Ancón

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Ancón
Ecuador's First Oil Town · Patrimonio Cultural del Estado

A company town built by a British oil firm in 1911, frozen in time since 1976. Victorian wooden houses, rusting pump jacks still nodding at the ground, a clifftop English cemetery, and the actual site of Ecuador's first oil well — all sitting quietly on the southern coast of the peninsula.

1911 First oil well drilled

65 years Of British operation

2011 National Heritage declaration

Gratuito Free to visit

"In Ancón, it seems the calendar stopped at the beginning of the 1900s. Old pump jacks still nod at the earth. The birdsong mixes with their mechanical rhythm. Victorian wooden houses lean into the coastal wind. A century of oil history is still visible in every street." Ancón (formally San José de Ancón) is a rural parish in the Santa Elena Canton and the birthplace of Ecuador's petroleum industry. On 5 November 1911, British company Anglo Ecuadorian Oilfields Limited drilled Pozo Ancón 1 here — the first commercial oil well in the country, and the event that triggered over a century of hydrocarbon extraction on the Santa Elena Peninsula. The company built a complete company town: British-style wooden houses for its managers, workers' barracks, social clubs, a hospital, a church, a commissary stocked with imported goods, and even a desalination plant. For 65 years Ancón operated as a self-contained British oil settlement on the Ecuadorian coast. When the state nationalised the fields in 1976 and the Anglo withdrew, the town was left largely as it was — and has been slowly ageing ever since. In 2011, on the centenary of the first barrel, the Ecuadorian government declared Ancón a Patrimonio Cultural del Estado — a national cultural heritage site — recognising its urban, architectural, and industrial legacy. It remains one of the most unusual and least-visited heritage destinations on the peninsula. Ecuador's First Oil — The Story Pre-1500 Indigenous peoples of the peninsula used naturally seeping petroleum — called copey in native tongue — for waterproofing boats and as a medicinal balm. Bituminous exudations visible at the surface near Anconcito gave the first clues to what lay underground. 1858 Ecuadorian geographer Manuel Villavicencio documents the presence of asphalt and tar deposits on the peninsula — the first formal scientific record of petroleum in Ecuador. 1879 Ecuador's national assembly authorises MG Mier y Compañía to extract petroleum and pitch from what is now Santa Elena Province — the first formal state concession for oil extraction in the country. 1911 5 November: Anglo Ecuadorian Oilfields Limited drills Pozo Ancón 1 — Ecuador's first commercial oil well. The drilling is successful. This date marks the official beginning of the Ecuadorian petroleum industry, initiated under President General Eloy Alfaro. 1919 Anglo Ecuadorian Oilfields formally establishes operations in Guayaquil and builds the Ancón company camp. Engineers, technicians, and workers arrive from Britain, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, and across Ecuador. Social clubs are founded: Club Nacional (1924), Club Andes (1928), Club Unión (1928), British West Indies Club (1929). 1925 3 September: The Anglo's first oil export leaves Ecuador. Over the following three years, 152,704 tonnes of crude oil are shipped. By 1921, Anglo Ecuadorian Oilfields controls 75% of all oil production in the province. 1976 The nationalist government of General Guillermo Rodríguez Lara completes the nationalisation of oil fields across the peninsula. The Corporación Estatal Petrolera Ecuatoriana (CEPE) takes over the Ancón fields. Anglo Ecuadorian Oilfields withdraws. The town's economy collapses almost immediately. The commissary closes. The hospital closes. The company housing empties. 2011 On the centenary of Pozo Ancón 1, the INPC, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, and the Ancón parish government jointly declare the town's urban, architectural and industrial ensemble a Patrimonio Cultural del Estado — the highest heritage designation in Ecuador. What to See — El Circuito Inglés The main tourist route through Ancón is the Circuito Inglés — a self-guided or guided walk through the key sites of the British oil era. The circuit covers the following stops, all within walking distance of the town centre: Stop 1 · Historical marker Pozo Ancón 1 — Ecuador's First Oil Well The remains of Pozo 001, drilled 5 November 1911, sit at the end of a rough dirt track near the beach. The physical site is modest — a rusted casing at the edge of the cliff — but the historical weight is not. This is where Ecuador's petroleum industry began. The Ruta del Copey (named for the native word for oil) was established by the Ministry of Culture specifically to mark this site on the centenary. Access on foot only; the path is unsuitable for vehicles. Stop 2 · Industrial heritage Los Balancines — The Pump Jacks The most distinctive visual feature of Ancón: old-fashioned oil pump jacks — called balancines or colloquially caballitos de petróleo (little oil horses) — still dotting the landscape. Some are museum pieces, frozen in position; others are still slowly pumping residual crude. Guides explain the extraction process at an operational balancín stop on the Circuito. The sight of Victorian-era iron machinery against the Pacific coastal scrub is unlike anything else on the peninsula. Stop 3 · Architecture · Main attraction Barrio Inglés — The English Neighbourhood The most striking part of Ancón. A cluster of large wooden houses built in Victorian style for Anglo Ecuadorian Oilfields' British managers and their families — pitched roofs, wide verandas, tall vertical windows, and gardens that once faced the cliff edge. The houses are built from hardwood imported from Britain and locally sourced timber. Some are maintained and inhabited; others have deteriorated since 1976. The Ministry of Culture has restored several. Residents describe the challenge of maintaining heritage-listed buildings without state support. La Casa Inglesa operates as a small visitor experience, showing how the British families lived. The Barrio Inglés sits near a clifftop mirador with views over the ocean. Stop 4 · Social history Barrio Guayaquil — The Workers' Neighbourhood Directly contrasting the Barrio Inglés, this is where Ecuadorian and Caribbean workers lived — in long barrack blocks divided