444 steps to the top of Guayaquil's oldest neighborhoods

Las Peñas and Santa Ana are located on a hilltop in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. This charming hillside is a historical and interesting part of the city. It is one of the places that shouldn't be missed on a visit to Guyaquil. Not only is it of historical significanse, but from the top, it also offers a spectacular 360 degree view of the city. The main attraction to me was walking the 444 steps to the top. Not only for the view, but also to admire the street art, cobblestone streets and colorful houses.

We followed the 444 steps to the top, past small shops, cafes and bars. At the end of step nr. 444 we were rewarded with a gorgeous wiew. On the top you can visit the small chapel and the lighthouse. Both were open. It took another 75 steps to get to the top of the lighthouse, but the 360 degree wiew is definitly worth it.

The starting point

The steps are nummered, so we allways knew how far we had come. Guyaquil is a city ( port city) with a population fo more than 2 million people. It's like a jungle of highrises, but these two older neighborhoods offers a complete different picture of the city. We made some stops on the way to the top to enjoy the view that kept getting better and better.

View of River Guaya

The hillside neighborhoods of Las Peñas and Santa Ana are where Guayaquil came into being. The area dates back to the 16th century. There is an ancient legend telling how the hill was named. It says, that there was once a Spanish soldier who involved a saint to help saving himself when he was in danger. He got the help of the saint and to show gratitude, he put a cross with Santa Ana on top of the hill. So little by little the people who lived around here started to call it Santa Ana. Many of the houses are more than 400 years old. Most of them have been restored even though I have read that you can still find some of the original houses. Impressive to see how they are built on the steep hill. Brightly colored and with a European touch.

Allmost at the top, we pass Fortin del Cerro, which functions as a museum. It was not open when we were here. So we just took a look outside. The fort is in ruins. As you can see, there isn't much left. The cannons that are still here, are probably the original ones that once used to protect the city.

The Galion «Pure Maria Jesus» was build during the years 1641 -1644, at the Guayaquil shipyard. At the time it was build ( for the King of Spain), it was not only the largest, but also the most imposing of its kind, ever build in the Spanish colonies in South America. But in ran aground in 1654 when it was returning from a trip to Peru. Everything on board was lost.

Not quite at the top yet. Only a few steps more and finaly at the top. It was not a strenous walk, but I took a short rest before exploring the plaza with the small chapel and lighthouse. The plaza has several benches. We only met a couple of other visitors. When they left we had the whole place to ourself.

The view is amazing no matter from which position. Quite a spectacular 360 degree view of the city. It is the river we can see below the hill.

After a walk all around the plaza to enjoy the view, it was time to climb the spiral staircase to get to the top of the small lighthouse. It is approx. 85 meters high, so it is only a few steps more. This lighthouse was build in 2002 and replaced the original one. Once on top, we can walk around it from the outside and get another awesome view of the city. I really liked to look at the plaza and the small chapel from up here.

Unlike the lighthouse, the chapel / church has historical significance. It is known as Cerro Santa Ana. Built in 1548. It has 19 stained glass windows. When looking at each one of them, we can see how they display the maritime symbols. A nice way of paying tribute to the symbols of Guayaquil.

Calle Numa Pompilio Lloma

Down to the starting point by step nr. One, we took a walk along the the historic street at the base of the hill. Calle Numa Pompilio Lloma is named after an Ecuadorian poet. It is one of the oldest streets in Guayaquil wich also has many 400 years old houses. This visit to Las Peñas and Santa Ana was the highlight of my visit to Guayaquil.