Living (or holidaying) in Salinas

Salinas is the westernmost canton of mainland Ecuador, in Santa Elena province, 140 km from Guayaquil. Its Municipality calls it the "Capital del Sol" and the country's most important holiday resort. Its name comes from its salt flats, which have defined it since colonial times.

What it offers

• La Chocolatera, the most prominent headland of the Ecuadorian coast, with five viewpoints linked by self-guided trails, next to a military base and inside the Puntilla de Santa Elena Coastal Marine Reserve (REMACOPSE).
• Humpback-whale season from June to September, and boat trips from the San Lorenzo pier.
• Sailing and surfing: the Salinas Yacht Club hosted Ecuador's first Lightning World Championship (1957), and La Fae beach hosted the first national surf championship (1984).
• The Ecuasal wetland, with more than 100 species of sea and shore birds.
• Santa Rosa and Anconcito, the canton's main artisanal fishing ports.

Property paperwork

Salinas has its own municipality and its own Property Registry, separate from Guayaquil's and from those of Santa Elena and La Libertad, the province's other cantons. The Municipality of Salinas portal links to the Property Registry's online service and to the debts and property look-up. On a sale, the Municipality assesses the alcabala and plusvalía, and the deed is recorded in the registry of the canton where the property lies (Civil Code, art. 703).

Before buying or renting

• Request the certificate of encumbrances from the Salinas Property Registry (online service from salinas.gob.ec) and check on the municipal portal that the property owes nothing.
• In a beach building: service charges, internal rules and whether seasonal letting is allowed.
• If you will let by the season, remember the Tenancy Law exempts lets to people who live elsewhere and stay temporarily from the two-year minimum term (art. 28).
• Visit out of season: the town changes a lot between holiday weekends and ordinary days.