Ecuador is famous for its colorful festivals and every town in the country has its own traditional celebrations and events throughout the year. Here are our five favorite festivals, taking place over the next couple of months, where Ecuadorians celebrate in style with fireworks, drinking, music, and dancing.
I'm standing on the rooftop ledge of Todos Santos church in Cuenca. This three-foot ledge encircling the steeple and bell tower is one of the best places to get a 360-degree bird's-eye view of the entire city. Although the drop is approximately 30 feet and there are no safety barriers, the view is inescapably beautiful, so for me it was worth the risk.
As the sun sets, my husband, Lynn, and I sit under a rooftop palapa at Casas Pacíficos, our very own tropical resort in Punta Carnero, Ecuador.
Cotacachi is a beautiful town located in the Andes Mountains at approximately 8,000 feet. We have a significant expat population here of about 300 to 500 people, several that live here permanently and others that come and go.
After six wonderful years in Ecuador, Rita and I are making preparations to move on. Our beachfront condo in the resort city of Salinas is officially on the market.
My journey to overseas retirement started about 10 years prior to actually retiring. Although I have traveled a fair amount both domestically and internationally for work and pleasure over the years, I never thought much about retiring abroad.
With its population blossoming from 500,000 to 700,000, and tourism increasing by 30% over the last decade, Cuenca—a UNESCO Heritage site—is positioned as the new "hip" place for gap-year students, curious tourists, and those of us looking for the retirement promised land.
“Why would you move to Ecuador?” I get this question a lot. In fact, I asked the same question myself when, three years ago, my husband suggested we move to Cuenca. But now, I know exactly why you should move there…
Flowers are a big deal in Ecuador. Walk around downtown Cuenca and you'll see flower-filled window boxes hanging from the French-inspired architecture. You can even take a stroll in Parisian-style parks filled with colorful gardens.
In 2013, Mary Wingo started looking for a new way to earn an income. Working as a scientific researcher, she was growing frustrated by the dwindling government funding being allocated to her field.