Guayaquil Historical Park, Sights, Tourist Attractions
The Guayaquil Historical Park can be found between Esmeraldas and Central Avenue in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The city is one of the biggest and most populous in the country so visitors will find that they will be able to spend at least one whole day exploring the sights and sounds of this city. At the Historical Park you can spend time learning about the city you are visiting: its history, culture and about the coastal region.
The park is made up of three main parts: the Wildlife Zone, the Traditions Zone and the Urban Architectural Zone. Each of these take up an area of eight hectares. The Wildlife Zone contains many exhibit areas holding animals of all shapes and sizes, some of which are endemic to the country and others that are exotic. What you may find very interesting here at the Wildlife Zone is that all the paths that go through the zone are raised above the ground so as to not destroy any of the natural plant life found there. The Wildlife Zone also focuses on introducing local fauna and flora, a lot of which are on the near extinction list.
The Urban Architectural Zone gives tourists examples of the flourishing construction that took place in the beginning of the twentieth century, while the Traditions Zone lets you enter into the life of the poorer community along the coast who still to this day live in bamboo homes. Part of the walk through display features bamboo homes that are elevated off the ground for two important reasons. The first reason is that the raised homes provide adequate shelter for any of the animals that they might have, which they will later sell or eat. The other reason is that the coast of Guayaquil receives heavy rains during the rainy season and the height helps lessen the amount of damage that could have occurred.
Other than the three main exhibit areas at Guayaquil Historical Park there are also two theatrical performances that take place twice a day and, although they are in Spanish, they are very enjoyable. The shows are mainly about traditions and legends that are part of the native peoples’ culture. You will also find many little cafés and kiosks to visit for a snack or for lunch, which will give you a chance to taste the traditional food enjoyed there.
