't tried it before, I'd recommend it for your Ecuador trip.

cccmedia in Lima

I have had only good experiences with Airbnb in Ecuador. Transparent, easy, flexible. I wouldn't do a short term rental any other way

Cccmedia,

I am going to open an AirBnB, browsed on their and saw some promising digs.  Especially am comfortable with the guaranteed reviews and clear pics/descriptions of the lodgings.  As of yet, no word back from the real estate agencies.  I will keep you updated, in the meantime.  Be well.   

SueRin

LebowsKI,

Thank you for taking the time and effort to reply to my inquiry.  I am going to take your advice and open an AirBnB account.  From what I saw, just in a quick view, there were some ads that could fit our desires in lodging.  Btw, really enjoyed your movie and what a deep character!

SueRin

The dude abides 

A bit off message.  Do you know if there is bus service to Bahía de Caráquez, from Quito?  I go to the coast once or twice a month and Puerto Lopez has been my destination.  I love it.  But I am looking for something closer to Quito.
When I go to PL, I fly into Manta.  But the by the time I get to the airport, get checked in, get into Manta, get my baggage and Taxi to PL I might as well have relaxed in a nice bus to a place closer.
Looking forward to your response - thanks.

JadeRiver wrote:

Do you know if there is bus service to Bahía de Caráquez, from Quito?

Yes, there is regular bus service back and forth.  You can do a search for
buses quito bahia de caraquez
...and get many hits, among them:

https://wikitravel.org/en/Bahia_de_Caraquez  (in English)

https://www.ecuadorbus.com.ec/quito-a-bahia.html   (bus schedules and prices, in Spanish)

OsageArcher wrote:

Yes, there is regular bus service back and forth.  You can do a search for
buses quito bahia de caraquez
...and get many hits, among them:

https://wikitravel.org/en/Bahia_de_Caraquez  (in English)

There is some excellent guidance on the above-linked page .. including where to catch the bus in Quito .. which side of the bus to sit on .. and how to keep from freezing in the pricier A/C-loaded buses.

A lot of this information can benefit travelers going from Ecuador's capital to various oceanfront locations, not just Bahía.

Good job, Brother Archer.

cccmedia