Guayaquil Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana de Guayaquil)

The white neo-Gothic towers are the first thing that orients you downtown, rising over the trees of Parque Seminario. This is the mother church of the city, officially the Cathedral of San Pedro, originally built in wood around 1547 on what was then the main square and rebuilt in reinforced concrete in the 20th century in this Gothic style. The inside is cool, quiet, and high, a good reset before the heat of the day. It is open Monday to Saturday 7:20 AM to 6:00 PM and Sunday from 7:00 AM, and walking in to look around costs nothing. If you want the guided "Destino de Luz" tour it runs $3 for adults and $1.50 for children and seniors, but for most people a few minutes inside is plenty. When you come out the front doors, the park with the iguanas is directly across the pedestrian street, but first turn left and walk five minutes inland up toward Parque Centenario.










