Guayaquil hosts a major New Year's Eve celebration along its Malecón waterfront, where Año Viejo traditions are prominent.
In Ecuador, Año Viejo refers to the old year and to effigies made for the New Year's celebration. Families and neighborhoods create figures representing celebrities, political figures, fictional characters, or events from the passing year. At midnight, many effigies are burned as a symbolic farewell to the old year and a cleansing before the new one.
Guayaquil's Malecón Simón Bolívar is a major public waterfront and a focal point for city festivities. Fireworks, public gatherings, music, and illuminated displays make the riverside setting especially prominent. The local celebration is distinct from Peru's Lima and Ecuador's capital Quito, even though all are Spanish-speaking cities with their own New Year's customs.
The phrase Año Viejo can refer broadly to the Ecuadorian custom rather than only to Guayaquil. Guayaquil is the city asked for here because its Malecón is the named public setting associated with the celebration.