November 17 2021

YIKES: What to wear in Cotacachi, Ecuador

chenry 2021 Year 8, November

Everyday clothes in Cotacachi are comfortable and casual. It is recommended to dress in layers. Generally, I wear blue jeans, a shirt, socks, and walking shoes. Good walking shoes are a must since you will be doing a lot of walking on uneven sidewalks or hiking. I always say there are land mines (potholes) so you have to always watch where you are walking. The grassy area has little black noseeum biting bugs which I referred to as #!&%. The bite is worse than a flea bite and you will scratch and itch all day. The solution is to not have your skin exposed. Some people try to wear shorts and flip-flops but believe me it is not worth the risk if you are going to be around any gardens or lawns. These little bugs are active during daytime hours. If you do receive bites you can try tea tree oil and crazy as it sounds toothpaste always helps me. The itch is so bad you will not be able to sleep. After a few years, you will build up immunity.

The mornings are crisp but by noon it starts to warm up, and you will be taking off your jacket layer. But by 3 pm you will be putting your jacket back on as the weather starts to cool down. By 7 pm it will be time to light the fireplace. In Cotacachi the wet season is overcast, the dry season partly cloudy and it is comfortable all year. The temperatures vary from 53F -72F and it is rare that the temperature drops below 45 F or above 75 F. But the sun can be intense so you should wear a hat! The elevation is just a little over 7959 feet. Whereas Quito’s elevation is 9,350 and cooler compared to Cuenca’s elevation of 8,517 and is still cooler than Cotacachi. The coast is a whole different matter since of course, it is at sea level and very warm and you will want to wear summer shorts and beach attire.

There are times you will want to dress up a bit especially if you are going to the five-star La Mirage bouquet garden restaurant and spa. You can never go wrong with business casual attire but then it is fun to dress up sometimes! During lunch, I have worn blue jeans and a nice shirt.

Seasons in Cotacachi

The wetter season lasts 6.2 months, from November 17 to May 24, with a greater than 41% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the wettest days in Cotacachi is April, with an average of 20.8 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation. The drier season lasts 5.8 months, from May 24 to November 17.

However, this year is usual with lots of rain ahead of the rainy season.

The drier season lasts 5.8 months, from May 24 to November 17. The month with the fewest wet days in Cotacachi is August, with an average of 3.8 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation. … The month with the most days of rain alone in Cotacachi is April, with an average of 20.8 days.

Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Cotacachi for warm-weather activities is from early June to late September.

I stumbled upon this video blog that provides valuable information concerning Ecuador from an ex-pat perspective. They also have blogs about the cost of living, moving to Ecuador as well as locations on the coast. So you might want to check out their info.