
The city of Guayaquil is Ecuador´s largest, with about 3 million inhabitants. Although it has been for years more of a business travel destination, it is now becoming more and more touristic offering attractions that are indeed worth a look. Guayaquil’s old district “Las Peñas” is the only part of town where the wooden houses are still in place and you can get an glimpse of the old, quintessentially picturesque colonial Guayaquil. The riverside, revamped by the “Malecón 2000” project, is the ideal for a nice walk. Definitely worth a visit are also Guayaquil´s churches “La Merced” and “San Francisco” as well as the beautiful cemetery “Cerro el Carmen”. Guayaquil is also the base for most Galapagos excursions. The Galapagos Islands are world famous for its uncontaminated fauna (sea lions, turtles, penguins, dolphins, reptiles, birds, etc.). However, if you are interested in giant iguanas, you don’t need to go to the Galapagos: you may as well visit the Parque Bolivar, also known as the Guayaquil Iguana Park, right in the city centre.