The pioneering 16th Century Santiago de Guayaquil church was visible to early settlers in the Pacific port city of Guayaquil and Ecuador’s largest city grew up surrounding it. Today the church is encapsulated by apartments, stacked colorful houses and urban sprawl. A trek up an alley takes you to the active and historically preserved colonial church which still provides daily mass services for its neighborhood. The history and culture of the church and city is preserved and exhibited in a series of murals in front of the church which are considered some of the best art in Ecuador.