Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Camping
The closest natural retreat with camping is the
Bosque
Protector Cerro Blanco
(Cerro Blanco Forest Reserve),
west of downtown Guayaquil on the coastal highway. The
charge is under $10. (See
Eco-Travel
, page 312). Other
than that, the beaches heading northwest away from the city are your
best options. In Playas,
Hostería Bellavista
(page 317) offers one of
the better nearby beach options.
Where to Eat
As is the case in most major international cities,
Guayaquil offers awide range of cuisine fromEcuador and
abroad and far too many restaurants to sample in any one
lifetime. A few establishments, however, do stand out.
Downtown, try
Cyrano
or
La Palma
, located next to each other on
Escobedo and Vélez. Both are good choices for light breakfasts and
snacks, and they're great places to relax, people-watch, or enjoy a
good cup of java.
Most of the best international and traditional Ecuadorian restau-
rants are in the finest hotels, particularly in the Oro Verde, the Grán
Hotel Guayaquil, and the Hotel Continental's internationally ac-
claimed
Restaurante El Fortín
. Breakfasts, especially, are tasty at
the better hotels. They're also reasonably priced (unlike the dinners,
which, while outstanding, tend to be quite expensive).
The
Paradero Rustico
, Av. Luis Plaza Danin, is extremely popular
with Guayaquileños. Typical Ecuadorian dishes are served to hordes
of people crammed into a very small space. Try to arrive by 8 pm to
beat the late-night crowds. If it's packed, head next door to
La Casa
del Cangrejo
. Also recommended is
Pique y Pase
(Laascano and
Carchi), which is a popular hang-out for the younger crowd and has a
really good buzz. In the suburbs of Urdesa, several miles northwest of
downtown, is
Lo Nuestro
, on Estrada and Higueras. This is the best
inexpensive Ecuadorian restaurant in the area.
If you're craving Chinese food, try
The Mayflower
, a popular
chifa
on Colón near Chimborazo.
The Grán Chifa
, P. Carbo 1016 and
Sucre,
4-2530-784, is the best
chifa
in the downtown area. Don't be
fooled by the décor and ambiance - the delicious food is actually not
that expensive. The nearby
Chifa Himalaya
, Sucre 308 and P.
Carbo,
4-2329-593, is popular with locals and less expensive.
Tsuji
,
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