As Ecuador’s largest city with almost 2.7 million people, Guayaquil is the commercial heart of Ecuador. Located on the banks of the Guayas River that leads to the Pacific Ocean, the city was founded in 1538 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana. The Parque Historico Guayaqui offers colonial buildings, lush gardens and animals native to the country; visitors especially like the free admission. Las Peñas is a colorful, old neighborhood with a lighthouse and great views of the city below while Malecon 2000, a boardwalk along the river, is a great place to end the day.

Jamaica’s startup ecosystem is still in a growing stage, but it shows obvious dynamism and development symptoms.

Biomuseo

Montreal is still behind other big North American cities in terms of economic vitality, according to the ranking issued by the Institut du Quebec, but the city has one card up its sleeve: its quality of life.

The Conekta founders; from left to right: Leo Fischer, Hector Cárdenas and Cristina Randall.