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How to Spend a Day in Guayaquil, Ecuador

Guayaquil is a bustling and lively seaside city located on the Pacific coast. It’s location makes it an ideal departure or returning point for a trip to the Galapagos Islands.

With only one day in Guayaquil our time was very limited, however, we made the most of it by visiting some of the city’s main attractions.

Cerro Santa Ana

Our first stop was to Santa Ana Hill where we climbed 444 steps to the lighthouse. From the hilltop terrace we enjoyed spectacular vistas of the city and its surroundings. In the area there are numerous shops to browse through and restaurants to try.

Santa Ana hill staircase
Santa Ana Hill Staircase
View of the Guayas River from Cerro Santa Ana Hill
View of the Guayas River from Cerro Santa Ana Hill, Guayaquil

Malecón 2000

We then made our way to the pedestrian boardwalk by the Guayas River where many bars, restaurants and shops can be found. It’s a great place to go for a stroll and admire the various ships docked along the river.

There are also museums to visit and monuments to see along the way. This is where you’ll see the independence monument, Hemicycle De La Rotonda. It commemorates the meeting between the liberators Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín.

Hemicycle De La Rotonda
Hemicycle De La Rotonda

Parque Seminario

Later on, we went to Seminario Park (also known as the park of the iguanas) where locals come to relax and feed the iguanas. These iguanas are of a different species than the swimming ones found in the Galapagos. It was a lovely place to take a rest and here too, the animals seemed unconcerned and unafraid of the humans just like in the Galapagos Islands.

Iguana
A slaughter of iguanas roaming around Seminario Park
A slaughter of iguanas roaming around Seminario Park

Next to the park you can see the Metropolitan Cathedral of Guayaquil. Following a fire in 1892, the cathedral was rebuilt in a neo-gothic style in 1924 and completed in 1937.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Guayaquil
Metropolitan Cathedral of Guayaquil

Conclusion

I’m sure there’s a lot more to see in and around the city, but this is how we spent our day in Guayaquil.

We had some of our best ceviche in Guayaquil, the freshness of the fish and seafood may have had something to do with this, but we also suspect some local spices in the preparation. We would love to go back and ask for the recipe.

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*Post updated November 2020

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By Nathalie

Avid Traveler and Master Scuba Diver
Sharing stories, photos and insights about the places I’ve visited. Simply sharing my experience and giving travel tips to help others plan their own dream trip and travel independently.