Pros and Cons of Living in Ecuador

"Still working on that one as I do not care for this town I am living in and is much more primitive than cities," said one expat in Bahia de Caraquez.

"I like that the children seem very happy and smile a lot and play with their parents in the parks, so it seems that the locals like having children more than in North America, where you rarely see adults with children," said a person living in Ecuador.

"On the whole I have experienced the Ecuadorians to be honest. As a people they are culturally extremely polite. In my estimation they rivel the French with their protocols of politeness. "Buenos días, "Buenas tardes," "buenas noches, " "Saludos." If you don't greet someone, they feel slighted. And they address you by title, "don Ernesto". "doña Maria". o "mi señora linda". which is something we would never dare say in the north "my pretty lady."," explained one expat living in Cotacachi.

"Expatriates in Ecuador appreciate the warmth and hospitality of the Ecuadorian people and their willingness to share conversation and demonstrate their culture. They also enjoy the abundance of outdoor activities and the various cultural events, like music festivals, parades and national holidays that take place across the country. The rich array of local cuisine is also a favorite among expats in Ecuador and they are also appreciative of the unique architecture, from colonial and neo-classical styles, to the mid-century modern and Indigenous varieties. Finally, being surrounded by such gorgeous landscapes and the abundance of flora and fauna found throughout Ecuador is something many expats can't help but appreciate," said one in Ecuador.

"Ecuador is a better place to learn Spanish. In Spain they want to practice their English. In Ecuador they mostly don't speak English. Read up on the Inca empire and its encounter with the Spanish in the 16th century. Some of the roads you'll travel in Ecuador were Inca trails 700 years ago," explained one expat who made the move to Vilcabamba.

"Not knowing the language and the fact that especially in this part of Ecuador, they talk extremely FAST!," replied an expat in Bahia de Caraquez.

"Although scrupulously polite, I have not found the Ecuadorian people to be particularly friendly or outgoing. And they are extremely protective of their privacy. Which is why they often live behind eight-foot-high walls with wire or broken bottles on top. Whether the fear is justified or not I can't say, but it seems to infect most everyone. It is very unusual to invite someone into your home, or to be invited. Mostly, in my experience (only one opinion mind you) socializing is done within the family, not by getting together with friends to tell stories and share meals. That is one difference I find really hard to take. And they love noise. They honk, they put a big speaker outside each store and blast music assuming that everyone wants to hear. To me it is a form of polution, pure and simple. Give me quiet any day," remarked one in Cotacachi.