Guayaquil Trips & Tours

If Quito and Cuenca are romantic and ever-so-pretty, Guayaquil is the flamboyant older sister that definitely wants the limelight. The largest city in the country, it doesn’t hit the guidebooks with quite as much aplomb partly due to its gritty coastal ports and certainly won’t be winning any awards in a beauty contest. Recent years have, however, brought with them trendy restaurants and hotels and the uber-modern Malécon 2000 (the promenade) is the only place to be seen as the sun disappears and the sugar-laden boats jostle to dock. The other side of Guayaquil’s coin is the miles of wave-splashed golden beaches of the Pacific coast. Known as the ‘Route of the Sun’ this southern stretch of coastline is flop-and-drop heaven for holidaying Ecuadorians and visitors. Try Salinas or Playas for luxe resorts and relaxation with a capital R, or head a little further north and whale-watch at Puerto Lopez (visit from June to September for the best sightings), and dip into a world of kaleidoscopic birdlife on the Isla da Plata.