Guayaquil tourists choose religious destinations

Guayaquileans seek to walk the roads where Jesus was born, grew up and even died. Pilgrims go barefoot to sacred destinations, such as the Mount of Olives and the Wailing Wall. They pray, ask for favors, tour monasteries and temples on their knees. They do penance for their sins. Religious tourism grows in the city.

Judith Benítez, 41, embarked on a tour to the Holy Land a decade ago. Along with her church priest and her ‘brothers,’ they began their journey through Israel, Egypt, and Jerusalem.

She climbed Mt. Sinai (2,285 meters high), where according to Christian tradition prophet Moses received the two tablets containing the ten commandments; and she immersed in the sulfurous waters of the lowest place on Earth, the Dead Sea. She also visited the Church of the Nativity, where it is traditionally believed that Jesus was born.

Today, the architect and teacher, mother of two men and catechist, is preparing for another pilgrimage. This time to the Marian shrines in Europe, well-known for the appearances of Virgin Mary.