Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city and seaport on the country's Pacific coast. It is a tropical city with temperatures ranging 75-90 F/24-32 C and a rainy season that begins in January and usually ends in April or May. Previously considered an unattractive, smelly city and excluded from most tourist itineraries, Guayaquil has received an impressive face-lift from recent municipal administrations. In addition to a series of public works, the Malecon 2000 is a safe, pleasant 2.5-mi/4-km promenade along the banks of the Guayas River offering a variety of gardens, restaurants, recreational areas, monuments, shops and the recently inaugurated Museum of Anthropology and Contemporary Art (a first-class museum). You can also enjoy Latin America's only IMAX cinema. Live concerts and theatrical events are offered frequently at Malecon 2000 May-October.
From the Malecon, one can continue on to Las Penas, Guayaquil's oldest neighborhood of typical turn-of-the-20th-century shuttered wooden houses that miraculously survived the city’s many fires during its early years. The lighthouse above Las Penas provides a spectacular view of the city, its surroundings and the Gulf of Guayaquil.
Other attractions are Guayaquil's San Francisco Church (built in 1603 and beautifully restored in 1968) and Bolivar Park (Parque Bolivar) with some nice ornamental gardens and prehistoric-looking land iguanas cavorting around the gardens and in the trees.
Visitors should not miss the Central Bank's Parque Historico (open Tuesday-Sunday 9 am-6 pm) spanning 19 acres/8 hectares near the center of town. Entrance fee is US$3. The park is divided into three theme parks, including a reserve for native wildlife (parrots, monkeys, wild boar, deer, tapir, alligators and caiman). Another park is home to Guayaquil's old and restored houses and buildings from the beginning of the 20th century (teeming with native people in attire typical of that period), and the third park is devoted to a botanical garden and a development project demonstrating and promoting urban vegetable and herb gardens for city dwellers.
The National Cement Company (Cemento Nacional) converted 8,000 acres/3,237 hectares of tropical dry forest known as Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco into a natural reserve only 15 minutes from Guayaquil. The reserve hosts more than 200 species of birds, has excellent trails, and student guides are available. Entrance fee is US$5.
Two popular and often crowded beaches are within 60-70 mi/97-113 km of the city: Salinas, an upscale beach resort where wealthy Guayaquilenos vacation, and Playas, once a quiet fishing village that has lost much of its charm over the years for lack of proper infrastructure and municipal support.
Some of the archaeological sites have museums, and one of the more famous includes the tomb of the Amantes de Sumpa near Santa Elena, where two 8,000-year-old skeletons are locked in an embrace.
One problem in Guayaquil is the traffic, which is chaotic. As Guayaquil is a mere 43 ft/13 m above sea level, some streets may flood during the rainy season. Despite continual efforts to decrease crime, the problem is still a concern, and visitors should not walk alone at night. However, the malecon is very safe with plenty of guards. Taxis flagged down in the streets are apt to be dilapidated and without a fare meter, so visitors should arrange the fare with the driver before embarking. Although Guayaquil is the economic capital of Ecuador, there is glaring poverty in many sections of the city, in contrast to the modern buildings and luxurious neighborhoods. Nevertheless, with its Caribbean flavor, Guayaquil is upbeat and intent on developing its potential as a major tourist attraction.
