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Guayaquil
is the main seaport and commercial city, founded in 1537 by Francisco
de Orellana. It stands on the west bank of the Guayas River, some
56km from its outflow into the Gulf of Guayaquil. Guayaquil´s seaport
opened in 1964 and now handles approximately 90% of Ecuador's imports
and nearly 50% of its exports. Guayaquil is more known more for
its commercial prowess than as a place to spend vacations. But still,
if you want to know Ecuador, it's a pace worth visiting.
Much
effort was put into the renovation of the
Malecón Avenue. The well-known waterfront street has now
lots of parks, restaurants, and a new theatre. In addition to the
Malecón, the picturesque Las Peñas district is worth a look. It
is one of the oldest and most interesting districts in Guayaquil.
Here is the city's first church, Santo Domingo (1548) and the nearby
open-air-theatre, the Bogotá. Most of the area of Las Peñas is still
very poor, but improving. This is an unsafe area, so please take
precautions and do not walk at night. Also at the waterfront there
are said to be many thieves and pickpockets. The pride of the city
is the enormous bridge over the Guayas River linking the city with
the rail terminal Durán on the east bank.
The
locals are said to be much more lively and open than the people
from the Sierra. You find about 5km outside the city golf cubs,
tennis, yachting and a racetrack. The suburb of Urdesa, northwest
of the city, shows one of the best restaurants and places of entertainment
of the city.
These
are some of the attractions that Guayaquil visitors can check out.
Like Guayaquil, the Guayas Province probably deserves more attention
than it gets, especially the beaches of Montañita, Punta Blanca,
Playas (General Villamil), and Puntas Arenas.
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