I had decided that I would head over to the Pacific Coast in Ecuador, before heading back to Quito and then Bogota.
The trip from Cuenca to Montanita is 7 hours though and I preferred to break up the journey. Approximately half way is where one finds Guayaquil. It is the largest city in Ecuador and has a bad reputation for crime. There is a huge disparity between rich and poor people who live here.
I just stayed one night, on the Promenade and spent a few hours waking around and enjoyed an early morning run. The people were pleasant and I didn’t have any bad experiences. The promenade has been well equipped with kids play areas, cafes and evening entertainment. It is a pleasant walk around.
It is also fun to visit the main square- which hosts the Iguana Park. There are loads of iguanas who call this park home and who are fed lettuce leaves by keen tourists. You need to be very careful when walking around though- so as not to step on any- their tails are long so beware!
