Ecuador - Guayaquil and Coast

Back in civilization, back in Guayaquil. Before the Galapagos, I only had one night here for a stopover, now I have a few days to discover the city. I was already warned that Guayaquil is hot, dangerous and not very beautiful and that you always have to watch out for yourself. The usual in a big city. Plus, it was carnival week. And I thought this would be a good place to celebrate carnival. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The city was empty and everyone traveled to the nearby beaches along the 'Ruta del Sol' over the holidays. So I had the city almost to myself.

In recent years, the city has improved significantly. Above all, the Boulevard 'Malecón 2000' directly on the banks of the mighty Guayas River. Thousands of locals and tourists stroll along there every day. There are cafes, bars, rides, statues, excursion boats and much more to discover. And always a good view of the mighty river. It seems to change its direction during high tide. Then all the vegetation floats upstream.

The other highlights of the city are the Cerró Santa Ana, the Park of the Iguanas, a classic city tour, a boat trip and the Parque Histórico on the Samborondón peninsula. It was always scorching hot, interrupted only by heavy tropical rain showers.

When the locals slowly returned after the holidays, I left the city and followed the Ruta del Sol north towards the coast. First to the most famous hotel, beach and holiday destination in Salinas. It is also the westernmost point of the Ecuadorian mainland.

After that, I had enough of the heat for now. After 'my summer' in Colombia, the Galapagos Islands and the coast of Ecuador, I headed to the moderate climate of Loja.