Living in Cotacachi, Vilcabamba, and Salinas: Ecuador's Other Expat Towns Beyond Cuenca and Quito

Not everyone wants a city. Cuenca has 600,000 people and Quito has nearly 3 million — and while both are excellent for expats, some people move to Ecuador specifically to escape urban life. If that's you, three towns dominate the conversation: Cotacachi in the northern highlands, Vilcabamba in the southern highlands, and Salinas on the coast.

Each one attracts a different type of person for different reasons. This guide gives you the honest breakdown so you can figure out which one — if any — is right for you.

Cotacachi: The Quiet Artisan Town

The Basics

Cotacachi is a small town of about 20,000 people in Imbabura province, roughly two hours north of Quito. It sits at 2,400 meters (7,900 feet) — slightly lower than Cuenca, with a similar spring-like climate. It's known throughout Ecuador as the leather goods capital, with an entire street (Calle 10 de Agosto) lined with leather shops.

The expat community is small — somewhere between 100 and 200 people at any given time, mostly American and Canadian retirees. Everyone knows everyone. That's either a selling point or a warning, depending on your personality.

What It Feels Like

Cotacachi feels like a highland village that happens to have a small international community. The town center is walkable in 15 minutes. There's a pretty central plaza with the Iglesia Matriz, a handful of decent restaurants, a couple of cafés where expats gather, and not much else in terms of nightlife or entertainment.

The surrounding area is stunning. Cuicocha crater lake is a 15-minute drive and one of the most beautiful spots in Ecuador — you can hike the rim in about 5 hours with jaw-dropping views. The famous Otavalo indigenous market, the largest in South America, is 15 minutes away. Ibarra, a mid-sized city with more amenities, is 30 minutes north.

The indigenous Kichwa culture is deeply present here. You'll see traditional dress daily, hear Kichwa spoken, and experience a side of Ecuador that the bigger expat hubs barely touch.

Cost of Living

Cotacachi is the cheapest of these three options, and one of the cheapest places to live in Ecuador:

• Monthly budget: $800-1,200 for a comfortable lifestyle
• Rent (furnished): $300-500 for a nice house or apartment
• Groceries: $150-250/month (the Otavalo market is unbelievably cheap for produce)
• Dining out: $3-5 for an almuerzo (set lunch), $8-15 for a nice dinner
• Utilities: $40-70/month
• Internet: $30-40/month (adequate but not great for heavy remote work)

Healthcare Reality

This is Cotacachi's biggest weakness. The town has a small public hospital (Hospital Asdrúbal de la Torre) that handles basics — stitches, X-rays, minor emergencies. Anything beyond that and you're going to Ibarra (30 minutes) or Quito (2 hours).

For routine care, there are a few private doctors in town. For specialists, dental work, or any imaging beyond basic X-ray, you need to travel. If you have a serious medical condition that requires regular specialist visits, Cotacachi is probably not for you.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Gorgeous setting, incredible day trips (Cuicocha, Otavalo, Mojanda lakes)
• Cheapest cost of living of any expat destination
• Indigenous cultural immersion you won't find in Cuenca or Quito
• Quiet, peaceful, zero traffic, clean air
• Proximity to Quito for airport access and big-city needs

Cons:

• Limited healthcare
• Very small restaurant and entertainment scene
• Internet can be spotty for remote workers
• Tiny expat community — if you don't click with the group, you're isolated
• Can feel boring after the initial honeymoon period
• Limited public transportation; having a car helps significantly

Best For

Retirees who genuinely want quiet. Nature lovers. Artists and writers who want minimal distraction. People interested in indigenous Andean culture. Couples or individuals who are self-entertaining and don't need a social calendar handed to them.

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Vilcabamba: The Valley of Longevity

The Basics

Vilcabamba is a tiny town of about 5,000 people tucked into a valley in Loja province, roughly 4.5 hours south of Cuenca. It sits at just 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) — much lower than the highland cities, giving it a distinctly warmer subtropical climate. The expat community is small, probably 50-100 people at most, and the vibe is... unique.

Vilcabamba became famous in the 1970s when researchers claimed its residents lived extraordinarily long lives, earning it the nickname "Valley of Longevity." The longevity claims have since been largely debunked (poor birth records were the real explanation), but the reputation attracted a wave of wellness-oriented, spiritual, hippie-adjacent expats who define the community to this day.

What It Feels Like

Vilcabamba is a one-street town. That's not an exaggeration — the main drag, Diego Vaca de Vega, has the restaurants, the few shops, the pharmacy, and the central park. You can walk the entire commercial area in five minutes.

The valley setting is beautiful. Green hills on all sides, warm sunny days, cool nights, abundant fruit trees, and a pace of life that makes Cuenca look like Manhattan. Horses graze in fields. Roosters crow. The air smells like jasmine and wood smoke.

