Gateway to the Galapagos, coastal Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city and has come a long way in recent years. Once unappealing to visitors, this sprawling and humid city has been transformed in recent years with various urban development projects. Locals will enthusiastically recommend visiting ‘Iguana Park’ or a stroll along the Malecon, a tree-lined waterfront promenade with many attractive restaurants, cafes and piers. The pretty, colourful restored Barrio of Las Penas is also worth visiting, and there is a budding theatre and arts scene in the city that is well worth exploring.
