Guayaquil has made great strides in reducing crime and insecurity in recent years, and its nightlife has benefited greatly. Bars, cafes, and restaurants are sprouting like mushrooms around the Zona Rosa and Cerro Santa Ana (both located toward the end of the Malecón). This is the best area to experience the city's nightlife. Have a taxi drop you off by the MAAC, on the tip of the Malecón, at La Proa Bar (tel. 09/4267-061). This modern club, with its long bar and large outdoor patio, is a good spot for a drink; patrons tend to be young and trendy -- things don't get going here till after 10 or 11pm -- and occasionally there are live bands. For more mellow options, you can stroll up the Cerro Santa Ana, where you'll find a plethora of bars and pubs flanking the steps leading to the top of the hill. Around the corner from the steps, in Las Peñas, is the boho standout La Paleta (tel. 04/2312-329).
For dancing and a more lively time, try the Zona Rosa, a several-square-block area bordered by the Malecón to the east and Avenida Rocafuerte to the west, and by Calle Juan Montalvo to the north and Calle Manuel Luzarraga to the south. You'll find a score of bars here, and it's a relatively safe area to bar-hop. Down here, I like Heineken Bar Music, Rocafuerte and Padre Aguirre (tel. 08/5234-129), which has atmospheric brick walls and often features live music; most Thursdays, this is a good place to find a local rock band playing.
Locals like to head to the handful of clubs and discos found in the neighborhood Kennedy Norte, at the Mall Kennedy. These clubs attract a broad mix of Guayaquil's young and restless. There's plenty to choose from, but if you want an all-out party, try Ibiza Evolution (tel. 09/7422-925).
Live theater, poetry, art cinema, and other performances can be found at La Alianza Francesa de Guayaquil, on José Mascote and Hurtado (tel. 04/2532-009; www.afgye.com). Alternatively, you can check out the Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana (Ecuadorian House of Culture) on the corner of Avenida 9 de Octubre and Quito (tel. 04/2304-998). These folks show art movies most nights at 7pm, and often schedule other cultural events.
Located at the northern end of the Malecón 2000 is a four-plex IMAX theater (tel. 04/2563-079; www.imaxmalecon2000.com), showing late-run IMAX-specific films. For more traditional movie fare, there are Cinemark multiplex theaters in both Mall del Sur (tel. 04/2085-000) and Mall del Sol (tel. 04/2690-100).
If you're in the mood for some gambling, there are large modern casinos at both the Sheraton Four Points and Hilton Colón.
