The Best Expat Retirement Destinations In Ecuador

Ecuador continues to land on International Living’s top ten list for best retirement destinations worldwide. Expats looking for affordable housing, quality medical care, and rich cultural history flock not only to the high Sierran city of Cuenca, but also to small towns dotting the mainland from the Amazon Basin to the Pacific Coast. Here are the best spots to lay your hat in Ecuador.

Canoa

Beach lovers with a penchant for a low-key, relaxed atmosphere will love Canoa. Although the isolated fishing village is not for everyone, larger towns like San Vicente or Bahia de Caraquez are a short bus ride away. Sports enthusiasts will love the opportunities to surf, paddleboard, kitesurf, and parasail, while those very same activities make Canoa ripe for investment and signal growth in the decades to come.

Cotacachi

Cuenca

Already famous for its relaxed lifestyle with big city benefits, Cuenca is the most sought after retirement destination for international expats living in Ecuador. Newcomers and established expats love the European feel of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although property prices and cost of living are rising partly because of expat influence, city-living is still very affordable.

Cumbaya

While some newcomers are bothered by the high altitude, the slightly lower elevation of Cumbaya accompanied by the more temperate weather makes this town an excellent choice for those wanting the big city benefits of the capital city, Quito, without its high cost of living. Cumbaya and its neighbor, Tumbaco, are mixed communities with dense residential neighborhoods, large houses with acreage, and small farms, giving expats a wide choice of living situations.

View from Tumbaco Towards Quito, Ecuador

Loja

Located in the far south of Ecuador, Loja remains a little talked about retirement destination. The ninth largest city in Ecuador lies in the Andes though at a much lower elevation than either Quito or Cuenca. Weather is temperate year round and the rainy season lasts only a couple of months. This city has more bustle than Cuenca but is more pedestrian friendly than Quito. It should make your shortlist if city living is a high priority.

Salinas

Looking for a coastal destination with the amenities of a large town? Salinas might be a good fit. This beach resort town is only an hour and a half from Ecuador’s largest city, Guayaquil. While the beaches are packed with tourists on weekends and holidays during the high season, mid-week and off season bring out local residents and a relaxed atmosphere. With a small local airport, access to fishing, surfing, and other coastal sports, and beachfront properties, Salinas will soon be high on many expat lists.

Tena

Tena is located on the edge of the Amazon Basin with access to the Rio Napo, the Yasuni National Park, and Quito just a 3-hour drive away through the scenic Ecuadorian Andes. New tourism businesses are growing leaps and bounds in this small city, encouraging the growth of new restaurants, cafés, and bars as well as improved long term rental opportunities. The region is primarily secondary rainforest with many riverfront properties available.

Vilcabamba

For decades, Vilcabamba has been known as the Ecuadorian Fountain of Youth as long lived local residents claimed the water was beneficial to their health. Today, the town is full of meditation centers offering yoga retreats and the quaint central plaza is home to juggling backpackers making a pilgrimage to this bohemian center in the south of Ecuador.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

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