Ecuador, a long time favorite for overseas retirement, recently has become even more desirable as a place to retire. Being one of the top ten places to retire for the past ten years, it has finally risen to the top, according to International Living, for a variety of reasons. With attractions ranging from the famous Galapagos Islands to the sunny Pacific beaches and from the snow capped volcanoes to the exotic Amazon jungle, Ecuador offers something for everyone at prices unheard of in North America and Europe.

Ecuador enjoys beautiful weather year round. With average temperatures ranging from lows of 60ºF to highs of 75ºF, one never finds himself particularly uncomfortable due to the weather. This ultimately eliminates the need for heating systems and air conditioning, significantly reducing expenses. But this is only one reason why retiring in Ecuador is such a good option.

There are many places around the world where you can find low costs in real estate; yet in Ecuador, property is not the only thing that is affordable. The cost of living in general is extremely low in all areas of life with a gourmet dinner for two including wine and dessert costing about $25.00 and full time household help to cook and clean costing only about $30.00 a week. Medical care is excellent with state-of-the-art equipment, as well as specialists in all fields. A visit to the doctor's office costs about the same as in the U.S., but the specialists and hospital stays are much more reasonable. In general, Ecuadorians can live what most would call a "life of luxury," for a fraction of the cost of the average standard of living in North America. In fact, many foreign residents own two properties in Ecuador, one in the city and a vacation villa in the country or on the beach.

In Ecuador, you can live in a beautiful surrounding with all the modern conveniences for very low costs, and without being disconnected from the rest of the world. Daily flights connect Ecuador to major hubs throughout the hemisphere, and the flight to Miami is shorter than four hours. Internet and cell phones are virtually everywhere in the cities and can be easily accessed from the country and beaches. Your family will enjoy the hassle free visit.

Sounds good right? One more thing to think about when choosing a place to retire is the currency of that place and the strength of the currency you are paying with. Well if you have dollars then you have tremendous buying power in Ecuador. The dollar is gaining value there and is their local currency.