Guayaquil's General Cemetery is among the most elaborate in the Americas. The grounds include neo-classical architecture and sculpture from noted Spanish and Italian artists of the 20th century.

Each turn through the labyrinth of mausoleums brings more surprises, such as marble angels weeping or standing over the decorated graves. You can also see Guayaquil's Masonic influence in the nooks and crannies of the cemetary. The lavish decoration and expensive materials of the tombs on one side of the General Cemetary are a sharp contrast to the wooden crosses on the western side of the hill, where the practically vertical graves seem to have been piled one on top of the other.

The western side is where those unable to afford a niche in a cement mausoleum placed their dearly departed during the night.

At the main entrance is the grandiose tomb of Victor Emilio Estrada, a banker and former President of the Republic. Legend says that he made a pact with the devil, exchanging his soul for wealth and power. As a result, his spirit is not at peace and wanders the nearby streets at night. Taxi drivers have ghost stories in which one of them picks up a man who is walking alone and the passenger then asks to be dropped off at the cemetery entrance, near his tomb.

The flower market is in front of this main entrance, where Calle Machala dead-ends into Julián Coronel. The main entrance is next to the "salones de velorio," the place where the families of the deceased mourn for 24 hours before carrying their loved ones across the footbridge to their final resting place. Each booth competes with the next for who can create the most beautiful arrangement of roses, orchids and palm fronds.

Location:
Julián Coronel and Machala
Guayaquil, Ecuador

Monument

Getting There
The easiest way to arrive is by taxi. Ask to be taken to the "mercado de flores del cementerio general" (the flower market of the general cemetery). The stairway to the main entrance into the cemetery is next to the market.

Price Description: free

Relative price: Budget

Open Hours from:9am

Open Hours to:6pm

Days Closed:open daily

Travel Skills: None

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