into individual rooms for families. Workers came from Guayaquil, Quito, and across the coast, as well as from Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad. The Barrio Guayaquil tells a different story of the oil era: labour, migration, and the foundations of Ecuador's first trade unions, which were organised in Ancón. Stop 5 · Sport & culture Club Andes, Club Unión & Club Ancón The Anglo built several social clubs for its workers as part of the company town model. Club Andes (founded 1928) is the most historically significant for Ecuadorian football — it is where Alberto Spencer developed as a player. Spencer, born in Ancón to a Jamaican father, went on to become one of South America's greatest ever footballers and the all-time top scorer in Copa Libertadores history. Club Ancón was the most exclusive, reserved for senior management. Club Unión (1928) and the British West Indies Club (1929) served the broader international workforce. Stop 6 · Architecture Iglesia San José de Ancón The town's main church, built in a style influenced by the Anglo's Victorian aesthetics. It remains the active parish church of Ancón and is the focal point of the town's religious calendar, including the Fiesta del Pescador. Stop 7 · History El Cementerio Inglés — English Cemetery The cemetery where British workers and company staff were buried during the Anglo era. English-language headstones, Victorian funerary design, and the names of workers and managers from Britain and the Caribbean who never returned home. A quiet and unexpectedly moving site on the circuit. Stop 8 · Museum Museo de Ancón A local museum housing photographs, documents, tools, and artefacts from the oil era — workers' personal effects, company records, historic images of the camp in its heyday, and industrial equipment. The museum contextualises the circuit and makes the social history of the Anglo era legible. The best place to orient yourself before exploring the rest of the town. The Circuito Inglés is also available as a guided tour organised through the parish government and local community operators. See Operators Directory for current providers. Guided tours take approximately 2–3 hours and include access to sites not easily understood without context. Alberto Spencer — Son of Ancón Alberto Spencer Herrera was born in Ancón to a Jamaican father who came to the peninsula as part of the Anglo's Caribbean workforce. He grew up playing football at Club Andes and was spotted at 15. He went on to join Peñarol of Uruguay and became the all-time top scorer in the history of the Copa Libertadores — a record that stood for decades. He is widely regarded as one of the 20 greatest South American footballers of the twentieth century. Spencer's story captures something essential about Ancón: a town built by British industry, populated by workers from across the Caribbean and Ecuador, that produced world-class talent from the margins of the oil economy. The Club Andes where he trained is still part of the Circuito Inglés. Fellow Ancón product José Francisco Cevallos — Ecuador's most celebrated goalkeeper and former Minister of Sports — also learned his football in this town. The Heritage Question Ancón's heritage status is both its greatest asset and its central tension. When the Anglo left in 1976, the town lost its economic engine overnight. The heritage declaration of 2011 brought recognition — and some restoration funding — but residents in the Barrio Inglés report that maintaining a listed building without adequate state support is a significant financial burden. The cost of repairing and preserving Victorian-era hardwood construction, they say, is their responsibility alone. Tourism is now the community's primary bet for economic revival. The Circuito Inglés, the Ruta del Copey, and Ancón's designation as the "oil capital of Santa Elena Province" are all part of a coordinated effort to convert a century of industrial history into a sustainable cultural attraction. The pace of tourism development remains slow relative to the scale of the heritage. Ancón rewards visitors who take the time to look. Getting There Ancón is located on the south coast of the peninsula, roughly 140 km from Guayaquil. Two road approaches: From Salinas: Take the Salinas–Punta Carnero–Anconcito–Ancón coastal road. Approximately 20–25 minutes by car or taxi from central Salinas. From Santa Elena: Direct route via the Santa Elena–Ancón road from the Sumpa Regional Bus Terminal. Approximately 15–20 minutes. There is no regular direct bus service from Salinas to Ancón — shared taxis (camionetas) from Anconcito are the most practical option for the final leg. From Santa Elena, buses toward Ancón depart from the regional terminal. A taxi from Salinas runs approximately $8–12 and can be arranged to wait. See Public Transportation and Taxis & Apps for current routes. Visitor Tips Start at the Museo de Ancón. Context is everything here. The museum orients you before the circuit makes sense. Book a guided tour if possible. The Circuito Inglés is navigable alone but the social history — the class structure of the Anglo camp, the Caribbean workers, the trade unions, Alberto Spencer — is far richer with a local guide. Pozo 001 requires a walk. The path to Ecuador's first oil well is rough dirt track, impassable by vehicle. Wear appropriate shoes and allow 20–30 minutes return. The balancines are the image. Even if the circuit is closed, the pump jacks visible from the road as you approach Ancón are photogenic and strange. The combination of Victorian machinery and Pacific coastal scrub is unlike anything else. Respect the Barrio Inglés houses. Many are still private homes. Don't enter properties without invitation. La Casa Inglesa runs a visitor experience — use that. Come on a weekday. Ancón sees most visitors on weekends. Weekdays are quieter, guides are more available, and the atmosphere is more reflective. Combine with Anconcito or Punta Carnero for a full south-coast day. The coastal road from Salinas through Punta Carnero, past La Diablica beach, and into Anconcito before Ancón is a fine drive with multiple stops. See Also Museo Los Amantes de Sumpa Santa Elena · 9,000-year-old burial site La Chocolatera Western tip of the peninsula Surfing — La Diablica & Punta Carnero South coast surf on the way in Culture & History Peninsula overview Ruta del Spondylus Regional coastal heritage route Guided Tour Operators Circuito Inglés tour providers

