{"id":80,"date":"2024-01-17T02:02:47","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T02:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paulsusan.pictografics.ca\/?page_id=80"},"modified":"2025-08-20T19:02:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T19:02:42","slug":"puerto-lopez-ecuador","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/paulsusan.pictografics.ca\/index.php\/puerto-lopez-ecuador\/","title":{"rendered":"Puerto L\u00f3pez, Ecuador"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Puerto L\u00f3pez is located on the Pacific Coast of Ecuador about 1.5 hours south of Manta or 3 hours north of Guayaquil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Puerto L\u00f3pez has a population of approximately 15,000 people and the major industries are fishing and tourism. It takes 30 minutes to walk from one end of town to the other. There is only one stop-light in town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puerto L\u00f3pez has all the businesses you\u2019ll need: grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware and building supplies etc. There is a large municipal market that sells fruits and vegetables and there are local fruit\/vegetable vendors in almost every neighborhood. If you need big city shopping experiences, Manta and Portoviejo are only 90 minutes away and have all the malls, big box stores, traffic and noise that you\u2019ll need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fresh fish market near the pier enables you to buy fish right from the fishermen \u2013 and they\u2019ll clean and fillet it for you too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Puerto\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Puerto L\u00f3pez, Ecuador<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Puerto\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Puerto Lopez malecon\/boardwalk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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There is a year-round population of about 150 English-speaking residents in Puerto L\u00f3pez and another 100 that spend part of the year here. You\u2019ll quickly become part of a community of like-minded folks \u2013 after all, they decided to make Puerto L\u00f3pez home too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You don\u2019t need <\/em>to speak Spanish to live in Puerto L\u00f3pez but let\u2019s be honest, you\u2019ll enjoy life in town a lot more if you can at least communicate <\/em>in Spanish. Most locals don\u2019t speak English but they love to chat. So a little Spanish-language skills will help you buy tomatoes at the corner fruit stand and become friends with the vendor \u2013 likely your neighbor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Life is pretty relaxed here. There\u2019s a nice variety of restaurants to enjoy if you don\u2019t feel like cooking: from ones where the locals eat, to the ones where the tourists eat. Naturally, seafood is a popular dish but you can get everything else: from gnocchi; to pizza & burgers; to authentic Mexican food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Puerto\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Puerto Lopez fish market.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Access to health care is important.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ecuador has a two-tier health system. The doctors and nurses have all received excellent training (many in the United States). The public health care system is called IESS and monthly fees start at $70. The private system provides service equivalent to (or better than) what\u2019s available in the United States \u2013 at a fraction of the cost. Puerto L\u00f3pez has a 24 hour health clinic, lots of doctors and specialists, dentists, labs and related medical service providers. If you need specialized medical care, Manta and Portoviejo are only 90 minutes away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Two Popular Seasons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two very different seasons on the coast of Ecuador, both of which attract tourism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

December to May is the warmer season which attract beach seekers, both nationals and internationals. Plenty of sun, spectacular sunsets, warm evenings. The average temperature hovers around 31C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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June to November is the cooler season making the waters perfect for the Humpback Whales. The whale watching season draws a lot of tourism, both national and international. The average temperature hovers around 24C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Regardless you need one wardrobe here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What currency is used in Ecuador?<\/summary>\n

Ecuador\u2019s official currency is the US dollar. You can open a bank account at an Ecuadorian bank and transfer money into it from your home bank account, or you can use your ATM card to withdraw money from your home bank account.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

What kind of electrical plugs\/sockets does Ecuador use?<\/summary>\n

Exactly the same ones that are used in North America. Same voltage. Same plugs.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Can I drive in Ecuador and\/or buy a car?<\/summary>\n

Yes and yes. If you\u2019re going to live here permanently, it is recommended to get an Ecuador driver\u2019s license. The rules of the road are the same here as in North America (although most will tell you that Ecuadorians regard them as suggestions<\/em> rather than rules<\/em>). You can purchase a new or used car in Ecuador. You cannot ship your current car to <\/em>Ecuador. That is not an option.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Will my cell phone plan work in Ecuador and what about internet access?<\/summary>\n

Your best and least expensive option is get to get an Ecuadorian cell plan. They are quite inexpensive and the different cell companies provide country wide coverage at great prices. You won\u2019t have to change your phone \u2013 just pop in a new SIM. Internet access in Puerto L\u00f3pez is excellent and you won\u2019t have any problems Zooming, or Facetiming, video chatting or streaming your music and\/or favourite tv shows & movies.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What is the climate like?<\/summary>\n

Temperatures vary between 20\u00b0C\/70\u00b0F on a cold day and 30\u00b0C\/85\u00b0F on a hot day. There are no weather extremes: no cyclones\/hurricanes or tornados and there is rarely a thunder storm.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

How easy is it to travel to Ecuador?<\/summary>\n

Ecuador has three international airports. Quito (it\u2019s not that close to Puerto L\u00f3pez); Manta (90 mins north of Puerto L\u00f3pez) and; Guayaquil (3 hours south of Puerto L\u00f3pez). It\u2019s about a 4 hour flight from Miami\/Houston and about 8 hours from Toronto. Ecuador is served by all major airline companies.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

What is the cost of living in Puerto L\u00f3pez?<\/summary>\n

Of course, that all depends of how much you like to spend. As a general measure, two adults can live comfortably in Puerto L\u00f3pez on US$2000 \/ month. With that you can afford a housekeeper, a gardener, go out to eat regularly and have a nice glass of wine on the balcony as you watch the sun set.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the social life like in Puerto L\u00f3pez?<\/summary>\n

As mentioned above, the foreign resident (expat) community is small. You\u2019ll get to know them rather quickly and figure who has interests similar to yours. There are groups that get together for regular poker games, billiards, cribbage, Thai Chi, water aerobics, pizza nights, yoga, Superbowl parties \u2026 you get the idea. If you\u2019ve got a good excuse to get a group of folks together, you\u2019ll have no problem finding fellow \u2018conspirators\u2019. A local expat Facebook group helps keeps folks informed.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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What else can I do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Puerto L\u00f3pez is located in the heart of the Machalilla National Park (Parque Nacional Machalilla). We are surrounded on all sides by natural wilderness where you can take advantage of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n