El Hueco

El Hueco is an area of about 25 blocks downtown, in the Guayaquil sector, between Avenida Colombia, Avenida San Juan, Carrera Bolívar and Avenida del Ferrocarril. It's dozens of small malls, arcades and shops packed one against the other, plus the street vendors.

This is where you buy cheap and in bulk: clothes, sneakers, uniforms, Colombia national team jerseys, toys, fabric, party supplies, luggage, perfume, kitchenware and Christmas decorations. Many shops sell both wholesale and retail. Among the best-known buildings are El Hueco Número Uno, El Hueco Pichincha and the Centro Comercial Japón.

Almost everything is paid in cash and prices are negotiable. At the end of the month, on paydays (the 15th and 30th) and in December it gets extremely crowded; weekday mornings are easier to walk. At 7:00 p.m. the shops close and the area empties out fast.

What to see

• Carrera Carabobo, the pedestrian way into the area.
• The arcades full of clothing and toy shops.
• The fabric and party supply stores.

Getting there

• Metro: San Antonio station (Lines A and B) and walk west; Cisneros station (Line B), on the western edge of the area, also works.
• Taxi or ride app: ask for Centro Comercial El Hueco Número Uno, at Calle 46 and Carrera 53 (Maturín).

Tips

• Go in simple clothes and sneakers, with no jewelry or watch on show; wear your bag or backpack in front and closed.
• Don't take your phone out on the street: if you need to check it, step into a shop. Carry your cash split up, in small bills.
• Go on a weekday between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. and leave before dark; avoid paydays and December if you don't like crowds.
• Write down the name and number of any shop you liked; it's easy to get lost in the arcades.