Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city with a population of 2.9 million. It is also the country's business capital. Guayaquil is an estuary city located on the Guayas River, which flows into the Gulf of Guayaquil and into the Pacific Ocean. It is, literally, a city suspended over the sea on stilts. Guayaquil's new airport, Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) is the newest of the international airports in Ecuador.

ART & CULTURE:

Most think of commerce when they think of Guayaquil, however, it is a city with an artistic and cultural soul as is evidenced by the many public works of art in its plazas, streets and bridges as well as its museums, theaters, cultural events and concerts..

ATTRACTIONS:

Malecon 2000 - The Malecon is a boardwalk that follows the Rio Guayas and eventually runs into the Pacific. There are restaurants, bars, markets, crafts, shops, gardens, fountains, and monuments all with a nice view and gentle breeze. It passes the Palacio Municipal, the Government Palace, the Museo Arqueological, as well as many other interesting sites. A trip to the Malecon is a must for anyone visiting Guayaquil.
Las Penas - Covering a hill with spectacular views of Guayaquil, Las Penas (pronounced Las Painyas) is a colonial neighborhood with brightly painted wooden houses and cobblestone streets. Galleries, restaurants, cafes and bars can be found on the streets and steps of this beautiful, hillside neighborhood.
Parque Bolivar - A pleasant green space in the city where you will find the gothic Cathedral and the Museo Municipal, however, what seems to motivate tourists to visit are the iguanas that live in the trees in the park..lots and lots of iguanas, thus it's unofficial name, "Parque de Las Iguanas."

SHOPPING:

Artesania: With everything from carved tagua (vegetable ivory) to textiles from Otavalo to Panama Hats, anyone who appreciates handmade artisanal crafts is sure to be thrilled by a visit to one of Guayaquil's artisan markets.

Mercado Artesenal de Guayaquil is in the very center of the city. It occupies one full block and has more than 280 vendors. Baquerizo Moreno between calles Loja and Juan Montalvo. Open from 9:00AM to 7:00PM Mon-Sat and 10:00AM to 5:00PM Sun.
Mercado Artesanal Machala is Guayaquil's oldest artisan market. Covering over 3 acres with more than 438 vendors makes this one of the largest markets for handcrafted items in Ecuador. Calles Machala, Ayacucho, Antepara y Pedro Pablo Gomez

Malls: Guayaquil has no shortage of huge, modern shopping malls that are fully air-conditioned and stocked with many internationally known brands like Calvin Klein, Nine West or Tommy Hilfiger.

Mall del Sol is one of the largest and most modern malls in Latin America with over 250 stores, 2 restaurants, 25 fast food restaurants, 5 banks, a Megamaxi, auto cleaning services, parking for 2000 vehicles, souvenir shops, cyber cafes, discos and 9 cinemas. Located near the airport at Av. Constitucion y Av. Juan Tanca Marengo. Phone: (5934) 269-0100.
San Marino will make you think you're in Boca Raton with it's Spanish architecture and modern shops. Located at Av. Francisco de Orellana and Av. Carlos Luis Plaza Danin. Phone: (5394) 208-3180.
Policentro has over a hundred modern stores, 5 banks, 5 restaurants, cinemas and a supermarket. Located in Ciudela Kennedy, Av. del Periodista. Phone: (5934) 228-8265.

HISTORY:

Guayaquil was founded on July 25, 1538 with the name "Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de Santiago de Guayaquil" ("Very Noble and Very Loyal City of Santiago of Guayaquil") by Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Orellana. Even before it was founded by the Spanish, it already existed as a native village. In 1687, Guayaquil was attacked and looted by English and French pirates under the command of George d'Hout (English) and Picard and Groniet (Frenchmen). Of the more than 260 pirates, 35 died and 46 were wounded; 75 defenders of the city died and more than 100 were wounded. The pirates took local women as concubines. Quito paid the ransom demanded by the pirates with the condition they release the hostages and not burn Guayaquil.

In October 9, 1820, almost without bloodshed, a group of civilians supported by soldiers from the "Granaderos de Reserva", a Peruvian battalion quartered in Guayaquil, overwhelmed the resistance of the Royalist guards and arrested the Spanish authorities. Guayaquil declared independence from Spain and Jose Joaquin de Olmedo was named Jefe Civil (Civil Chief) of Guayaquil. This would prove to be a key victory for the Ecuadorian War of Independence. On July 26, 1822, Jose de San Martin and Simon Bolivar held a famous conference in Guayaquil to plan for the independence of Spanish South America. Guayaquil suffered from a major fire in 1896 which destroyed large portions of the city.

CLIMATE:

Guayaquil's climate is quite warm year round. From December to April is the rainy season which is also known as 'winter.' During this time of the year, it is hot, humid and rainy. Average high during winter is 84F/29C and average low is 71F/22C. Average rainfall during this season is around 9 inches / 230 mm per month. From May to December is the dry season which is also a cooler time of year with an average temperature of 81F/28C high and 68F/20C low. Average rainfall during this time of year is less than 1/4 inch/6.1 mm per month.