Real estate tours, following International Living conference, spotlight Cuenca, Vilcabamba, South Coast

Are you considering buying real estate in Ecuador’s most popular areas, the southern Andes and the South Coast? One of the best ways to check out the market –and to see the country at the same time– is to sign up for one of two real estate tours being offered in March.

The Cuenca –  Vilcabamba tour, sponsored by TransAndean Trading and Cuenca Real Estate, kicks off Saturday morning, March 7 in Cuenca and wraps up March 11 in Vilcabamba. The South Coast tour, sponsored by Ecuador Properties, starts with an airport pick-up in Guayaquil March 7 and concludes in Manta, March 9. Both tours follow International Living’s annual Ultimate Event conference in Quito, March 3 – 6.

The Cuenca – Vilcabamba tour offers a city tour of Cuenca, Ecuador’s third largest city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as a look at condos, homes and land in the city and nearby countryside. According to a number of sources, Cuenca has been the single most popular destination for potential expats and investors in Ecuador since 2005. The tour will also meet with immigration and real estate attorneys who will share information about obtaining visas and the real estate purchase process.

Not far behind Cuenca on the list of Ecuador’s most popular spots, is Vilcabamba, commonly called the Valley of Longevity because of its large number of elderly residents. The Vilcabamba Valley is widely considered to have the best weather in the country and, some say, in the world. The tour will visit two of Ecaudor’s most impressive planned communities, San Joaquin and El Atillo, as well as look at individual properties.

The South Coast tour will visit the popular coastal towns of Playas and Salinas and then head north on Ecuador’s Ruta del Sol to visit Punta Blanca, Montañita, Olón, Puerto López and Puerto Cayo on the way to the port city of Manta.

Playas and Salinas are Ecuador’s most popular resorts, complete with high-rise condos, lively beach scene and vibrant night life. Montañita is Ecuador’s surfing capital, famous for its international youth culture and great seafood. Further north, Olón and Puerto Cayo have some the countries best beaches while Puerto López is famous for its pictureque fishing fleet and whale watching.

The tours are coordinated by real estate experts David Morrill and Mike Sager. Morrill is International Living’s Ecuador correspondent and the author of The Ecuador Owner’s Manual while Sager is the Ecuador contact for LiveandInvestOverseas.com.

For more information about the tours, contact David Morrill at dmorrill@TransAndeanTrading.com or Mike Sager at redwulf3@juno.com.

Photo captions: Cuenca's landmark justice building is a historic district landmark.