Guayaquil
Guayaquil, officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the capital of Guayas Province and the seat of Guayaquil Canton.
Guayaquil, officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the capital of Guayas Province and the seat of Guayaquil Canton. It is the largest city in Ecuador and also the nation's economic capital and main port. The city is located on the west bank of the Guayas River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Guayaquil.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Guayaquil
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha
The Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha is a football stadium in Bellavista Guayaquil, Ecuador. The stadium is home to Ecuadorian football club Barcelona SC. It has a capacity of 57,267, which makes it the largest stadium in Ecuador.
4.2 km · football stadium · Wikipedia - 02Estadio Modelo Alberto Spencer Herrera
Estadio Modelo Alberto Spencer, also known as just Estadio Modelo, is a multi-purpose stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador. It is currently used mostly for association football matches and it sometimes hosts games of Rocafuerte Fútbol Club, Club 9 de Octubre, Club Sport Patria, Club Deportivo Everest, Calvi Fútbol Club, Panamá Sporting Club and Club Sport Norteamérica.
1.5 km · football stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador · Wikipedia - 03Estadio George Capwell
Estadio Banco del Pacífico Capwell is a multi-purpose stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Emelec.
2 km · Multi-purpose stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador · Wikipedia - 04Guayaquil Metropolitan Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Guayaquil is a cathedral in the center of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The current cathedral is the successor of the cathedral that was Guayaquil's main cathedral at the time of the city's founding.
600 m · church in Guayaquil, Ecuador · Wikipedia - 05Guayaquil Ecuador Temple
The Guayaquil Ecuador Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The groundbreaking ceremony was in August 1996, and the dedication in August 1999.
4.2 km · LDS Church temple in Guayaquil, Ecuador · Wikipedia - 06Universidad de Guayaquil
The University of Guayaquil, known colloquially as the Estatal, is a public university in Guayaquil, Guayas Province, Ecuador. The University of Guayaquil was founded on 1 December 1867, when the University Board of Guayas was formally established with the authority to award professional degrees in the coastal region of Ecuador.
1.2 km · biggest university in Ecuador · Wikipedia - 07Biblioteca Municipal de Guayaquil
Biblioteca Municipal de Guayaquil is a public library in Guayaquil, Ecuador and is operated by the municipal government. The library was founded on March 24, 1862, by Pedro Carbo, who drafted the municipal ordinance establishing it and also made an initial donation of 100 volumes from his personal collection, with the aim of encouraging the residents of Guayaquil to follow his example.
900 m · library · Wikipedia - 08Torre Morisca, Guayaquil
The Clock Tower of Guayaquil, also known as the Moorish Tower, is a structure located in Guayaquil, Ecuador. It has gone through several incarnations before its current form, which ended construction in 1931.
1 km · clock tower in Guayaquil, Ecuador · Wikipedia - 09Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo
Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo is a non-profit private university in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Its campus is in Samborondón, Greater Guayaquil.
6.8 km · university in Samborondón, Guayaquil, Ecuador · Wikipedia - 10Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil
Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil is a private, Catholic, higher education institution in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
2 km · University in Ecuador · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
These places are located in the downtown area, near the main hotels and at the heart of the regenerated area, a very secure walk. The
- 01Malecon Simón Bolivar
It is a long park beside the chocolaty Rio Guayas ("Guayas River"), with shops, an IMAX theater, gardens, and a beautiful view of the river and downtown.
- 02Museo Municipal -
- 03Parque Seminario - home to hundreds
From Wikivoyage: Guayaquil, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
"Captain Morgan", rides up and down the Rio Guayas aboard a pirate ship. You can catch it at Malecon Simón Bolivar. Bring out your inner pirate. Traditionally, Salinas has been the main beach, but since 2008 General Villamil Playas has attracted a big part of the local and international tourism. Fishing, surfing, and other water sports. Many modern hotels and delicious sea food. Interesting night life.
- 01Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco
Hilly forest reserve where you can do some hiking.
- 02Reserva Ecologica Manglares Churute
Forest reserve with a nice 1.4 km hiking path.
- 03Finca Cumanda
Cocoa farm and artisanal chocolate factory.
- 04El Lago Park
Kind of a swampy ecopark where you can see birds and other terrestrial critters.
- 05Botanical Garden
Calle 24B NO 59-2005,.
- 06Zoo el Pantanal
Km.
From Wikivoyage: Guayaquil, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
There are many traditional dishes to try, such as encebollado, seco de pollo, ceviche, and caldo de salchicha. There are also many international fast food chains throughout the city such as Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, McDonald's, Taco Bell and Pollo Tropical. Parrillada del Ñato; foods such pizza, grilled meat, and more are served. Red Crab. Coastal food: fish, crabs, shrimp; a big variety of dishes and combinations.
From Wikivoyage: Guayaquil, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Guayaquil
- Airports
- José Joaquín de Olmedo (GYE), 4 km · General Ulpiano Paez (SNC), 122 km · Mariscal Sucre (UIO), 286 km
- Stations
- José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport, 3.6 km
- Salinas/La Libertad → Guayaquil130 km · quickest by road, 4h 33m · $8–11
- Quito → Guayaquil266 km · quickest by air, 4h 37m · $60–90
- Tachina → Guayaquil352 km · quickest by air, 3h 42m · $50–70
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Guayaquil
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Guayaquil. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Go nextThe cost is $110 per person when booked via tour operator Canodos.
- Go nextThe tour operator is essential if you don't speak Spanish.
From Wikivoyage: Guayaquil, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 011,236 km
- 021,398 km
- 031,489 km
- 041,649 km
- 051,922 km
If you know how people move in Guayaquil – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Guayaquil
Guayaquil is 6 km from Eloy Alfaro, the nearest large city, whose note carries the wider picture.
- Duráncity of Guayas Province, Ecuador6.5 km
- Urdesaneighborhood in Guayaquil, Ecuador3.3 km
- Tarqui, Guayaquil CantonEcuador urban parish4.8 km
- Barrio Orellananeighborhood in Guayaquil800 m