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Guayaquil
Most populous city in Ecuador

Guayaquil

Guayaquil, officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the capital of Guayas Province and the seat of Guayaquil Canton.

Plan a trip to Guayaquil→From Salinas/La Libertad

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.

Get in

Getting to Guayaquil

  1. 01
    José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport

    Elected as best South American airport, it is near the new business district center and is next to the international bus station.

See

Worth seeing

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

  1. 01
    Malecon 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.

  2. 02
    Museo Municipal -
  3. 03
    Parque Seminario - home to hundreds
Do

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.

  1. 01
    Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco

    Hilly forest reserve where you can do some hiking.

  2. 02
    Reserva Ecologica Manglares Churute

    Forest reserve with a nice 1.4 km hiking path.

  3. 03
    Finca Cumanda

    Cocoa farm and artisanal chocolate factory.

  4. 04
    El Lago Park

    Kind of a swampy ecopark where you can see birds and other terrestrial critters.

  5. 05
    Botanical Garden

    Calle 24B NO 59-2005,.

  6. 06
    Zoo el Pantanal

    Km.

Eat

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.

How locals move

Getting around Guayaquil the local way

  • 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. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.