International Living Daily Postcards

There's a small city in Ecuador that you might never have heard of. But if you're looking for a retirement destination, it's got a lot to offer. Called Ibarra, it's Ecuador's northernmost mountain city. You're not alone if it's unfamiliar to you. Though I, and several hundred other expats, live just 30 minutes away in the small town of Cotacachi, Ibarra gets too little attention considering how attractive it is as an expat destination. Why doesn't it get the recognition it deserves, you ask? Well, it's partly because Ibarra lost much of its original colonial architecture to an earthquake over 100 years ago. Not that you'd notice much—the buildings that replaced the wrecked ones are a pretty good replica of colonial style.

The case for owning farmland as a strategy to safely grow or preserve your nest egg has never been stronger. Increasing populations and wealth in emerging economies is the primary driver

The biggest deciding factor for many people in choosing a retirement destination is climate. Retiring to a warm-weather paradise is infinitely preferable to spending your days shoveling snow and scraping windshields.

The sky is a piercing blue, with a few wisps of white that could hardly be called clouds. Small boats and yachts bob in the marina, and birds and bees swoop and buzz around the trees and flowered hedges that line the walkway.