Ecuador: Perfect Weather, Ocean Views, Low Prices

One of the beautiful beaches just north of Manta, Ecuador.

Friday, June 6, 2008
Manta, Ecuador

Read more about Ecuador in International Living Postcards—your daily escape

If you’re looking for a place where the weather is perfect and the cost of living is low…where you look out your window at the sparkling ocean and pristine beaches, but also have the opportunity to step outside to a bustling city if the beach life becomes too relaxing…and where you can get an oceanfront home for less than $80,000…then I believe that Manta, on Ecuador’s coast, is your best bet.

With a population of 250,000, Manta is Ecuador’s only coastal metropolis and offers the same transportation, medical, and communication services as the larger cities of Quito and Guayaquil.

Cruise-ship dockings and a major port expansion project are bringing thousands of people to the area and creating new commercial activity, so it may also be a good location to start your own business, even if it is just on a part-time basis. It may be a little early to call it a “boom town,” but it certainly seems to be heading in that direction.

A recent university study of population trends predicts that Manta will be Ecuador’s second most popular expat destination over the next 25 years, trailing only the Andean city of Cuenca. Tourism and real estate professionals report a sharp spike in recent months in the number of foreigners in town scouting the Ecuadorian property market.

Real estate around Manta is a little pricier than in other areas of the country, and the gap will probably widen in the short term as foreign workers arrive for the port construction. But you’ll still find plenty of bargains in the city and its surrounding areas—I certainly did. Here are just a few I came across:
A luxury fully furnished 2,200-square-foot, 2-year-old apartment in one of Manta’s best highrises. The condo is on the sixth floor with a balcony overlooking the port. Asking price: $230,000. Contact Helen Podolouvnyi.

For folks who are not looking for city life, the areas around Manta, especially to the north, offer some of the country’s best beaches along with bargain-priced real estate. A few miles north of the city, the small seaside development of Vistazul, in the fishing village of San Clemente, deserves a close look. When completed, it will include a small hotel with 61 townhouses built into the hill behind it. The two-bedroom, two-bath unit with a large rooftop terrace has a stunning view of the Pacific. Asking price: $79,000. Contact info@sanclementeecuador.com.

Travel 10 miles north of San Clemente and you’ll find Bahia de Caraquez, a unique coastal town that offers the charm and look of an Andean village. Although it has several mid-rise condominiums, Bahia resists the resort label and features an immaculately maintained central park and attractive old houses. From Bahia’s modern malecón (promenade), you can see the town of San Vicente across a picturesque bay.

One Bahia property worth checking out is a 1,130-square-foot oceanfront condo on the seventh floor. It has three bedrooms and two baths and comes with beautiful Pacific views from the outside terrace. The project provides amenities such as underground parking, 24-hour security, swimming pool, and Jacuzzi. Asking price: $79,000. Contact Jofannie Karlaj.

If your focus is the quality of the beach itself, you’ll want to spend time in Canoa and Jama. Many surfers and swimmers claim that the area’s broad, sandy beaches are the best in Ecuador, and they get few arguments. Backed by impressive cliffs, some with caves, the beaches offer some of the most dramatic coastal scenery anywhere.

A new project that received good reviews from several International Living readers is Coco Beach Village in Jama. The 21-acre project is divided into 66 lots, half of them on the beach, the other half within 100 feet. The property has hundreds of coconut palms and is situated on a gentle slope, allowing good views to the ocean. Lot prices, with full infrastructure, start at $38,200. Contact Larry Swenson.

David Morrill
For International Living

Editor’s note: David Morrill believes that the tropical coast of Ecuador is the most undervalued and overlooked coastline in South America. It’s diverse, beautiful, and largely undeveloped. You can still buy a beachfront home here for $65,000 and live nicely for a thousand bucks a month. To find out more, see South America’s Last Coastal Frontier.

Read related articles:

- The Best Weather on Earth, Cheap

- Ecuador’s Best Coastal Buys

- Where You Can Still Buy a Beachfront Lot for $40,000