Moving to Salinas: a practical guide

Salinas is the westernmost canton of mainland Ecuador, in Santa Elena province, 140 km from Guayaquil according to its Municipality, which presents it as the "Capital del Sol". Many people know it from holiday weekends; living there all year is a different experience. This guide gathers the practical side of moving; for the paperwork of a purchase, see our guide to buying in Salinas.

Where to live

INEC's geographic classification lists the canton's urban parishes of Carlos Espinoza Larrea, General Alberto Enríquez Gallo, Vicente Rocafuerte and Santa Rosa, and the rural parishes of Anconcito and José Luis Tamayo (Muey). The Municipality highlights areas and beaches such as Chipipe, San Lorenzo, Punta Carnero and La Chocolatera, and Santa Rosa and Anconcito as fishing ports.

• Seafront or a few blocks inland: compare price, noise and upkeep; salt air means more care for facades, windows and appliances.
• In a beach building, ask about the service charges (alícuotas), the internal rules and whether seasonal lets are allowed: it changes life in the building a lot.
• If you work in Guayaquil or another canton of the peninsula, test the real journey on normal days and on holidays.
• Compare prices with data on the Salinas market page when there are enough listings.

Living year-round in a resort town

The town changes between the season and the rest of the year: on holidays and school breaks visitors arrive, demand for short lets rises and the beaches fill up; the rest of the year it is quieter. Humpback whale season runs from June to September, according to the Municipality. Before deciding, visit in both periods and check the INAMHI forecasts and alerts.

Healthcare and services

The Ministry of Public Health's network in Santa Elena province includes the Hospital General Dr. Liborio Panchana Sotomayor and the Hospital Básico Dr. José Garcés, according to the Ministry itself. If you are coming from abroad, check what your health insurance covers in Ecuador.

The Municipality of Salinas's portal gives access to the debt lookup and other online services, including the Property Registry's. Salinas has its own municipality and cadastre, separate from La Libertad's and Santa Elena's: taxes are paid in the canton where the property is.

If you are coming from abroad

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility publishes the visa types and their requirements in the Official Procedures Guide (gob.ec). For example, the retiree temporary residence visa requires, among other things, proof of a pension from abroad and health insurance with cover in Ecuador; the application is made online on the Ministry's e-VISAS platform. Requirements and fees change: read the official procedure page before applying and talk to a lawyer if your case is not standard.

Rent first

Salinas has two rental markets: seasonal lets and year-round homes. The Tenancy Law exempts from the two-year minimum term lets to people who live elsewhere and are passing through (art. 28); if you are moving to live there, sign a residential lease in writing, registered if the rent exceeds one unified basic wage (art. 29). Renting for a few months lets you see the town out of season before buying.

When you decide to buy

1. 1

   Choose the area with data

   Compare the listings for sale and the canton's market page; keep beach-apartment prices apart from year-round homes.

2. 2

   Check the property and the building

   Ask the Salinas Property Registry for the certificate of encumbrances, check on the municipal portal that the plot owes nothing and, in a building, get proof that the service charges are paid up.

3. 3

   Work out taxes and financing

   The Municipality of Salinas approved its property-tax ordinance for the 2026-2027 biennium; check your purchase's alcabala with the municipality and compare BIESS with private banks.

Search in Salinas

• Properties for rent in Salinas
• Properties for sale in Salinas
• Holiday rentals in Salinas
• Salinas property market: price per m² and listings
• Buying a property in Salinas: the paperwork