Things to do in Pacific Coast & Lowlands
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Marea
Down a side street towards the beach is Marea, the place for brick-oven pizza.
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Parque Bolívar
Guayaquil may be the only city in the world that has land iguanas, some over a meter in length, living downtown. These prehistoric-looking animals, a different species from those found in the Galápagos, are a startling sight in one of Guayaquil's most famous plazas, Parque Bolívar which is also known as Parque Seminario. Around its small ornamental gardens are many of Guayaquil's first-class hotels. On the west side of the park is the cathedral, and a block south you'll find the Museo Municipal and the municipal library. The archaeology room on the ground floor has mainly Inca and pre-Inca ceramics, and several figurines from the oldest culture in Ecuador, the Valdivia (c…
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Parque Histórico Guayaquil
Historic Williamsburg meets the zoo at this large park across the Guayaquil–Durán bridge, on the east side of Río Daule. The park is divided into three ‘zones’: the Endangered Wildlife Zone, which has 45 species of bird, animal and reptile in a seminatural habitat; the Urban Architecture Zone, which has a restaurant and showcases the development of early-20th-century architecture in Guayaquil; and the Traditions Zone, which focuses on local traditions, with an emphasis on rural customs, crafts and agriculture.
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Malecón 2000
Malecón 2000, one of the most extensive urban-renewal projects in South America, is made up of ponds, playgrounds, sculptures, gardens and river views. From its southernmost point at the Mercado Sur to Cerro Santa Ana and Las Peñas in the north, the malecón stretches 2.5km along the bank of the wide Río Guayas. It’s a gated, policed public space with restaurants, a museum, a performance space, an IMAX movie theater and a shopping mall.
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Lo Nuestro
Housed in a century-old mansion complete with wooden shutters and period furniture, Lo Nuestro is one of the most atmospheric places in Guayaquil to eat seafood dishes typical of the region. Musicians play on Friday and Saturday evenings, when reservations are recommended. At lunchtime the place fills up with local bigwigs.
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La Canoa
One of the more recommended places for a taste of Ecuadorian-style diner food is La Canoa in the Hotel Continental. Instead of hamburgers, the quick dish of choice is ceviche or fried rice with crab.
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Arena Bar
Chow down to international rhythms and casual surf decor. Pizza is the staple, but the salads, spruced up with olives and cheese, make a nice change from the norm, as do the homey grilled cheese sandwiches.
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D’Camaron
As the name implies, shrimp is the specialty at this casual open-air spot near the water. Order them grilled, with a cocktail, and enjoy the ocean breezes.
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Bopan
A good place to break up a walk along the Malecón, Bopan has an extensive menu of crepes, tortillas, sandwiches and pastas.
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Tiburón Restaurant
Enormous seafood and chicken empanadas, as well as omelets and ceviches are on the menu at Tiburón Restaurant.
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Café Hola Ola
For a few Israeli-inspired dishes, large breakfasts and grilled meats and seafood, try Café Hola Ola.
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Las Peñas & Cerro Santa Ana
These two historic neighborhoods have been refurbished into an idealized version of a quaint South American hillside village, all brightly painted homes and cobblestone alleyways. If you peek inside an open door or window, however, you realize it's a bit of a Potemkin village that's not entirely sanitized as residents still live their everyday lives as they would elsewhere in the city.
Everyone strolling the Malecón ends up here, especially at night when the views from the top are spectacular. There are several stylish and attractive bars, and it's completely safe - though one of the friendly security officers may stop you for walking up or down the wrong side of the stee…
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Guacamayo Tours
Guacamayo Tours is owned by an Ecuadorian/New Zealand couple. The company arranges tours to Río Muchacho Organic Farm and offers fascinating ecocity tours, where travelers can learn about the grassroots community projects (organic shrimp farming, environmental education in schools, mangrove replanting and more) that have made Bahía a model for sustainable development. Three-hour tours take in a reforestation project, followed by a visit to the waterfront via ecotaxi (bicycle taxi) and a stop at Ecopapel, a paper-recycling center where discarded paper is combined with fruit and vegetable fibers to make lovely handcrafted paper products. Guacamayo also organizes a number …
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Malecón El Salado & Rodolfo Baquerizo Moreno Plaza
Like its more famous sister development on the Río Guayas to the east, the Malecón El Salado is an attempt to reclaim the city's waterfront for the everyday use of its residents. There are several eateries and cafés in a streamlined modern mall-like building along the estuary and a walkway above.
