Manta is Ecuador’s fastest growing city…has been for years.
As an international port there are parts of the town that are rough. FOR EXAMPLE, STAY AWAY FROM THE TUNA FACTORIES IN NORTH MANTA…PHEW!
Yet at its center Manta is quite civilized, everything evolving around the Oro Verde Hotel.
Oro Verdes are great! The first hotel we ever visited in Ecuador was the Oro Verde Guayaquil. I loved it! Though sadly I have been told that Oro Verde Cuenca filled in the beautiful lake that wrapped around it. They turned it into parking.
I guess Big Yellow Taxi’s go there now…remember the lament.
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you got till it’s gone
They paved paradise and put up a parkin’ lot
A pity about that in Cuenca…but the Oro Verde Manta is still great….especially on Sunday morns.
They have a killer breakfast buffet and the restaurant has wonderful sea views. Yet the Oro Verde Manta is special for Merri and me for another reason…
Cinnamon rolls and…
croissants.
Merri and I lived in England and Europe for over a decade…spent a lot of time in Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy. We picked up some bad habits…like European bread and for me dark roasted coffee.
We take care with our nutrition, so we limit our access to these potential sins…but on Sunday mornings we allow ourselves to let go! We’ll eat croissants if we can find good ones.
This makes the Oro Verde Manta special because overall bread in Ecuador sucks. I love the food in Cotacachi except the bread. I dare you to find a croissant that a Frenchman would spit on.
The Manta Oro Verde has some of the best croissants, pan au chocolat and cinnamon rolls in the world! We live 40 minutes north in San Clemente and even though we are no longer city folk, we just might drive all the way.
For those who want to be in the city there is an easer solution…buy a condo in Manta. They come in all sizes, shapes, colors and form.
Here is one at the low end we visited on our last coastal real estate tour.
This is a few blocks off the beach…but very walkable to the water.
All tile and clean almost to sterility.
The sitting-dining area has an ocean view…no balconies though.
The bedroom…
has a shot of the ocean as well.
The kitchen is efficient and compact.
as is the washer and dryer.
Plus there are plenty of closets.
We met the couple who live in the penthouse above…nice people…Americans who work in New York from Manta via broadband.
All in all this is a nice unit, I am guessing about 750 square feet, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom in a good part of town. The asking price is $49,000…fully furnished…all appliances included.
I have just sent a Manta condo report with more details and broker contacts to our Ecuador Living subscribers. You can find our how to subscribe here.
Until next message, may your Sundays go really well.
Gary
Join us at a course in Cotacachi or on Ecuador’s coast this winter.
Jan. 16-21 Ecuador Spanish Course
Jan. 22-23 Imbabura Real Estate Tour
See condos like this in Cotacachi for $46,500.
Jan. 24-27 Coastal Real Estate Tour
See Manta condos like this one. Delegates are inspecting the 1,000+ square foot patio.
The patio has this view.
Feb. 9-11 Beyond Logic-Shamanic Mingo
Feb. 13-15 International Business & Investing Made EZ
Feb. 16-17 Imbabura Real Estate Tour
Here is a long shot of Cotacachi.
March 8-9 Imbabura Real Estate Tour
March 10-15 Ecuador Export Expedition
March 16-19 Coastal Real Estate Tour
Better still join us all year in Ecuador! See our entire schedule of 26 courses, tours, mingos and expeditions we’ll conduct in 2009.
The course fee includes meeting at Quito airport (day before the course)…transportation (by group bus) to Cotacachi and back to Quito. Course fee does not include air are. accommodations, food or individual transportation.
