Samborondón
Encyclopedia
Samborondón is a suburb
of Guayaquil
and one of the cantons of Guayas province in Ecuador
. It is one of the most exclusive residential and entertainment districts in Ecuador
, boasting many Gated Communities
(urbanizaciones cerradas) and several retail developments are located in the suburb
. The proximity to the country's largest city, Guayaquil (merely crossing a bridge), allow many of its residents work there.
Samborondón was founded on May 24, 1776 and achieve its independence on October 10, 1820. Since October 31, 1955 the suburb has been a canton. The canton has 105 localities and only one urban (La Puntilla) and one rural parish
(Tarifa).
The name Samborondón comes from Saint Brendan
, in Spanish San Borondón. The name of the Saint was commonly used in Spain
and subsequently in Latin America
for towns and villages.
The name Samborondón, in general usage, often refers to the rich downtown area of the canton called
La Puntilla. In fact Samborondón consists of a much larger area than just La Puntilla, which is a peninsula
between the rivers Babahoyo and Daule (where the River Guayas is formed).
La Puntilla is known as the home of many of the rich and powerful of Guayaquil, including banana magnate and several-time presidential candidate Álvaro Noboa
, Ecuador's richest man. But much the canton is in fact rural and poor, and most of its inhabitants live from the cultivation of rice
. Nevertheless, the mayor
(who himself lives in Guayaquil) has done a lot to improve their situation and his policies are intended to benefit poorer inhabitants of the canton, as well as the richer inhabitants. Several improvements have been made to the area recently. Coco Yunez has become mayor.
chain, was finished in 2007 and is now in use. There are also a few building complexes specially built for medical practices.
The Village Plaza was inaugurated on August 2010. A hypermarket from the Supermaxi chain and other 90 stores have been announced.
Bocca, La Piazza, La Torre and Las Terrazas are smaller shopping centers, mainly around exclusive restaurants, gyms, night clubs and stores.
Tierra Diversión is an amusement park for children aged 2–10 and has a capacity of 100 children. They specialize in children's birthday parties and business events for children.
Riverpark is an open-air amusement park for children and young people set with a castle theme.
and zoo
of the local fauna
and flora
with reconstructions of historical buildings, is one of the main tourist attractions of Guayaquil.
Samborondón has a hotel boutique, Orilla del Rio, www.orilladelrio.com.ec located in Entrerios. Its close proximity to Guayaquil (5 minutes by car, pedestrian access prohibited on the bridge) makes this unproblematic for the visitor, except on peak hours (7-8 a.m and 4 - 7 p.m.)
Samborondón is also home to the more exclusive night clubs of the city of Guayaquil and there are also three restaurants-complex with luxurious and innovative cuisine, that otherwise are not found in the city.
s have relocated from Guayaquil to Samborondón. Most of them are exclusive private school
s, among them Abdón Calderón, Torremar and Delta (belonging to Opus Dei
), Nuevo Mundo, Liceo Panamericano, Moderna Sergio Pérez Valdez, Centro Educativo Naciones Unidas, La Moderna, and Monte Tabor. The German School Guayaquil
inaugurated a second Kindergarten
in Samborondón on April 13, 2009. Tuition
fees are not less than 300 US dollars
per month, a lot for a developing country
like Ecuador. On the other hand, there are only 23 public elementary schools in the Canton
, all of them in terrible condition.
The first university
located in the suburb was the Universidad Espíritu Santo, which opened its doors on 1994.. Another university, Ecotec has relocated to the suburb. Since 2000 the ESPOL (Technical University of the littoral) has an annex called PROTCOM in Samborondón, though it only offers 2 courses, leading to a technical associate degree.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
and one of the cantons of Guayas province in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. It is one of the most exclusive residential and entertainment districts in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, boasting many Gated Communities
Gated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
(urbanizaciones cerradas) and several retail developments are located in the suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
. The proximity to the country's largest city, Guayaquil (merely crossing a bridge), allow many of its residents work there.
Samborondón was founded on May 24, 1776 and achieve its independence on October 10, 1820. Since October 31, 1955 the suburb has been a canton. The canton has 105 localities and only one urban (La Puntilla) and one rural parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
(Tarifa).
The name Samborondón comes from Saint Brendan
Brendan
Saint Brendan of Clonfert or Bréanainn of Clonfert called "the Navigator", "the Voyager", or "the Bold" is one of the early Irish monastic saints. He is chiefly renowned for his legendary quest to the "Isle of the Blessed," also called St. Brendan's Island. The Voyage of St...
