{"id":12173,"date":"2023-09-16T10:01:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-16T15:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trailforthjournal.com\/en\/?p=12173"},"modified":"2026-04-14T11:13:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T16:13:17","slug":"cerro-santa-ana-guayaquil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trailforthjournal.com\/en\/culture\/cerro-santa-ana-guayaquil\/","title":{"rendered":"Cerro Santa Ana: Climb Guayaquil’s 444 steps to the lighthouse and views"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Cerro Santa Ana, an emblematic place in Guayaquil. Coloured by its houses, cafes, bars and souvenir shops. <\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Words & Photos: Trail Forth Journal.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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This place is the cradle where Guayaquil was born in the XVI century, in the decades between 1540 and 1550. Formerly called “Cerrito Verde” or “Cerrito de la Culata”, it is considered the place where the city of Guayaquil was born. When the Spaniard Diego de Urbina settled the city on the slopes of the hill. Because of the shape of the junction of Cerro del Carmen and Santa Ana, which formed a saddle-shaped image. The city was also called “Ciudad de la Gineta Ensillada” (City of the Saddle Genet). It is believed that the name of Santa Ana comes from an old legend, according to which the Spanish soldier Nino de Lecumberry, in danger of death during one of his missions, invoked this saint to save him. When he succeeded, he placed a cross with the inscription “Santa Ana” on the top of the hill in gratitude. From then on, the settlers began to call the place “Loninchao”.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Cerro Santa Ana, seen from the Malecon 2000.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Studies show that there is a chapel where the lighthouse is today. Around 1600, in front of the church where the lighthouse stands today, there were the Casas del Cabildo. These houses were made of wood and had tiled roofs. They were burnt down in 1624 during the invasion of the Heremite pirates. Ten years later, the main church was used as the provisional seat of the City Council.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Cerro Santa Ana, today.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Vista del Museo El Fort\u00edn.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Today this place can be visited thanks to projects managed and financed by the Muy Ilustre Municipalidad de Guayaquil. There are two ways to get there. One is to climb the stairs, and the other is to walk along Numa Pompillo Llona Street, which ends at Puerto Santa Ana. Both routes are connected by a pedestrian street called El Gale\u00f3n, with the Diego Noboa steps. Along the route of El Gale\u00f3n there are planters, multi-purpose areas, ornamental posts, children’s playgrounds and viewpoints.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Many of the railings that exist in the square have been reused from the old Simon Bolivar promenade. Nowadays, this place has houses of mixed construction, leisure centres and spaces dedicated to history and culture. The Diego Noboa y Arteta Staircase is 310 metres long. The Cerro Santa Ana currently has ramps and access for people with reduced mobility, as well as urban furniture along the entire staircase, spaces for monuments and ornamental figures.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Cerro Santa Ana activities.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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According to the data collected, the hill has an estimated 20,000 visitors per week, cultural events are held there and there are several museums, among which: the Julio Jaramillo Lurido Popular Music Museum, the Astillero Teams – local and national celebrities: Barcelona and Emelec, and the Beer Museum.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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