Living in Samborondón: La Puntilla and the vía a Samborondón

What Guayaquil calls "la vía a Samborondón" lies largely in La Puntilla (Satélite), an urban parish of the Samborondón canton according to INEC's geographic classification. The canton sits in the lower Guayas river basin and is separated from Guayaquil by the Daule river and from Durán by the Babahoyo river, according to its Municipality; it became a canton by decree published in Registro Oficial no. 959 of 31 October 1955.

A municipality of its own

Although it is minutes from Guayaquil, La Puntilla is not Guayaquil: the predial, the appraisal, ownership-history and encumbrance certificates, and the land-use certificate are issued by the Municipality of Samborondón, mostly online. If you compare properties on either side of the river, remember the tax ordinances differ.

The Samborondón avenue

The Samborondón avenue is the parish's spine. In October 2021 the Municipality opened a pedestrian bridge at km 6 of the avenue, in the Isla Mocolí area, where, by its figures, more than 4,000 people move about. If you buy in a gated development (urbanización) or a building, always ask about the service charges and the internal rules.

The certificates, online

The Municipality of Samborondón's online services cover checking and paying the predial and the ownership-history, encumbrance, appraisal, land-use, property-tax compliance, no-property and no-debt certificates. The appraisal certificate can also be requested at the counter: for an urban plot you attach this year's predial receipt, the owner's ID and the deed bearing the stamp of the Dirección de Avalúos y Catastro.

Before buying or renting

• Ask the Municipality of Samborondón for the property's ownership-history and encumbrance certificates.
• Check with the property-tax compliance certificate that the property owes no municipal debts.
• In a gated development, read the internal rules, the service charges and what they cover.
• Try the commute to work or school at rush hour.