Cerro Santa Ana

Cerro Santa Ana is Cinque Terre of Italy and Favelas of Brazil blending in Latin America. A dangerous slum once upon a time has transformed into a beautiful hillside residential terrace with winding paths. To appreciate the beauty of the place, it is important to plan a visit during the day time. Residential houses are alternated with restaurants and coffee shops. The houses are painted in bright colours. This renovation took place when the tourism department and Ecuador Government started cleaning up of the locality in the year 2000. This amazing half-a-day trip to restored old houses will cost you nothing. You can also choose to spend some time in art galleries and small outlets that sell beautiful handmade paintings, which will suit every budget. Later you can choose to head to the very famous Malecon or visit the lighthouse. The lighthouse is probably the most charming and romantic spot in the commerce and business driven city of Guayaquil. The only way to go up is climb the 400 steps (some say 444, it is still disputable). The steps are dotted with more than eager restaurant owners who want you to have lunch or dinner at their eat-out. Vendors on carts or bags sell cold drinks, fried plantains, ice creams, water, chips and other munchies. If you do manage to finish the roughly half an hour hike, you will be rewarded with a breath-taking gust of wind, skyline of Guayaquil and view of river Guayas. Atop the lighthouse is a small and cosy chapel. There is an old canon on display and a tiny naval museum, both part of the heritage when this very place was supposed to protect erstwhile Ecuador from pirates and invaders. Summiting the lighthouse is recommended both during the daytime and evenings. The place is shut after 7 pm so try to make it up before dusk for a brilliant photo-op.