Episode 15: Easy Living in Cuenca, Ecuador's Most Popular Retirement Haven
Play • 35 min

In this week’s podcast, host, Jim Santos speaks to expat Donna Stiteler. For many years, Donna served as International Living’s Ecuador Correspondent from the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. 

Cuenca, a highland city built in a steep-sided valley deep in the Andes mountains, is an established expat location. In fact, many would claim that it’s the world’s premier expat city. Due to its elevation and latitude, Cuenca enjoys a dependable, spring-like climate where the temperatures peak at around 75 F, and dip to cool evenings in the low 60s F…every day of the year. The city center is bisected by the clean waters of the Tomebamba river, but such is the nature of the lush, mountain hinterland, there are another four rivers flowing through the metropolitan region.

With quiet trams providing excellent public transport, taxis which will whisk you across the city for $3, and a major bus station connecting Cuenca to the rest of Ecuador and beyond, there’s really no need to own a car in the city. That’s just one of many savings which combine to create a lifestyle that Donna claims reduced her stress and worries to a point where it saved her life. Living more of her life outdoors, eating more healthily, no longer slaving her life away to make ends meet…Donna has found a life in Cuenca that she couldn’t have possibly imagined, or afforded, back in the States.

Settle in and listen to Donna’s inspiring story, as Jim Santos hosts the latest episode of International Living’s Bigger Better World podcast.

Read Donna's cover story in the February issue of International Living magazine: Expat-Friendly Cuenca Grows Up: Easy Living in Ecuador’s Affordable Retirement Haven.

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Music: Royalty Free Music From timtaj.com.

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