The Ecuador Insider

Parque Machalilla in Ecuador is located just north of Puerto Lopez and just south of Puerto Cayo on the souther coast of Ecuador.

Within the National Park are many things to do. You can stay for the night with a local indigenous community, just ask for the town of AguaBlanca once in the park.

Once in the town you can take a cultural tour, mud bathe, or bird watch in the dry, tropical forest.

Parque Machilla also boasts one of Ecuador’s TOP beaches, Los Frailes, where most feel as if they were in the Galapagos, not on mainland Ecuador.

The beach is secluded and a wonderful day trip from Puerto Lopez. For a few dollars you can pay a motor taxi to take you there. The park does not have an entrance fee, unless you go to the Frailes beach, in which case the cost of entrance is a few dollars for Ecuadorians, and a little more for foreigners.

Buying property within the park limits is not permitted.

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Pan de Yuca (or Yuca Bread) is an absolute must try for anyone visiting Ecuador. Usually eaten with coffee or juice in the mornings, this bread has a soft, warm interior along with a crunchy, toasted exterior and is served while hot…and is made with yuca and cheese…

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As to be expected, in Ecuador, the schools work differently than in the US or Europe.

Kids start school at age 5 as they begin the “Primaria” which lasts for 7 years. After finishing the “Primaria”, they move on to the next phase of schooling called “Secundaria” which lasts for 3 more years (kind of like the middle school of the US).

After that, they move on to the “Bachelerato” which is kind of like their high school, which lasts for 3 more years. Most kids graduate at age 16 or 17.

At that point many enter the universities, which have a standard duration of 5 years in Ecuador for most majors.

The schools in Ecuador vary greatly in quality from schools that are “not so good” to schools that are often considered even better than most in the US.

As for the grade and high schools…there are public (free) schools and private (paid) schools.

In Ecuador, over the last few years the quality of the public schools has improved greatly, but finding an open space (cupo) for your child in these schools is very difficult, they fill up fast!

Most foreigners put their kids in private, international schools where the kids are taught in English or German.

Private schools in Ecuador are easy to find, and enroll in, and cost starting from $35 a month.

To locate hoards of schools in the area of Ecuador you live, the best way is to try the local yellow pages of the town where you live looking under “Escuelas”.

To find the best schools, the only way is really to get personal recommendations from others in your area.

The requirements for enrollment are pretty basic, they will ask you for things like the birth certificate of your kid, and transcripts from past school, etc.

In an upcoming post, I’ll talk about the University system of Ecuador…until next time, Domenick

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Just to prove this site really is about the good, bad and the ugly of life and investing in Ecuador, I thought I’d mention 5 things most expats don’t like about Ecuador (from what I’ve seen).

Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

1. Street Vendor Hygiene: The food on the streets is delicious and cheap, but many vendors touch the food with their hands…often handling money as well…urgh!

2. The Prices for Name Brand Clothing and PCs: Electronics of all kinds and name brand clothes are noticeably more expensive in Ecuador than the States…be sure to bring down what you need in that regard!

3. Clouds on the Coast: The sunny season of the Ecuadorian coast is from late December to early April…the rest of the year is quite overcast…I like, cause I burn easy, but many don’t.

4. Bank lines: Ecuador is still old school in that many pay their bills and debts by waiting in line at the bank and making a direct deposit into someone’s bank account…a big pain if you’re caught in the wait.

5. The Lawyers: Hey, this is a given for any country you’re in, so why not Ecuador?

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I know this site is about Ecuador real estate, life and investing but many who visit have never been to Ecuador, so I thought I’d take a moment and answer a few of the basic entry requirements questions once and for all.

Visa Entry Requirements:

Citizens of a developed country of North America, Europe or Australia only need to carry a passport from their home country with at least 6 months validity remaining in order to enter Ecuador.

Upon entry, you will be stamped an automatic, free, 3 month tourist visa. Migration will tell you you can’t renew this visa straight up, you will need to apply for a more formal 6 month tourist visa extension as I explained here.

Return Air Ticket:

Although you may read different on governmental sites. NO roundtrip air ticket is required or asked for upon entry to Ecuador. I have never been asked to show this ever when I have entered Ecuador as a tourist by land or by air.

Immunizations:

No immunizations are required nor needed to enter Ecuador. I have lived here for years with none. Brazil requires you have your yellow fever shot, Ecuador does not.

If you plan on traveling to the Amazon region of Ecuador in the east, it is prudent to take Malaria precautions with pills or shots.

Mosquitos are not problematic in Ecuador.

What to Bring:

No heavy winter clothes are necessary but Ecuador does have many micro climates so bringing several layers and long underwear you can strip off as needed is helpful. Also, a poncho to protect against sudden rain storms is useful.

The sun in Ecuador on the equator can also be quite strong, especially in the Andes region and the cities of Quito and Cuenca, a hat and sunscreen are recommended items.

What to see or do:

I recommend coming to Ecuador before you consider investing here.

I really think you have to like the place before you invest thousands.

Ecuador has 3 main regions, the coast, the Andes, and the Amazon, and ALL THREE should be visited! I made the mistake of going years in Ecuador before visiting the Amazon. Big mistake. In few places in the world is the jungle so easily accessible.

For example, from Banos, you can hop a 45 minute bus ride to Puyo and witness the entry point into the Amazon. In other countries, you have to journey for days and days just to enter the jungle areas.

I will highlight other cool things to do in Ecuador in upcoming posts. Stay tuned!

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