ATTRACTIONS

Sailing in the Guayas River, is one of the options that the traveller could not leave aside in his visit to Guayaquil. The tour, besides being entertaining and exciting - will allow him to know the daily activities of the people that live in the shores.

In the mainland you will be able to cross the avenues and streets of the city simply to admire the beauty of its parks and the Simon Bolivar quay or to breathe the old and bohemian air that comes off from the wooden houses of the historical Barrio de Las Penas.

In the City

The Cathedral: It was constructed with wood in 1547, but a fire consumed its structures; in 1948 the present temple of neo-gothic style was elevated, with its glassworks and marble altar brought from Cuenca. It stands in Chile Street.

Parque del Centenario: The biggest park in Guayaquil. It occupies four blocks, where you can observe a number of monuments, being the most important the one dedicated to freedom, which shows the images of the Ecuadorian heroes. On its surroundings, statues of a minor size glorify history, justice and heroism.

Parque Bolivar: The botanical garden of the city has less than a century of existence. In their green areas and pools, you can find turtles and iguanas, which are kept in contact with the public.

Municipal Museum: The Jibaros tribe (from the Amazonia) used to reduce the heads of their enemies, which after the procedure were left the size of a doll head. Until now, investigators have not been able to discover the techniques used by natives. An impressive collection of these "Military trophies" is exhibited in the room of the museum located between the Sucre and Pedro Carbo streets.
Other interesting museums are the House of Ecuadorian Culture (it exhibits Pre-Columbian objects found in the coast of Ecuador and the Museum of the Central Bank (an important exhibition of Pre-Hispanic ceramic and textile utensils and samples).

The Simon Bolivar Pier: A meeting point of interchange, a place full of life surrounded by the sea and its big, ceaseless waves. Here, sailors talk about life at sea or death in the bars, children sell refreshments, trying to think everything is but a game, and couples interchange promises of eternal love having the sea as their ever changing witness. In front of the pier is the Torre Morisca (Moorish Tower) constructed in 1770 which, thanks to its height, is the ideal place to overview Guayaquil.

La Rotonda: A splendid monument that commemorates the historical meeting between the liberators Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin, that determined the creation of the Gran Colombia (a country that was integrated by Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador) and the farewell of San Martin, who left the continent.

Barrio de Las Peņas: It was declared a cultural patrimony of the nation in 1982, because it is the most representative urban-architectural complex of the 20th century. It is in the very same place where the city was founded and is characterized by its paved streets and old style wooden houses. The Santa Ana Hill is ideal to obtain a panoramic view of the Guayas River and its surroundings.

Church of Santo Domingo: The original construction dates from 1548 and is the oldest church in the city, but had to be restored 390 years later. A water well on its interior has, according to some faithful people, miraculous properties.