Country guide

Ecuador

Destinations

Visa & entry

eu passport	Visa-free entry, T-3 tourist stamp for up to 90 days within a rolling 12-month period (not a 180-day window). Valid passport with 6+ months remaining and a return ticket required; no pre-approval or online application.
us passport	Visa-free, T-3 tourist stamp for up to 90 days within a 12-month period, same conditions as above.
uk passport	Visa-free, T-3 tourist stamp for up to 90 days within a 12-month period, same conditions as above.
entry or eco taxes	The Galapagos Islands carry a separate ~$100 entry tax (Transit Control Card / national park fee) - this does NOT apply to mainland coastal destinations like Santa Marianita/Manta.
tax residency days	General 183-day rule; not independently reverified this session.
notes	Enforcement is strict: 90 days per entry is a hard ceiling, and the clock only resets after a full 180 days spent outside Ecuador (2026 guidance).

Money

currency	US Dollar (USD) - Ecuador has been fully dollarized since 2000, a major practical advantage for US travellers (no currency exchange needed) and simplifies budgeting for all nationalities.
card acceptance	Reasonable in cities and established tourist businesses (kite schools, hotels); many small vendors, taxis and local eateries are cash-only.
atm networks fees limits	Banco Pichincha, Banco Guayaquil and others widespread; standard international withdrawal fees apply. Use ATMs inside banks/malls during daylight hours given the security context noted below.
scams	Express kidnapping (short-term abduction to extract cash from ATMs) - flagged as 'common throughout Ecuador' by UK FCDO (2026) Scopolamine and other incapacitating drugs used to facilitate robbery Taxi overcharging - use authorized taxis/ride apps
tipping	~10% service charge is often already added to restaurant bills; a small additional tip is appreciated, not obligatory.
cash tips	USD cash tips are simple and common given full dollarization.

SIM & internet

operators ranked for coast coverage	Claro (strongest national/coastal coverage, best choice for Manabí coast) Movistar CNT (state-owned, cheaper, less coverage)
esim options	Movistar travel eSIMs (from ~$3.88, 2026) Third-party resellers (BitJoy, Holafly, etc.) - typically no passport required
id required for sim	Yes - SIM registration is mandatory in Ecuador and a passport must be presented in person for a physical SIM; eSIMs purchased online generally bypass this requirement.
notes	Claro prepaid example: ~$8/6GB and ~$20/20GB for 30 days (2026, gigago.com).

Insurance

kite excluded by standard policies	Typically yes - kitesurfing commonly needs an extreme-sports add-on on standard travel policies (general pattern, not Ecuador-specific source this session).
recommended	Specialist watersports/kite insurance PLUS comprehensive medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended given the active government travel advisory covering Manabí province (see regulation.other below).
evacuation note	IMPORTANT: UK FCDO travel insurance guidance states that standard travel insurance coverage may be invalidated when travelling against government advice - and as of 2026 the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Manabí province, which includes Manta and Santa Marianita. Travellers should check their specific policy's advisory-zone clause before relying on it.

Health

vaccines	Routine vaccinations should be up to date; Hepatitis A recommended. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended/required for the Amazon region only, not the coastal Manabí area.
mosquito disease seasons	Dengue present on the coast, especially in the rainy season (roughly December-May); Zika/chikungunya risk considered lower currently (not independently reverified this session).
tap water	Not potable in most of Ecuador, including the coast - drink bottled or filtered water.
emergency numbers	911
hospital standard	Private clinics in Manta are adequate for routine care; serious trauma cases may require evacuation to Guayaquil or Quito.
pharmacy notes	Pharmacies widely available in Manta.

Driving

idp needed	Recommended - may be requested alongside a driver's licence at checkpoints; not independently reverified against a primary source this session.
road safety	Aggressive driving culture: fast lane-changing, speeding trucks and buses. Police/military checkpoints are common and generally legitimate (carry registration, licence and passport), but the FCDO (2026) also documents armed thieves stopping vehicles and robbing occupants, particularly noting Esmeraldas, Guayas and Manabí provinces specifically.
rental traps	Minimum age 25, credit card and valid licence required (Avis/Hertz/Budget/Enterprise/Thrifty operate at Manta airport); insurance upsells are common.
4x4 contexts	Not required for the paved coastal road between Manta and Santa Marianita; useful for rural/inland excursions.
police stops	Legitimate document checkpoints are routine; travellers should also be aware of fake-checkpoint robbery risk reported in security advisories and avoid unnecessary night driving on the coast.

Regulation

kite rules national	No dedicated national kiteboarding law identified. Santa Marianita's beach is wide (~300m) and largely undeveloped, which locals/schools describe as naturally accommodating for kiting without formal zoning.
drone rules	Ecuador's civil aviation authority (DGAC) requires drone registration/permits, with restrictions near airports (relevant near Manta's Eloy Alfaro International Airport, MEC).
protected areas	Machalilla National Park and the Isla de la Plata marine reserve lie further south near Puerto López, not directly at Santa Marianita, but are part of the wider Manabí coastal conservation landscape.
other	SECURITY FLAG (2026): the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Manabí province - which includes Manta and Santa Marianita, the destination in this atlas entry - citing gang-related violence, express kidnapping, armed vehicle robbery, and a car-bomb incident in nearby Guayaquil (Oct 2025). Ecuador declared a 60-day state of emergency from 16 June (year not fully specified in source) covering 10 provinces including Manabí, with increased police/military presence. This is a materially different risk profile than the other three countries in this batch and should be surfaced prominently in the atlas, not buried.

Calendar & costs

school holidays	Ecuador's coastal (Costa) region follows a different academic calendar than the highlands (Sierra) - main school break on the coast is roughly April-May, with classes running May-February; not independently reverified this session.
beer	$1.00 (domestic, 0.5L) - Manta reference.
meal	$3.50 (inexpensive restaurant) - Manta reference.
coffee	$2.85 (cappuccino) - Manta reference.
one bedroom month	$300.00 city centre / $140.00 outside centre - Manta reference (nearest priced city to Santa Marianita, ~20 min away).
currency	USD
year	2026

Open questions

Whether Ecuador currently offers a formal digital-nomad/remote-worker visa product (a 'Temporary Resident Visa' for remote workers has been referenced in past years) was not re-verified against a primary government source this session.
Starlink regulatory status in Ecuador not verified this session.
Airline-specific kiteboard/sports-bag fees for carriers serving Manta (LATAM, Avianca, Copa) not verified this session - web search budget was exhausted before this could be checked.
Exact wording/duration of the June 2026 state of emergency in Manabí (start date confirmed, end date/current status not fully verified) should be rechecked closer to any trip.