Canoa's Beautiful Stretch of Beach

Home » Archives for September 2008

Canoa's Beautiful Stretch of Beach

September 26th, 2008 | Ecuador - Gringo Favorite, Ecuador - Travel Tips | No Comments »

Heading about a half hour past Manta, we land in Canoa, a peaceful and relaxed fishing town with an amazing stretch of isolated beach. The area is crawling with adventure travelers, exploring the natural caves at the cliff base on the north side of the beach, hitting the waves on surfing and windsurfing, and flying through the air on hanggliders.

One source even claims that Canoa has more hammocks per capita than any other coastal town. While this may not be a proven fact, Canoa is, at least for the moment, a little more laid-back than other crazy coastal towns. Local fishermen spend the day out on the water, and surfers wander from the beach to Read more

Hotel Fun Lun in Manta

September 23rd, 2008 | Ecuador - Places to Stay | 1 Comment »

Hotel Lun Fun Manta may have a bit of a strange name, but for a night in Manta, it is a great place to stay. Rooms average about $65 dollars a night, they are comfortable, and the service is great. A number of rooms have views of the ocean, and the hotel is centrally located in Manta.

The restaurant at Hotel Lun Fun is considered to be one of the best in Manta, serving a variety of local fairs, my personal favorite being the ceviche.

The hotel is located at Av.11 and Calle 2, and offers free shuttle service to and from the airport, a complimentary American breakfast, Cable TV, A/C and laundry services.

Call +593-4-622966 Read more

Hanging Out in Manabi

September 17th, 2008 | Ecuador - Gringo Favorite, Ecuador - Nightlife | 1 Comment »

Manta, in Manabi is attractive to people who would prefer to be on the coast versus the mountains, but find Guayaquil to be too big and the other rural coastal town to be too small. Manta has a nice mix of first-world amenities, foreigners, and the stuff we gringos love about Ecuador: the laid-back feel, the friendly people, and of course, the beach!

In Manta, a popular spot for expats to hang out is the Cadillac Bar, located on Calle M-2 and Avenida 24 near Oro Verde. The place is decked out to be a 1950s American-themed bar. The bamboo walls are covered with American pop culture memorabilia, blending Ecuadorian and American culture.

There is outdoor seating, Read more

Exciting Train Ride Down the Mountains

September 11th, 2008 | Ecuador - Adventure, Ecuador - Gringo Favorite, Ecuador - Must See or Do | No Comments »

The Nariz del Diablo or the Devil’s Nose train ride is considered to be one of the world’s most spectacular train rides, and one of Ecuador’s highlights. The track zigzags down the mountainside passing providing fantastic views of the Andean Sierras.

The train ride is four to five hours long and starts in the city of Riobamba in the Central Sierra Region. It starts off in the cool highlands, descends through the cloud forest and ends in the hot coastal jungle. You can either get off in the city of Alausi or Sibambe.

A few things to keep in mind: Dress in layers. You will be cold at the start, but sweating by the bottom Read more

Street-Side Ice Cream in Quito

September 9th, 2008 | Ecuador - Family Friendly, Ecuador - Gringo Favorite | 1 Comment »

There is nothing like ice cream on a hot day, and for me there is nothing quite like the ice cream from one of the street carts in Quito. Sure, it doesn’t taste the same as Baskin Robbins does, but at 25 cents a pop, you couldn’t expect it to.

There is something delicious about the ice cream here. It may be that it is so hot outside, it just tastes better! In any case, if you can find it in restaurants or shops try the coconut ice cream or the ginger ice cream.

And don’t be afraid to buy the ice cream off of the street, they are the perfect treat for walking around the Read more

English News Source in Ecuador

September 2nd, 2008 | Ecuador - News, Ecuador - Relocation, Ecuador - Travel Tips | 2 Comments »

The Ecuador Gringo is always looking for new sources of information on Ecuador and this post brings you The Ecuador Reporter.

The Ecuador Reporter supplies readers with a ton of information on moving around Ecuador. You’ll find reviews of bars, clubs, and restaurants as well as business news and travel advice especially designed for foreigners.

The online newspaper also has a sports section and a culture section. The classifieds and sales sections are comprehensive and well perused by foreigners and locals alike.