Guayaquil was, hands down, one of the best trips of my life.

It probably had to do more with the company and that it was one of my first experiences of freely traveling and seeing whatever I wanted, but it will always stick in my mind.

Plus, I love water, I love hot, so Guayaquil was for me.

Gotta see:

• La Perla – a ferris wheel down by the water
• 444 steps at Las Peñas – gotta climb them all! Many cute colorful little buildings and an artsy district worth exploring around this area, too. Me and my friend Noemi had some really authentic delicious fish from this sketchy place overlooking the city; it was wonderful.
• The lighthouse – good news, this is your reward for making it to the top of all the stairs. I love lighthouses so I really enjoyed this
• History museum – If you speak Spanish, might want to check out the museum. Not sure I learned much but I always like a little education when I travel and learned a few key pointers
• Walkway – You can walk right along the river and the city for a long ways! It is beautiful and a bunch of fun people are out and lots of fascinating things to see

Gotta eat:

• A batido – A fruit smoothie, you’re on the coast now so embrace all the delicious coastal food!
• The waterfront walkway – Lots of adorable places to check out along the boardwalk by the river near La Perla