The expat community splits into camps: the wellness/yoga/ayahuasca/raw-food crowd, the quiet retirees, and the off-grid homesteaders. There's overlap, but the dominant culture is spiritual and alternative. If you're into sound healing and organic farming, you'll feel immediately at home. If you're looking for craft cocktails and live music, you're in the wrong valley.

Cost of Living

Vilcabamba competes with Cotacachi for cheapest expat destination in Ecuador:

• Monthly budget: $700-1,100 for a comfortable lifestyle
• Rent (furnished): $250-500 for a house or cabin (some beautiful fincas for the higher end)
• Groceries: $120-200/month (organic produce is abundant and cheap at the local market)
• Dining out: $3-4 for an almuerzo, $6-12 for dinner at the handful of restaurants
• Utilities: $30-50/month
• Internet: $25-35/month (improving but still unreliable for video calls)

Healthcare Reality

Vilcabamba has a small public health center for basics. For anything meaningful, you need to get to Loja, the nearest real city, which is about an hour's drive. Loja has decent hospitals (Hospital UTPL, Clínica San Agustín) and specialists, but it's no Cuenca or Quito in terms of medical infrastructure.

The nearest airport with regular domestic flights is in Loja (Catamayo, technically). If you need to get to Quito or Guayaquil for major medical care, you're looking at a full day of travel.

Alternative medicine, however, is everywhere. Acupuncture, herbalism, energy healing, massage therapy — Vilcabamba has more per capita than anywhere in Ecuador. Whether that's a pro or con depends entirely on your worldview.

The Small-Town Drama Factor

This needs honest mention. When 50-100 expats live in a one-street town with limited entertainment, social dynamics get intense. Everybody knows everybody's business. Feuds develop. Gossip is a primary form of recreation. Facebook groups for Vilcabamba expats can read like a soap opera.

Some people love the intimacy. Others find it suffocating. If you're someone who needs the ability to disappear into a crowd occasionally, Vilcabamba will wear on you.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Perfect climate — warm but not hot, dry, sunny, no humidity
• Stunningly beautiful valley setting
• Incredibly low cost of living
• Strong organic food and wellness culture
• Total disconnection from modern stress (if that's what you want)
• Mangoes and avocados falling from trees in your yard

Cons:

• Very small — can feel claustrophobic socially
• Limited healthcare (1 hour to Loja for anything serious)
• One main street, minimal shopping and entertainment
• Internet reliability is still a challenge
• Tiny expat community means limited social options
• 4.5 hours from Cuenca, far from international airports
• Small-town gossip and drama are real

Best For

People who genuinely want to disconnect. Wellness and yoga practitioners. Off-grid or homestead-minded individuals. Writers, meditators, and anyone seeking radical simplicity. People comfortable with genuine rural living, not just the Instagram version.

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Salinas: The Beach Alternative

The Basics

Salinas is a coastal resort town of about 35,000 people on the tip of the Santa Elena peninsula, roughly 2.5 hours west of Guayaquil. It sits at sea level — warm, humid, and a completely different world from the highlands. The expat and retiree community is growing, probably 300-500 people, making it the largest alternative expat community after Cuenca and Quito.

Salinas is Ecuador's most upscale beach town. Think high-rise condos along a boardwalk (malecón), yacht clubs, seafood restaurants, and a resort vibe that's earned it comparisons to a smaller, Ecuadorian Miami Beach.

What It Feels Like

Salinas has two seasons, and they feel like two different towns:

December through April (high season): Sunny, hot (85-95°F), crowded with Guayaquileños on weekends and holidays. The beach is packed, restaurants are full, the malecón is alive. This is when Salinas earns its reputation. It's genuinely fun, energetic, and feels like a real beach community.

June through November (garúa season): Overcast, cooler (70-80°F), gray skies, persistent drizzle. The beach is empty. Half the restaurants close or reduce hours. The town feels abandoned. Snowbirds leave. Year-round residents describe this as the "survival season." If you hate gray weather, these six months will break you.

The expat community is condo-centric. Most expats live in the high-rise buildings along the malecón or in the Chipipe neighborhood. There are social gatherings, pool barbecues, and an active English-speaking community that organizes events. The Salinas Yacht Club is a social hub.

Cost of Living

Salinas is the most expensive of these three towns, though still very affordable by US standards:

• Monthly budget: $1,000-1,800 for a comfortable lifestyle
• Rent (furnished condo): $400-900/month (ocean-view condos on the high end; prices spike December-April)
• Groceries: $200-350/month (seafood is cheap, imported goods are pricier)
• Dining out: $4-6 for almuerzo, $10-25 for a seafood dinner
• Utilities: $50-100/month (AC is expensive — budget accordingly)
• HOA/condo fees: $80-200/month (a significant added cost in high-rises)

Healthcare Reality

Salinas has basic medical facilities. Hospital General Liborio Panchana handles emergencies and routine care. There are private clinics and dentists in town. But for specialists, advanced imaging, or any complex medical situation, you're going to Guayaquil — 2.5 hours by car or bus.

