Guayaquil: the Malecón 2000 and the Guayas River at Sunset

Guayaquil sits at near sea level on the west bank of the Río Guayas estuary, facing northwest toward the Gulf of Guayaquil and the Pacific. The Malecón 2000, a 2.5-kilometer riverfront promenade, runs north-south along the west bank and faces east across the river toward Durán; at sunset the western sky above the city turns warm colour above the river surface. Cerro Santa Ana, a 73-meter hill in the Las Peñas district at the north end of the Malecón, is the oldest neighbourhood in Guayaquil; from the summit viewpoint (444 steps), the river bends south and the Gulf of Guayaquil opens to the west. At -2.2°S, golden hour lasts only 20 minutes. The wet season (January through April) brings afternoon clouds that can amplify sunset colour over the river and the estuary.