At a Glance 📍 Parroquia San José de Ancón, Santa Elena Canton. South coast, between Anconcito and Punta Carnero. 🎟 Free to enter town and walk the circuit. Guided tours may have a small cost — confirm with operators. 🕐 2–3 hours for the full Circuito Inglés. Half-day from Salinas is comfortable. 🚕 Taxi from Salinas ~$8–12. From Santa Elena, bus from the Sumpa terminal. 🏛 Declared Patrimonio Cultural del Estado 5 November 2011. The Anglo in Numbers First well drilled 5 Nov 1911 First oil export 3 Sep 1925 Export volume (1925–28) 152,704 tonnes Production share (1921) 75% of peninsula Concession area 38,842 hectares Years of operation 1911 – 1976 (65 yrs) Total peninsula wells 2,882 (all time) The Anglo's Social Clubs Club Nacional 1924 Club Andes 1928 · Birthplace of Alberto Spencer's career Club Unión 1928 British West Indies Club 1929 · Caribbean workforce The clubs served a rigidly stratified social structure. Senior British management had Club Ancón. Workers had Club Unión. Caribbean employees had their own club. The divisions were a microcosm of the broader company hierarchy. 🛢 Copey — Oil Before Oil Copey is the indigenous name for the naturally seeping petroleum visible at the surface near Anconcito — tar-like bitumen exuding from the rock. Pre-Columbian peoples of the peninsula used it for centuries: to waterproof fishing rafts and canoes, as a sealant, and applied to the body as a remedy for fatigue and ailments. The Ruta del Copey — the official tourism route for Ancón's oil heritage — takes its name from this pre-industrial use of petroleum, connecting indigenous knowledge with the industrial extraction that followed millennia later. 🏗 Help Build This Page Know a local guide or updated opening info? Add it. Upload a photo of Ancón Add a tour operator Contribution guidelines