This is probably the biggest downside for retirees. If you're in your 70s and have multiple health conditions, being 2.5 hours from serious medical care is a real consideration. Some expats keep a Guayaquil doctor and make the trip monthly or quarterly.

The Heat Factor

This needs emphasis for anyone coming from the highlands or from cooler climates. Salinas is HOT. Not "pleasant warm" — genuinely hot, with humidity that makes it feel hotter. December through April, midday temperatures regularly hit 90°F+ with high humidity. You will need air conditioning, and you will use it constantly. Your electric bill will reflect this ($60-100/month is common).

If you're someone who wilts in heat, or if you have health conditions exacerbated by heat and humidity, the coast is not for you. Mosquitoes are also a factor — dengue fever exists on the Ecuadorian coast, and while Salinas has less risk than more tropical areas, it's not zero.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Beach lifestyle — ocean views, seafood, salt air, sunset walks
• Warm weather year-round (if you love heat)
• Growing expat community with organized social life
• Familiar resort-town feel for North Americans
• Whale watching season (June-September) is spectacular
• Relatively modern infrastructure for a beach town

Cons:

• Garúa season (June-November) is gray, overcast, and depressing
• Hot and humid — AC is mandatory, not optional
• Healthcare limitations — 2.5 hours from Guayaquil
• Mosquitoes and occasional dengue risk
• Seasonal price fluctuations (December-April costs more)
• Less culturally immersive than highland towns
• Can feel like a tourist town, not a real community, during high season

Best For

Beach lovers who don't mind heat. Snowbirds who come December through April and escape the garúa. People who want a resort-style lifestyle at Ecuadorian prices. Those who hate cold weather and high altitude. Expats who want a condo with an ocean view and a pool.

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The Comparison Table

Factor	Cotacachi	Vilcabamba	Salinas	Cuenca	Quito
Altitude	2,400m / 7,900ft	1,500m / 4,900ft	Sea level	2,500m / 8,200ft	2,800m / 9,200ft
Climate	Spring-like	Warm subtropical	Hot, humid	Spring-like	Cool spring
Avg. temp	55-75°F	65-85°F	75-95°F	55-75°F	50-70°F
Population	~20,000	~5,000	~35,000	~600,000	~2.8M
Expat community	100-200	50-100	300-500	5,000-8,000	3,000-5,000
Monthly budget	$800-1,200	$700-1,100	$1,000-1,800	$1,200-2,000	$1,200-2,200
Rent (furnished)	$300-500	$250-500	$400-900	$400-800	$500-1,000
Healthcare	Basic (Ibarra 30 min)	Basic (Loja 1 hr)	Basic (Guayaquil 2.5 hr)	Excellent	Excellent
Airport access	Quito 2 hr	Loja/Catamayo 45 min	Guayaquil 2.5 hr	Cuenca 20 min	Quito 45 min
Walkability	Good (small)	Excellent (tiny)	Moderate	Excellent	Poor-moderate
Internet	Adequate	Spotty	Good	Good	Good
Cultural immersion	High (indigenous)	Moderate (alternative)	Low (resort)	High	High

The Honest Advice

Here's what most guides won't tell you: the majority of expats who move to Cotacachi, Vilcabamba, or Salinas as their first Ecuador destination eventually end up in Cuenca or Quito. Not all of them. But most.

The pattern is predictable:

1. Fall in love with the small town on a visit
2. Move there full of excitement
3. Enjoy 3-6 months of honeymoon bliss
4. Start feeling the limitations — healthcare access, limited social options, internet issues, boredom
5. Gradually spend more time in the nearest city
6. Eventually relocate to the city

This isn't to discourage you from trying. It's to help you plan intelligently. Here's the smart approach:

Rent first. Never buy property in a small town until you've lived there through all seasons for at least a year. This is especially critical for Salinas (garúa season changes everything) and Vilcabamba (social dynamics take months to reveal themselves).

Start in Cuenca or Quito. Get your cedula, set up your banking, find your doctors, learn some Spanish, and build a baseline social network. Then explore the smaller towns from that secure base. You can always move later.

Consider splitting time. Many expats maintain a base in Cuenca and spend weeks or months in smaller towns. A furnished rental in Vilcabamba or Cotacachi for a month costs $300-500 — cheap enough to use as a seasonal escape.

Be honest about your needs. If you need good internet for work, reliable healthcare, a variety of restaurants, and a social life that doesn't depend on 50 people — the small towns will frustrate you. If you genuinely crave quiet, nature, and simplicity, and you're healthy enough to handle limited medical access, they might be perfect.

The best version of expat life in Ecuador often involves combining these places: the infrastructure of a city with the soul of a village. Ecuador is small enough that you can have both.