Previously known as the Guayaquil Park, the large square just south of the Malecón, now called the Rodolfo Baquerizo Moreno Plaza, is dominated by a large modernist structure, and expositions and events are held here periodically. A series of gardens, playgrounds and manicured public walkways, collectively called Parque Lineal, is being constructed on the other side of the wat…
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Reserva Biológica Bilsa
Rugged types should head to Reserva Biológica Bilsa. Crashing waterfalls and spectacular wildlife adorn this biological station. Set in the Montañas de Mache (a small range of mountains), the reserve spans 100ha (247 acres) and is administered by Fundación Jatun Sacha. Biodiversity is exceptionally high in these last vestiges of tropical wet forest. Visitors may see howler monkeys and endangered birds such as the long wattled umbrella bird.
This trip is not for the feeble or the frail: January to June requires hiking or mule-riding a mud-splattered 25km (15.5mi) trail. Contact Jatun Sacha for reservations and volunteer or research information.
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Galapagos Islands on Eric, Letty or Flamingo I
8 days (Quito/Guayaquil)
Cruise the unique Galapagos Islands aboard the Eric. Letty or Flamingo I.
Not LP reviewed
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Jardín Botánico de Guayaquil
About a half-hour drive north of town near Cerro Colorado, this botanical garden has over 80 orchid varieties and nearly 700 plant species. Paths and trails lead you past the plant exhibits and tropical birds flutter overhead. There is a gift shop, café, butterfly garden and an auditorium.
Insect repellent is recommended in the rainy months. With a few days' advance notice, a guided tour can be arranged.
The most efficient way of getting there is to take a taxi and ask for Urbanización de Los Orquídeas. Chasquitur offers tours and has information.
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Museo Municipal
A block south of Parque Bolívar, you find the Museo Municipal and the municipal library. The archaeology room on the ground floor has mainly Inca and pre-Inca ceramics, and several figurines from the oldest culture in Ecuador, the Valdivia (c 3200 BC). Also on the ground floor is a colonial room with mainly religious paintings and a few period household items. Upstairs, there is a jumble of modern art and ethnography rooms with regional costumes, handicrafts and several shrunken heads.
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Church of San Francisco
The Church of San Francisco, originally built in the early 18th century, was burnt down in the devastating fire of 1896 that destroyed huge swathes of the city, then reconstructed in 1902 and beautifully restored in the late 1990s. The plaza in front contains Guayaquil’s first public monument, a statue of Vicente Rocafuerte, Ecuador’s first native president, who held office between 1835 and 1839. (Ecuador’s first president, Juan Flores, was a Venezuelan.)
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Parque Histórico Guayaquil
Historic Williamsburg meets the zoo at this large park across the Guayaquil-Durán bridge. It's divided into three zones: the Endangered Wildlife Zone, which has 45 species of birds, animals and reptiles; the Urban Architecture Zone, which has a restaurant and showcases the development of early 20th-century architecture in Guayaquil; and the Traditions Zone, which focuses on local traditions with an emphasis on customs, crafts and agriculture.
reviewed
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La Rotonda
La Rotonda is one of Guayaquil's more impressive monuments, particularly when illuminated at night. Flanked by small mountains, it depicts the historic but enigmatic meeting between Bolívar and San Martín that took place here in 1822. Few people realize that the curved wall behind the statue acts as an acoustic reflector - if two people stand at either end, a whisper into the wall will be carried along to the other person.
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Street Stalls
If you're in the mood to stroll for your supper, consider the following options. In Tarqui, seafood comedores line the east end of the beach along Malecón de Tarqui. Behind them are several restaurants. Playa Murciélago has numerous cafés, front and center to enjoy beach action from beach-volleyball to beauty contests. The Hotel Oro Verde complex includes an American-style delicatessen and sushi restaurant.
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Jardín Botánico de Guayaquil
About a half-hour drive north of town near Cerro Colorado, this botanical garden has more than 80 orchid varieties and nearly 700 plant species. Paths and trails lead you past the plant exhibits and tropical birds flutter overhead. There is a gift shop, a café, a butterfly garden and an auditorium. Insect repellent is recommended in the rainy months. With a few days’ advance notice, a guided tour can be arranged.
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Escalón 69
On the steps of Las Peñas, this is a charming mix of romantic elegance and casual local spot, with a menu of creative interpretations of typical Ecuadorian dishes: yucca patties served with honey lemon sauce, squid stuffed with Spanish sausage and rock bass ceviche. It's decorated with flowing yellow drapes, hammocks and handwoven tablecloths. Above the restaurant is a welcoming bar with karaoke and live music on weekends.
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Museo Antropológico y Arte Contemporáneo
The modern Museo Antropológico y Arte Contemporáneo houses anthropological and archeological exhibits as well as a superb collection of contemporary Ecuadorian art. MAAC also has a modern 400-seat theater for plays, concerts and film. Behind the museum is an open-air stage, where musical and theatrical performances are occasionally given. If you're peckish at interval, there's a food court next door.
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