Museo Antropológico y de Arte Contemporáneo (Museum of Anthropology and Contemporary Art)

Commanding a spectacular location on the tip of the Malecón, and known simply as the MAAC, this large and impressive museum opened in late 2004. It focuses on the archaeological finds from around Ecuador (including some relatively recent discoveries from the coastal regions). However, one wing is dedicated to a large collection of Ecuadorean contemporary art, as well as to a smattering of international artists. Constantly changing temporary exhibits focus on local contemporary artists -- usually accompanied by short films about those artists, which are quite interesting and worth your while. (Note that these films are usually in Spanish.) There's also a library, a bookstore, and a pleasant cafe. It will take you about 2 hours to visit the museum, though plan to spend a little longer if you are interested in the archaeological finds and the films about the artists.

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