Ecuador’s Northern Andes: The World’s Best-value Destination

Ecuador’s Northern Andes is where you’ll find one of the world’s best-value places—and in your November 2009 issue of the IL Magazine Suzan Haskins explores lifestyle and property options here.

Suzan and her husband Dan Prescher recently spent two months in Cotacachi…in the condo they bought a year ago for $46,000. They love this little town.

While they were there, their friend, who is a musician, visited. Cotacachi is a musical city with music classes and frequent musical events…and a place where you’ll always hear musical groups rehearsing behind closed doors.

He loved it here…and when he learned that he could rent a furnished apartment in Cotacachi starting at about $130 a month, and that most expats report total living expenses of $500 to $600 a month, he was snared—hook, line, and sinker.

“It would cost me less to live here for a couple of months next summer than it would to stay home and pay my air-conditioning bills,” he calculated. “I could take a three-month vacation for the cost of most weeklong vacations.”

He’s right. The cost of living in Cotacachi is among the lowest in Latin America. And just because it’s small doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. The Andes Mountains are perfect for hiking, trout fishing, and bird watching; and there are natural hot springs nearby for a warm, soothing soak. You can take Spanish, music, art, or cooking classes; and there are plenty of opportunities for volunteer work.

But if you are looking for more activity, you’ll find it in the market town of Otavalo, about 20 minutes away, or in the much-larger city of Ibarra, a 30-minute drive to the north. Otavalo is a Quichua indigenous town famous for its music and crafts.

Imbabura province, where Cotacachi, Otavalo, and Ibarra are located, is prosperous compared with other regions of Ecuador. The towns are clean and orderly, and city governments have invested in infrastructure improvements to keep tourists (and residents) happy. Read more about this low-cost region of Ecuador in your November issue.

Also in your issue this month, we profile American James Tipton. Ten years ago, James fell in love with a Mexican lady and they moved to Lake Chapala. Now he’s active in the community here. James is an associate editor of a large-circulation monthly print magazine serving expatriates in the Lake Chapala area and this year he has also published two collections of poetry.

James and Martha’s monthly cost of living is $1,800 and that allows them a comfortable lifestyle. Plus, he feels fit and healthy due to his regular walks down by the lake.

“Back in the States when I was 50, I felt like I was 65. Here in Chapala, at age 67, I feel like I’m 50…and getting younger,” James says. Read his story on page 10 of your November issue.

* On page 26, Steenie Harvey delves into the back streets of Barcelona. “On a first visit, sure, get to know ‘gaudy Gaudi’ and enjoy the big-ticket sights of this beautiful city,” Steenie advises. “But spare some time to delve into less-trodden neighborhoods.”

Beyond the stylish designer bars with $12 cocktails, there’s another Barcelona—one that’s been airbrushed from the tourism brochures. One with local “ramblas,” where boys play soccer, old ladies walk dogs, and friends sit on benches socializing.

Here, activists commandeer derelict spaces and transform them into community gardens. Locals run café-bars—the kind where posters of soccer players hang above the snack counter, the TV is on permanently, and workmen puff Fortuna cigarettes over beers and bocadillos. Oh, and someone is always cursing or kicking the slot machine.

Where to find it? Steenie reveals all in your November issue.

Also in your issue this month, we explore the world’s most scenic drives; find out why English-speaking Malta is worth your attention right now; learn about Costa Rica’s next two up-and-coming hotspots; take a cruise for free; discover the best places to go fishing in Latin America; read why office space can make a perfect home in Montevideo; and find out where you can get a Tom Cruise smile for a fraction of what he paid (probably).

Read all this and much more in your November issue of International Living Magazine.