Travel Guide Machala

176 km from Guayaquil, 520 km southwest of Quito. Machala was founded in 1824: its modern and concrete architecture does not give it any exotic charm, except for the original cathedral enthroned on the Parque Central from which rises, between two blue domes, a tower cutting the sky. In fact, the city is just a stopover on the way to the Pacific coast and Guayaquil. Bubbling with activity in the muggy heat, Machala is known as the banana capital of the world. This status is proclaimed by the statue of a man carrying a bunch of bananas, the bananero, which stands at a strategic crossroads in the city. Every year, at the beginning of September, the International Banana Fair is held in Machala and a jury of experts elects the world banana queen from among the Latin beauties produced on the subcontinent. Machala's gastronomic specialty, tigrillo, is a plantain dish served with eggs, cheese and grilled pork. Finally, cocoa production is another pillar of the local economy.