The Malecón & Las Peñas, Part Deux

Back in Guayaquil. It's always so refreshing after a trip to the Sierra to come back to the heat and humidity. I will say this: Never before in my life did I adequately appreciate cold showers.

Las Peñas sits at the northern end of the Malecón. It's one of the oldest neighborhoods in Guayaquil, as its hilltop status kept it safe from marauding pirates as well as from fires that otherwise ravaged the city.

If you look behind you during the climb up, here's the view that awaits. You can see the IMAX theater below and to the left.

If you look not behind, but around you, on the climb up you will see homes and businesses just like in other parts of the city. Most of the businesses happen to be bars, clubs, empanada stands, and souvenir shops. Intersecting the main stairway are alleyways leading around the side of the hill and into the neighborhood itself, where people live in the same old houses as they have for centuries.

If you get tired during the climb, a number of establishments offer a space to take a seat and cool off. I recommend the one at step 264.

And if you climb all 444 steps, you will find at the top a chapel, a lighthouse, the remains of an old fortress, and a great view of Guayaquil.

          Lighthouse at the top of Las Peñas. To the left is the flag of Ecuador, and to the right, the flag of Guayaquil.

          Downtown Guayaquil, facing south.

          Also facing south, looking down the river. You can trace the Malecón stretching down the riverfront.

          Facing the northeast. All the interprovincial buses from the north cross the bridge to get in and out of the city. Currently under construction is a mall and apartment building, and you can see where the Malecón is going to be extended further along the river.

          To the northwest, the neighboring hillside of Cerro Santa Ana. Like Las Peñas, it evaded destruction by pirates and fire.

Finally, whether or not you summit Las Peñas, a trip to the Malecón must include a stop for chicken shawarma. It is an unwritten law among Peace Corps Volunteers living in Guayaquil and a great way to spend the last $2.50 in your wallet. Yum.