Water issues on northern coast

[ANDREA LYMAN]

I have been hearing that while the northern coast is fabulous, it’s downside is that the water is suitable to drink there. Is this true? Do folks just buy bottled water? Or is this even an issue? And if so, is it true for all the northern coast or just the Bahia area? I have visited the area from Bahia to Canoa and found it lovely. I’d like to know more about each of the towns and areas and what you think about the southern coastal region. I have not visited there and heard that it is quite overcast much of the time. Some love Salinas and some hate it. Do they have the same water issues down there? I love Cuenca but it would be fun to have a little place in a sunnier, warmer coastal area, too. Any suggestions, recommendations, thoughts?
Thanks!!

[SUZAN HASKINS]

HI Andrea, I think you meant to say that the water is NOT suitable to drink there? From what I am told, water from Bahia to Pedernales (and perhaps beyond) is trucked in. It is not potable, so yes, you’ll need to drink bottled water. In 12 years living in Latin America, we’ve gotten used to this and no longer give it a second thought. We have a big 20-liter bottle that is cheerfully delivered every Friday, or as needed, for $3.50. We use tap water for cooking, as boiling it removes any bacteria… we soak our produce in tap water, adding a couple of drops of a Kil-ol, a grapefruit-seed extract disenfectant that is sold in Super-Maxi and many other places. I will say that we also drink the tap water in Cotacachi with no ill effects… but just in case, and because I know they put chemicals in the water, I feel better drinking the bottled water. If I lived in a place where they trucked in the water, I might also use that for cooking and soaking veggies… I wouldn’t trust that as much as I do our mountain water.

As for places I (and other expats, it seem) personally like along the coast, one is Olon. It’s about 45 minutes from Salinas (literally 5 minutes from the fun little beach town of Montanita) and it’s where the topography goes from dry to vegetated. Very wide pretty beach and a nice little town. Several people from Cuenca also have beach homes here, as it is only about a 6-hour drive from Cuenca. I also like Crucita and San Clemente, which are about 40 to 60 minutes north of Manta. I like these more for the expat community that’s growing there than for anything else. And I really like Canoa, as well. (I guess you can tell that I prefer the small towns? That’s why Salinas doesn’t altogether trip my trigger. Who wants to deal with rowdy beach partiers?)

I hope I answered some questions. Please post any more you may have.

[ANDREA LYMAN]

Thanks, Susan, Yes, I DID mean to say, ‘NOT suitable to drink’. I, too, prefer small towns – hands down. We’re not big partiers and like coastal areas for the…..coast! Sunshine, gentle breezes, Mother ocean and a slower pace. Speaking of the water, is the coastal water clean? Is it polluted at all from runoff, garbage or any other things you can think of? Is there an area in general where it is breezy but not windy? I read about a place that is great for windsurfing, which would be too windy for me. Tons of mosquitos? There were quite a few in Bahia when I was there this spring. Is dengue fever a problem along the coast? Are the fruits and veggies as relatively organic and ‘clean’ as they are in other ares? I know many farmers can’t afford chemicals and so they are organic by default. I know this is a lot of questions, and we do plan to scout more in the area, of course, but if some things are in situ in a location, they may be deal breakers from the onset and we would not bother to consider it.
Thanks!!

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Andrea, I’m of the mind that just about every place on earth is polluted right now, so not sure if I can answer this very well. Fortunately, Mother Ocean has a way of self cleansing, but… I do know there are times of the year when there are heavy rains and the rivers swell and wash all kinds of nasty debris into the ocean. I’m not a huge ocean swimmer myself, but that’s because I’m not very trusting. I’ve been in both San Diego and Fort Lauderdale (and Puerto Vallarta) where swimming was prohibited because of bacteria levels. Unfortunately, I don’t believe Ecuador ever tests for this kind of thing. Swim at your own risk. On my recent visit to the coast, I would have gone in the water, though, in Olon, the far south ened of Crucita, and in Canoa, as well as in a place called Santa Marianita, just south of Manta. (Another place I quite liked…you might want to check that out, too.)

As for mosquitos, I hate them. I’ve had dengue (in Mexico) so I take precaution. However, I did not get any bites on this recent trip… but my friend did. She said she slept with her feet sticking out in the open. I’m told the worst time for bugs is the rainy/humid season from November to April. I’m not sure about the organic veggies. I’ll do some asking and get back to you!

[ANDREA LYMAN]

Thanks! It sounds like we have extremely similar likes and dislikes – so I trust your opinions and thoughts on things. What insect repellent do you use? Is it a ‘natural’ one or the full on Deet stuff? When we were in Bahia in March, I got a few bites at night with my skin exposed since we had no air conditioning in the hotel we were at! But it wasn’t too bad. I’m one of those people who, out of a crowd of 100, the mosquitoes single me out!!!
The ocean water situation is as I thought and it’s good to know when to avoid it, although I, too, am not a big ocean swimmer!

BTW – I checked the box where it says notify me of follow-up replies via email – I’ve yet to receive an email notification!!

[SUZAN HASKINS]

Andrea, when I am in the States I buy those boxes of OFF Deep Woods towelettes. It’s easy to keep a couple in my bag or pocket so I always have one. I’ve tried the Neem oil and other natural products stuff, but nothing seems to work that well.

I’ll ask our web guru about the box – -it’s never worked for me, either.

[SUZAN HASKINS]

I just remembered the Rio Muchacho Eco-Farm, not far from Canoa. (Doh!I just toured it about a week ago!) They sell organic produce in and around Canoa. I’ll see what others I can come up with in the southern coastal area.

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