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This one is good, too, and very reasonably priced and in a great location: http://www.andinohotel.com/

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If you will be there the weeks immediately preceding Easter (or any other holiday in Ecuador and there are many) then yes, you will definitely need confirmed accommodation. Otherwise, probably not, although if you do book in advance this is one less thing to worry about on your trip.

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Personally I would never take the malaria pills, and I’ve been living and traveling in the tropics for 13 years now. Ecuador claims to have eradicated malaria — not sure if that’s true, but it’s highly doubtful you’ll get it traveling along the coast. It’s dengue that’s the problem, and there is no vaccine for that. Instead, use repellant and cover up. I’ve never noticed a big problem on the coast — you’ll know if you encounter one. Dengue mozzies supposedly only bite during the day, but be sure you have screens on your windows or use a mosquito net. It’s doubtful you’ll have a problem.

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Ah, Mike, even we “experts”get it wrong some time. You are correct — Macahllila is the park and Machala is the port town. I LOVE Hosteria Mandala — enjoy your trip! (PS — Don’t know Happy Gringo, but that doesn’t mean much!)

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No worries. Sometime it takes a while to find all the info here.

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Lucky you! Yes, I think you will be able to retire early by moving to Ecuador, and what a great thing that is! Let us know how we can help along the way.

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Hi Pauline, I was hoping someone with more recent experience than I have might answer this. My experience is that every immigration office or official will tell you something different. It’s all about “interpretation” of laws…

This is one way of saying you may want to get another opinion. You might send an email to attorney Santiago Andrade (santiago1397@gmail.com) — he is good about answering emails. And/or consult with Maite Duran of Gringo Visas: http://www.gringovisas.com

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Wendy’s husband, David DeChambeau, teaches Spanish in Cotacachi. She can offer more details.

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Machalilla is not a good choice if you want to get the flavor of the coast — I’ve never been there, for instance, and don’t know any gringos who live there. I’ve heard it’s not very pretty and really is more of a shipping port and border area being so close to Peru.

And I don’t know anything about Happy Gringo, either.

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ha! Will check that. Yes, you can use hasta luego to say goodbye… or adios!

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Here you go — contact for queries about all kinds of insurance (home, auto, health, life):

MARIAJOSE HERNANDEZ
Coinverseg S.A.
San Ignacio E 12-143 y Humboldt, Quito
E-mail: mariajose.hernandez@grupoasesores.ec
Coinverseg S.A. is an insurance broker service, established in 1985. It offers a variety of insurance options in the
Ecuadorian insurance market, such as: personal accidents, life insurance, health insurance, fire and comprehensive
insurance, theft insurance, and vehicle insurance. Coinverseg S.A. works with the best insurance companies in the
country. It`s manager and founder is Mauricio Ponce Palacios.
Our responsibility is to help our clients find the best insurance for themselves and for their properties, keeping them
safe. We offer a personal and professional service, making our clients feel special, helping them with all their
insurance needs and ensuring that any claims they make are settled in a timely manner. The Coinverseg S.A. office
has departments for each area of insurance ensuring a quick and reliable service.

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Hi Melanie, yes property insurance is available. At the Fast Track Ecuador conference, there was a speaker on this topic. I’ll get their contact details for you and post them here.

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Hi Melanie, I believe Pathfinder, IL’s preferred advertising partner, is working with Montecristi. Dario was at the Fast Track Ecuador conference in Quito in February. For more details, you can email info@pathfinderinternational.net.

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The hard cover book releases on March 17 — I believe the Kindle is immediately available.

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I know people who have gone by freighter to Honduras, Panama, etc. — I’m not sure where to point you to find out how to do this, though. Maybe someone else on this forum will have an idea…

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