Living in Cumbayá (Quito)

Cumbayá is a rural parish of the Metropolitan District of Quito, in the Tumbaco valley east of the city, according to INEC's geographic classification. It shares the valley with Tumbaco, Puembo and Pifo, and for any property paperwork it relies on the same offices as the rest of Quito: the DMQ Property Registry and the Municipality of the Metropolitan District.

Getting there

The Ruta Viva is the highway running through Cumbayá, Tumbaco, Pifo, Puembo and Tababela. According to EPMMOP, the corridor is 17.1 km long, including a 4.3 km phase III from the Puembo interchange to the E35 and the Alpachaca connector, with free-flow tolling, and aims to improve connections for people living in those parishes and for users of Mariscal Sucre International Airport. EPMMOP reports a reference annual average daily traffic of 93,773 vehicles (2023): try the commute to your work at rush hour before deciding.

Green space: El Chaquiñán

El Chaquiñán is an ecological trail on the valley's old railway line. EPMMOP describes it in three stretches — from the Pasteurizadora Quito to Cumbayá (20 km), from Cumbayá to Puembo (20 km) and from Puembo to El Quinche (23 km) —, 63 km in all, with gateways, security, toilets, drinking fountains, viewpoints, a dog area and playgrounds. It is used for cycling and walking.

If you are renting

Cumbayá is a rural parish, so ask the Municipality whether the property lies within an urban perimeter set by ordinance. There the Tenancy Law applies in full (art. 1): the tenant is entitled to a minimum of two years (art. 28), the landlord must give ninety days' notice if they do not want to renew (art. 33) and, if the rent exceeds one unified basic wage, the lease must be written and registered before a notary (art. 29). Outside urban perimeters, the law applies to home leases only as to jurisdiction and procedure, plus its arts. 4, 5 and 13 (art. 51).

Before buying or renting in Cumbayá

• Ask the Quito Municipality for the plot's IRM: it shows land use, permitted heights and restrictions from roads, rivers or ravines, which matter in a valley cut by ravines.
• Request the certificate of encumbrances from the DMQ Property Registry.
• In a gated complex or horizontal-property building, check the service charges (alícuotas) and the internal rules.
• Visit at different times of day: traffic on the Ruta Viva and the access roads, noise, nearby services.