Central & South Coast - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 309

Continuing toward the waterfront, Olmedo meets the south end of
the Malecón Simon Bolívar and a giant statue of José Joaquin
Olmedo Maruri , a famous Guayaquil politician and poet. From
here, enjoy a walk along the waterfront on the Malecón, which offers
shady trees, park benches, and views of all the activity along the
river.
Heading north, the next landmark is the Moorish-style clock tower
(you are now back at the crossroad of Calle 10 de Agosto). The
Palacio Municipal is the gaudy gray building across the street,
filled with government offices. Next to it, adjacent to the Palacio de
Gobierno (Governor's Palace), is a small plaza with a statue. A few
blocks beyond the Governor's Palace along the Malecón is the famous
LaRotunda statue. The scene commemorates themeeting in 1822 of
two great Latin American liberators, Simon Bolívar and José San
Martín.
Bolívar was the Venezuelan general who
liberated Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela
from Spanish rule, while Martín freed
Argentina and defeated the Spanish as far north
as Peru. With different political ideologies,
Bolívar continued his efforts in Bolivia and
Martín returned to Argentina, later to be exiled
to France.
North of La Rotunda is a waterfront area where several docked
barges serve as bars and restaurants. They are great places to relax
and have a drink. Try El Pirata , just a few blocks north of La Ro-
tunda ; it has inside seating or the shaded upper deck.
Additional barges are moored along the piers to the north, and be-
yond the pier for the Durán ferry is the colonial district of Las Peñas .
Well worth a visit, this part of town is also the stomping grounds of
many pickpockets and thieves. At the end of the Malecón are the
Plaza Colón and the historic Calleñuma Pompillo Llona .
From here, the energetic can head southwest along Calle Julian
Coronel to the Church of Santo Domingo , the oldest church in Ec-
uador. Farther along is the entrance to the magnificent General
Cemetery , worth a separate trip by taxi if you're too tired for the long
walk. Southwest of Las Peñas, surrounded by Calles Loja, J.
Montalva, and Avenidas Baquerizo and Córdova, is the famous Arti-
san Market . You could spend hours here browsing and shopping at
the various arts and crafts shops.