Feria Internacional Gastronómica de Raíces

Each July, as Guayaquil marks its founding with a month of civic celebration, the city also hosts the Feria Internacional Gastronómica de Raíces, an international fair dedicated to traditional gastronomy that coincides with the wider Santiago del Mayor festivities honouring the city's namesake saint. The timing places the fair right alongside Guayaquil's other founding-week attractions, including military parades, art exhibitions and boat races along the Malecón waterfront.

Guayaquil's own culinary identity leans heavily on the country's coastal traditions — dishes like seco de gallina, bolón de verde and fresh ceviche de camarón are staples of the region, and the fair gives both locals and visitors a concentrated place to sample them alongside the wider programme of international gastronomy on display. Culinary fairs of this kind have become a fixture of Guayaquil's founding season specifically because they let the city celebrate its identity as a coastal, food-loving capital, distinct in character from Andean Quito.

For visitors combining Ecuador's coast and highlands in one trip, timing a stop in Guayaquil for late July offers a rare chance to experience the city at its most celebratory, with the fair providing an accessible entry point into the region's distinct culinary traditions.