, in Spanish San Borondón. The name of the Saint was commonly used in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and subsequently in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
for towns and villages.
The name Samborondón, in general usage, often refers to the rich downtown area of the canton called
La Puntilla. In fact Samborondón consists of a much larger area than just La Puntilla, which is a peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
between the rivers Babahoyo and Daule (where the River Guayas is formed).
La Puntilla is known as the home of many of the rich and powerful of Guayaquil, including banana magnate and several-time presidential candidate Álvaro Noboa
Álvaro Noboa
Álvaro Fernando Noboa Pontón is an Ecuadoran businessman and politician.Noboa has been actively involved in politics, unsuccessfully running for the office of President of Ecuador in 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2009...
, Ecuador's richest man. But much the canton is in fact rural and poor, and most of its inhabitants live from the cultivation of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
. Nevertheless, the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
(who himself lives in Guayaquil) has done a lot to improve their situation and his policies are intended to benefit poorer inhabitants of the canton, as well as the richer inhabitants. Several improvements have been made to the area recently. Coco Yunez has become mayor.
Health care
A new branch of the Kennedy Hospital, a local private hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
chain, was finished in 2007 and is now in use. There are also a few building complexes specially built for medical practices.
Shopping and Entertainment
The local shopping center, Riocentro Entrerios has many retail stores, a hypermarket, a food court and a cinema.The Village Plaza was inaugurated on August 2010. A hypermarket from the Supermaxi chain and other 90 stores have been announced.
Bocca, La Piazza, La Torre and Las Terrazas are smaller shopping centers, mainly around exclusive restaurants, gyms, night clubs and stores.
Tierra Diversión is an amusement park for children aged 2–10 and has a capacity of 100 children. They specialize in children's birthday parties and business events for children.
Riverpark is an open-air amusement park for children and young people set with a castle theme.
Tourism
The Parque Histórico, a botanical gardenBotanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
and zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
of the local fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
and flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
with reconstructions of historical buildings, is one of the main tourist attractions of Guayaquil.
Samborondón has a hotel boutique, Orilla del Rio, www.orilladelrio.com.ec located in Entrerios. Its close proximity to Guayaquil (5 minutes by car, pedestrian access prohibited on the bridge) makes this unproblematic for the visitor, except on peak hours (7-8 a.m and 4 - 7 p.m.)
Samborondón is also home to the more exclusive night clubs of the city of Guayaquil and there are also three restaurants-complex with luxurious and innovative cuisine, that otherwise are not found in the city.
Education
Due to the increasing growth of the area, many schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s have relocated from Guayaquil to Samborondón. Most of them are exclusive private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s, among them Abdón Calderón, Torremar and Delta (belonging to Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
), Nuevo Mundo, Liceo Panamericano, Moderna Sergio Pérez Valdez, Centro Educativo Naciones Unidas, La Moderna, and Monte Tabor. The German School Guayaquil
German School Guayaquil
The German School of Guayaquil is a multilingual school in Guayaquil, Ecuador. It was founded in 1957 by Renate Lemke to meet the necessities of the German immigrants in the city....
inaugurated a second Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
in Samborondón on April 13, 2009. Tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
fees are not less than 300 US dollars
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
per month, a lot for a developing country
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
like Ecuador. On the other hand, there are only 23 public elementary schools in the Canton
Cantons of Ecuador
The Cantons of Ecuador are the second-level subdivisions of Ecuador, below the provinces. There are 226 cantons in the country, of which three are not in any province. The cantons are further sub-divided into parishes, which are classified as either urban or rural...
, all of them in terrible condition.
The first university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in the suburb was the Universidad Espíritu Santo, which opened its doors on 1994.. Another university, Ecotec has relocated to the suburb. Since 2000 the ESPOL (Technical University of the littoral) has an annex called PROTCOM in Samborondón, though it only offers 2 courses, leading to a technical associate degree.
External links
- Local government of Samborondón
- University UEES
- http://www.universidadecotec.edu.ec/
- Article of the Friedrich Ebert FoundationFriedrich Ebert FoundationThe Friedrich Ebert Foundation is a German political foundation associated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany , yet independent of it...
about the impact of the new city concept of security on young wealthy people from Samborondón (Spanish) - Parque Histórico de Guayaquil (spanish)
- Jose 'Coco' Yunez Campaign page