Malecón 2000

About this place

Malecón 2000, formally the Malecón Simón Bolívar, is a long boardwalk on the west bank of the Guayas River in Guayaquil. It runs for about 2.5 km past gardens, fountains, historic monuments, museums and restaurants, and is one of the most visited places in the city and a known example of urban renewal. In colonial times it was a narrow path, and it widened in the nineteenth century into a centre of city life. It then decayed for decades, with parts falling into the river by the 1980s. Renewal began under Mayor León Febres-Cordero and was completed by his successor Jaime Nebot, with the first stage opening in October 1999. A private non-profit foundation runs it. In the central section you see the Moorish Tower with its clock brought from England and inaugurated in 1842, and La Rotonda on 9 de Octubre Avenue, a semicircle of columns recalling the meeting of Bolívar and San Martín. The north has fountains, gardens, an old train, a museum, a cinema and a big wheel above the river. Boats leave the docks for day and night trips on the Guayas. The boardwalk is 1.1 km in a straight line east of the city centre. British advice is against all but essential travel to Guayas province, so check your government's advice before visiting. Watch for pickpockets in crowds, keep your belongings close and use a trusted car after dark. Heat and humidity are strong, so bring water and a hat.