9 Best Sights in Guayaquil and the Pacific Coast, Ecuador

If Ecuador doesn't spring to mind when someone mentions art, a visit to one of Guayaquil's most impressive museums might change that. Ecuadoran artists began to break the connection with religious-themed art in the late 19th century, and the country's artists have never looked back. Take an English-language guided tour—essential to understanding how the exhibits are laid out. Anthropology, the first "a" in the museum's name, gets equal treatment as Ecuador's Central Bank's extensive collection of artifacts—50,000 of them—from the past 10,000 years is displayed on the building's second level.

The Nahím Isaías Museum is one of the country's truly fabulous institutions. Each year about 500 pieces of the astounding permanent collection of religious art from the colonial period is parceled out and displayed. What you see on view this year differs from last year and next year. An informative guided tour—choose between English or Spanish—that provides the best background on what you see is included in your admission.

The twin-spired cathedral, which looms over the western edge of Parque Seminario, is actually one of the city's newest houses of worship. Construction began on the neo-Gothic structure in 1937 and was completed in 1950. Vendors selling hand-carved rosaries and other items crowd the sidewalks outside.

Until 2002 this neighborhood, Guayaquil's oldest, at the foot of Cerro Santa Ana (Santa Ana Hill) was a seedy barrio of ramshackle houses where drugs dominated after dark. But from 2001 to 2002 the city poured $8 million into the neighborhood, transforming it in record time into one of the most charming parts of the city. Brightly painted houses, shops, and cafés climb Santa Ana Hill. Old-fashioned streetlamps light the way to the summit—there are 444 steps, thoughtfully (or unthoughtfully) numbered—where you can get an unparalleled view of the city. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Las Peñas's transformation is that it was done without relocating the neighborhood's residents. Many of them benefited from business grants doled out by the city and now work as shopkeepers or manage cafés. The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, and other cities around the globe are following Guayaquil's model.

Guayaquil's oldest church was founded by the Franciscans in 1548. Near the historic Las Peñas neighborhood, the simple colonial structure was rebuilt after it was destroyed by pirate attacks. Locals also refer to it as the Iglesia de San Vicente.

The name of this place just a short boat ride from town translates as "Heart Island." First you'll stop at an off-island welcome center to see a presentation, then you get back on the boat to continue to the island itself. Isla Corazon, which has 174 acres of mangroves, serves as a nesting place for frigate birds—males inflate what looks like a large red balloon to attract females during mating season. You can either walk along boardwalks to explore the forest or canoe around the island.

Just a block from the waterfront, the Pacific Bank Museum has rotating exhibits of archaeological discoveries, as well as a permanent collection of 19th-century South American art.

Yet another museum operated by Ecuador's Central Bank exhibits artifacts from the Pacific coast's pre-Inca indigenous Manta culture.

The Moorish style clock tower, constructed in 1770, is one of the city's most enduring landmarks. Inside is a small exposition of photographs of Guayaquil dating from the early 20th century.