Guayaquil, Ecuador

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We jump to the other side of the world to visit a more unfamiliar city, but one that is sure to offer its fair share of surprises. Ecuador is probably one of the last countries one thinks about when discussing South America, and that is precisely why I thought it would be appropriate to shine a light on its largest city; Guayaquil.

Located in the West-Central province of Guayas, that it is the capital of, Guayaquil rests on the river that names the province, fed by the merging of the Daule and Babahoyo rivers in the northern part of the city. The river flows out south to the Gulf of Guayaquil and the Pacific Ocean, creating a delta filled with swampy islands, many of which have been transformed into slums. The swampy terrain offers for unique wildlife, and Santay Island lying on the Guayas river, just across from Guayaquil has been transformed into a protected area that one can visit by taking a boat ride from the city. Guayaquil houses around 2.6 million people, making it the 11th largest city in South America, 2nd among those located along the Pacific Ocean, behind only Lima in Peru. This has made Guayaquil an important part of the Ecuadorian economy as most of the country's imports and exports pass through the city's port, and many Ecuadorian businesses are housed here.

Guayaquil's port location is what made it so important for the Spanish when they founded the city in 1538. Through time, it developed economically and has become the business center of Ecuador. Since the early 2000's, development projects have been put in place as Guayaquil continues to develop its tourism industry in competition with the country's other large city and capital; Quito. These two cities' rivalry has existed since the country's independence and is motivated by the two's similar size but difference in lifestyles. Quito is the cultural and historic center of the country, and is a city I'm sure we will cover at some point in the future. But our focus is Guayaquil, which often gets a bad reputation due to the busier nature of the city and more typical city lifestyle. But Guayaquil can be a treat for those who prefer the relaxing and modern side of travel, as anyone intimidated by Quito's altitude is sure to have an easier time here. Guayaquil has transformed into a city very accommodating for pedestrians through its several parks and paths.

In order to walk those parks and paths, you'll need some energy. Lucky for you, Guayaquil has no shortage of traditional local cuisine for you to try out. Guayaquil is known to have a very Latin city feel to it, and the food here furthers that reputation. Popularly eaten in meals are rice, beans, seafood, and plantains. Rice and beans are often served along side a protein such as chicken, beef or pork that is grilled as a big dinner. Seafood can be found in several dishes due to the city's proximity to the ocean. Encebollado is an onion and fish soup, often used to cure hangovers (for those wild Guayaquil nights). Many variations of the soup can be made, most commonly using tuna as the fish. Seafood is also used in Ceviche, a dish containing raw fish that is curated in citrus juice, most often lemon or lime. Though it is believed the dish originated in Peru, the dish is popular in Ecuador and the people have made their own variation of it. Shrimp is popularly used instead of fish in the Ecuadorian ceviche and orange or tomato juice can be seen used instead of lime or lemon, though those are often served on the side or mixed in as well. Shrimp, calamari and octopus are also often cooked instead of left raw like fish is in typical ceviche. Since Ecuador is a big producer of plantains, the fruit can be found in numerous dishes, often as a side or snack. Tigrillo is a breakfast casserole made of green plantains, cheese, and eggs. Empanadas de Verde are filled with green plantains as well, and plantain chips are commonly eaten as a snack or dipped in soups.

Once you're all filled up, it's time to take a stroll through the city. As mentioned, Guayaquil has gone through several developmental projects to make it more tourist friendly, with the most notable one being the Malecón 2000. This boardwalk was a renovation project over the previous walkway in the area and is now a 2.5km stretch for pedestrians along the Guayas river. Part of the renovation was to build several attractions along the boardwalk, including La Perla, which was the tallest Ferris wheel in South America until the inauguration of a new one at the end of 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, the first IMAX theater in all of South America, the country's museum of anthropology, a shopping mall, and several monuments, restaurants and cafes. The place has been developed so nicely, the World Health Organization even named it a healthy public space for all.

Once getting to the northern end of the boardwalk, the Las Peñas neighborhood awaits you. The neighborhood has stood for over 400 years after being built by the Spanish, and as can be seen along its paths, cannons were used to defend the people against invading pirates. Filled with colorful houses and local shops, this neighborhood is great to walk through, and if you follow its 444 marked stairs, you will reach the top of the Santa Ana hill that the neighborhood is built on and be rewarded with a great view of the city and the Guayas river. Marking the top of the hill is a blue and white lighthouse, representing the colors of the flag of Guayaquil. If you get there towards the end of the day, you'll catch the sunset over the city!

Within the city lie several parks for you to enjoy. One such park is the Seminario Park, often known as Iguana Park instead. This is due to the massive iguana population that inhabits the park, with an estimated 350 iguanas living there in 2017. The park has also been named Bolívar park, with a statue of the liberator located in the park, just in front of the gothic styled Guayaquil Cathedral. You can also visit Centenario park, which is filled with monuments dedicated to those who fought against Spanish colonization in the 19th century. These parks are a great way to finish up a visit filled with walking through the streets of the city.

Guayaquil is not often on people's travel plans when they visit Ecuador, as many people stick to the mountainous region of the country, or simply use Guayaquil as their access to the Galapagos Islands. While both are breathtaking in their own right, Guayaquil should not go unnoticed, as the city's efforts to modernize and provide activities to do for tourists has created a pleasant city to walk through and enjoy a night out at. With all there is to do on the Malecón 2000, one could spend an entire day there, and the pretty views and colors of the rest of the city allow for pleasant relaxation. If you happen to visit Ecuador, maybe consider staying a while in Guayaquil before you explore other parts of the country.