2020 Updated Information about nightlife in Guayaquil. Find out where to go for dancing, great cocktails, live music and typical Ecuadorian food.
Guayaquil is a bustling city and the beating commercial heart in Ecuador. Its vibrant lifestyle is even more prominent after sundown. With the darker days behind the city, it is sprouting wings of confidence and reflecting a zest for life. The fresh refurbishment has encouraged more and more bars, cafés, restaurants, and night clubs to spring open. Over the years, locales of Zona Rosa and Cerro Santa Ana have become the epicenter of all the Guayaquil nightlife. You can dance the night away and wash it all down with a delicious cocktail.
Both Zona Rosa and Cerro Santa Ana are located at the end of the Malecón. While the clubs in Zona Rosa are drowning in energy, Cerro Santa Ana offers mellow options with bars and pubs jostling at the steps that lead to the hilltop.
Just a little farther, around the corner of these steps is La Paleta. Located in Las Peñas, it is a boho-style lounge that buzzes with a hipster crowd. Its cave-like nooks, catchy music, and chill ambiance are bound to make you groove through the night. Not a fan of dancing before drinks? Well, just grab a mug of beer or sip from the high-end cocktail menu and you are good to groove. La Paleta also serves tapas, in case you’d like to go native with drinks, or want to line your belly.
There are many night clubs in Guayaquil, Ecuador but no other is as cozy, chill, and romantic at the same time as Rayuela. This hip spot boasts a candlelit lounge and blissful vibe. The laid-back ambiance is perfect to hang out with friends and have a fun chat over a beer. Sometimes, Rayuela sways to the jazzy tunes of low-key bands. These are the nights to enjoy the pub’s cocktails. Whichever beverage you choose, there is a minimum spend of around $15. But if you fix a drink before its 8 PM, enjoy two-for-one prices.
La Taberna Guayaquil is a drinking den located near the steps of Las Peñas. It’s a vibrant bohemian venue to spend the night enjoying drinks. But what sets the mood of La Taberna is its fun crowd and salsa music. Football fans will love the décor of the pub. There are hanging jerseys and old football mementos around the lounge that scream the place’s love for Guayaquil’s Barcelona Football Club.
Located at the foothill, Diva Nicotina is a must-go night club in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The place hosts live music of all different genres, ranging from rock to jazz. Many talented local musicians show up each night to present unique music, feet-tapping improvs, and sing-along adaptations of the classics. Its young, devil-may-care crowd adds a festival-esque vibe to the atmosphere, with their feet tapping and hands holding a drink or a cigarillo.
A favorite local nightly pastime in the city is to eat signature red crabs of Ecuador. Everyone is served the crabs with a wooden hammer to open the hard shell. This gastronomic delicacy of the country is dipped in yummy sauces such as garlic and coconut. La Pata Gorda is one of the best places to savor the scrummy and succulent red crabs. It is located in Miraflores, which is also home to other famous sites like Manny’s and Pepín.
Guayaquil is the most lively city in all of Ecuador, and the nightlife is a large part of the culture here. Make sure that you make the most of your time in Ecuador and experience what the city has to offer!
