12 Best Things to Do in Guayaquil: Malecón 2000, Las Peñas, Iguanas & Cacao

From the monumental riverfront gardens where Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín met in 1822 to timber cocoa mansions, urban mangrove islands, and centuries-old Arriba Nacional chocolate estates, Guayaquil offers a rich set of coastal Ecuadorian experiences. Here are the twelve highlights not to miss.

1. Riverfront Icons & Historic Neighbourhoods

1. Walk the Full 2.5 Kilometres of Malecón 2000: Stroll past the 1908 Palacio de Cristal, the 1931 Moorish Clock Tower, the 1938 Hemiciclo de la Rotonda, and the botanical gardens along Malecón Simón Bolívar.
2. Wander Cobblestoned Barrio Las Peñas & Climb the 444 Steps of Cerro Santa Ana: Admire the early-20th-century timber houses of Calle Numa Pompilio Llona before climbing the 444 numbered steps of Cerro Santa Ana to the blue-and-white lighthouse (El Faro).
3. Meet the Resident Green Iguanas of Parque Seminario & Tour the Cathedral: Watch hundreds of free-roaming land iguanas beneath the trees of Parque Seminario (Parque Bolívar) directly across from the white neo-Gothic Metropolitan Cathedral (1924 to 1937).
4. Ride the 57-Metre "La Perla" Ferris Wheel & Visit the MAAC Museum: Take in views over the Río Guayas confluence and view 5,000-year-old Valdivia and Chorrera ceramics inside the Museo Antropológico y de Arte Contemporáneo (MAAC).

2. Rescued Heritage, Mangroves & Cacao Day Trips

5. Explore the Three Zones of Parque Histórico Guayaquil in Samborondón: Walk raised boardwalks past sloths, tapirs, and scarlet macaws before stepping inside rescued 1900 timber mansions and a traditional cocoa estate at Parque Histórico Guayaquil.
6. Cross the Pedestrian Bridge to Isla Santay on the Río Guayas: Walk or cycle the 840-metre footbridge from Calle El Oro to the Ramsar mangrove wetlands of Isla Santay.
7. Visit an Arriba Nacional Cacao Hacienda (La Pepa de Oro): Spend a day harvesting cocoa pods, seeing box fermentation, and roasting single-origin dark chocolate on a Guayas cacao plantation.
8. Spot Howler Monkeys & Great Green Macaws at Cerro Blanco or Manglares Churute: Hike the tropical dry forest of Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco or boat through the mangrove estuaries of Reserva Ecológica Manglares Churute.

3. Coastal Museums, Cable Cars & Gastronomy

4. Pacific Beach Escapes

Take a day trip west to the wooden fishing balsas of General Villamil Playas or the sea-lion cliffs of Salinas.

9. Ride the Aerovía Cable Car Across the Río Guayas: Glide in panoramic gondolas high above the river between Parque Centenario / Malecón and Durán.
10. Tour the Museo Municipal & Museo Nahím Isaías: View colonial Quito School paintings and scale models of Guayaquil's 17th-century royal shipyards at Guayaquil's downtown museums.
11. Crack Red Mangrove Crabs at an Urdesa Cangrejal: Feast on spiced Guayas crabs with wooden mallets and ripe plantains.
12. Start Your Morning with Tuna Encebollado & Bolón de Verde: Taste Ecuador's iconic coastal breakfast dishes at Guayaquil's traditional picanterías.