Gathering information about Cotacachi

Cotacachi is a very beautiful place, but not much to do. You may want to spend a month or so and watch the paint dry.

tom

Hey! As long as the color of the paint is interesting, I do not mind

Hi---we spent a month in Ecuador, crossing the border just north of Otavalo, and ended up in Vilcabamba before moving on into Peru. We are headed back in Nov and will pend 3-4 months in Ecuador looking for the place that appeals to us most. The one response you got seems to be from someone in Cuenca, by far the largest group of gringos in Ecuador. There are advantages and disadvantages with a gringo community but golf courses and gated communities are not our cup of tea. I saw Costa Rica 20 years ago and more recently Boquete in Panama, tale on the gringo look. Did not go to Cotacachi but it is near Otavalo and we liked that. A smaller town but nice.

BTW the above pic is Ubud, Bali and it is pretty much done now also------getting hard!

Hi---we spent a month in Ecuador, crossing the border just north of Otavalo, and ended up in Vilcabamba before moving on into Peru. We are headed back in Nov and will pend 3-4 months in Ecuador looking for the place that appeals to us most. The one response you got seems to be from someone in Cuenca, by far the largest group of gringos in Ecuador. There are advantages and disadvantages with a gringo community but golf courses and gated communities are not our cup of tea. I saw Costa Rica 20 years ago and more recently Boquete in Panama, tale on the gringo look. Did not go to Cotacachi but it is near Otavalo and we liked that. A smaller town but nice.

Thanks for the reply. best way for us to know will be to go and check it out ourselves. We plan on doing so next summer.

Who's summer

It's our low season -- basically between Easter and Day of the Souls --. 

It is cooler and a sweater if you walk on the beach before 9am and after 5.  Sometimes even socks with my loafers.

School is out in Quito and Cuenca beginning now July. The Sierrans come to the coast.  And the whales migrate back to flirt--  so we have a minihigh season June through September.  September we warm up with more sunny days ubtil about the 20th

So coming for hot season of parties and sunshine Dec through March or northern Summer --June through early September -- when our cetacean friends stop by?

Hello OceanHideaway!
When I said summer, I meant our summer, the one that gets so hot and sticky that my skin breaks out, so I have to wait after dark to go out... just ike a vampire
We moved to South Caroline 3 years ago, and it felt like heaven, until my body could not take it any more. Too hot, too humid.
Now we are looking for a place where we can enjoy the ocean, but where  can be out during the day as well. Does such a place exist?
How does summer feel in Salinas? Does it get hot and steamy?
Chantal

If you like a slow, peaceful lifestyle, you will love Cotacachi.  The weather is great and the people are friendly.  My wife and I have lived here since 2009 and love it.  It has become much more popular with the expat community in the past year, so new restaurants are opening and there are more things to do.  All in all, a great place to live life in the slow lane.

Thanks for the reply! Actually, we are now considering Salinas instead. We currently live at the beach in South Carolina, and we would miss the beach too much!

If you have access to Kindle books on Amazon someone has written a guide to living in Cotacachi.  If I remember right it was only a few dollars.  Quite a few ebooks being sold about living in various places that aren't in print, just electronic books.  There's one called 101Tips to Living in Cuenca or something close to that.

I wrote the guide to living in Cotacachi that you mentioned, Vantexan. I thought it would be helpful to share all of the things that my wife and I have learned over the past couple of years. It's also on my cotacachiliving.com website.

I understand about missing the beach, Chickadee.  Our friends in Cotacachi are from California and decided to buy a place on the coast and travel back and forth between the two.  The great thing about Ecuador is that prices are so low that it is possible to do that.

Hello...

My name is Tom, I alsolive in SC ( Greenwood ) and have read your postings...like you, I am considering Ecuador,,,initially by reading IL.

Initially considered Cotacachi...but now also seriously considering Anconcito Santa Elena, Manta, Salinas areas...would enjoy comparing notes with you,or even having a chat if you would be available.

Thanking you in advance for your reply.

Sincere regards,

Tom

Aconcito?  Woo hoo -- shout out!

Salinas and the Santa Elena Peninsula has some very nice areas -- including areas to the north that combine both mountains and beach living (Montanita, Olon, Las Nunez, El Portal)  Manta is much further up the coast in the Manabi province and some lovely areas there Bahia and Canoa.

Come on down and stay about a month to spend a bit of time in each area and decide what you like best.

Hi Ocean Hideaway:

Thank you for your prompt reply. I have read the majority of your postings, they are very helpful. I have interest in the Salinas area, and the Santa Elena Penunsula...is there a picoral venue that i can visit on the web...to take a quick look?

Again,

Thanks so much.

Sincere regards,

Tom

Tom,

I am in no way an expert on Ecuador, but my husband and I are planning a visit to Salinas next summer, so I did a lot of research.

If you google "Salinas Ecuador" there are a few websites where you can get pictures and opinions about Salinas.

Here are two that come to me now, and if I think of something else, I will send it your way.


http://athomeinecuador.blogspot.com/sea … el/SALINAShttp://nanlevin.wordpress.com
About this last one: if you go back on her previous posts, you can see nice pictures of Salinas.


Chantal

Tom,

My husband just made a suggestion: go on youtube, and type "Ecuador Salinas Malecon"

That's a good one too!

Chantal

Chantal is correct ~ plus on YouTube put in the name of any of our little towns -- including Anconcito -- and you can find someone's YouTube video (we have one of our fishing port and one of our local bands perorming) Another way to get a taste of the peninsula is check out http://vozdelapeninsula.blogspot.com/ one of our local radio stations. 

Visit soon!

Susan
TheOceanHideaway.com

Thanks for the link, Susan. I did not know.
I will check it out!
We learn something evey day

Chantal and Susan

Thank you so much for your help...it is greatly appreciated. The post's were excellent.

I recently viewed a video aired on HGTV - HHI... House Hunters International. It was great... it viewed for more than 20 min...specifically about Salinas...you can also view it on U TUBE...

Sincere regards and thanks,

Tom

Tom,

You are welcome. It was a pleasure to help.

The video aired on HGTV - HHI... House Hunters International: it was the trigger for my husband and I to discover Salinas.

Have a great weekend!

Chantal