Santa Elena, Ecuador

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Santa Elena
Town
From top, left to right: Saint Helena Empress Cathedral, Vicente Rocafuerte Central Park, Ballenita beach, El Tablazo viewpoint, monument to Vicente Rocafuerte, City hall of Saint Helena and Sumpa Regional Bus station.
Coat of arms
Santa Elena
Coordinates: 02°13′36″S 80°51′30″W / 2.22667°S 80.85833°W / -2.22667; -80.85833
Country	Ecuador
Province	Santa Elena
Canton	Santa Elena
Founded	1531[citation needed]
Area
• Town	19.48 km2 (7.52 sq mi)
Elevation	26 m (85 ft)
Population  (2022 census)[1]
• Town	54,565
• Density	2,800/km2 (7,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 hours
Climate	BWh
Website	www.gadse.gob.ec/gadse/

Santa Elena (Spanish pronunciation: [ˌsanta eˈlena]) is a town in southwestern Ecuador, and is the capital of both the province and the canton of the same name. Santa Elena, originally called Sumpa, is located on the Ecuadorian peninsula near the city of Guayaquil. It is regarded as the location of the most important and best documented archaeological site in the country, predominantly due to the discovery of the Lovers of Sumpa. ^[2]