Quito: Top 10 things to do
Guest blogger Abby Clark shares her Top 10 things to do in and around Quito, Ecuador.
She writes:
“Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, is on the equator, and is the highest capital city in the world, at 2,800 metres above sea level. Its old town, Centro Historico, boasts beautiful Spanish colonial architecture.
Quito is divided into three sections, with the Old City at the centre, and the Southern and Northern districts to either side. The greatest concentration of tourist facilities is in the North.
The largest ‘Old City’ in the Americas, Quito has undergone massive restoration and revitalisation over the last decade, and boasts 40 churches, 17 squares, and 16 convents and monasteries. It’s been called the ‘Reliquary of the Americas’ for its colonial – and independence – era architecture.
It’s a great quarter to wander, with several museums and also plenty of restaurants and terrace cafes for a rest while sightseeing.
Northern Quito is modern and a hospitable place to explore, with plenty of museums and urban parks, as well as restaurants and nightlife, while the southern district of the city is poorer and seldom visited by tourists.
Here is my Top 10 things to see and do in and around Quito.”
1. Centro Historico
The Centro Historico is Quito’s top tourist attraction, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Plaza Grande is bordered by the Palacio de Gobierno and the oldest cathedral in South America, which has been repaired many times due to damage caused by earthquakes. Nearby is the Palacio Presidencial.
2. San Francisco
The Monastery of San Francisco, Iglesia de San Francisco, is the oldest colonial building in Quito. It houses the Museo Franciscano, where paintings, art and furniture are on display. There are many other churches and religious buildings in the Old Town as well, most built in the 17th and 18th centuries.
3. Colonial houses
Colonial houses in the old town are made of sun-dried bricks (adobe), and are built around enclosed central patios. The best-preserved houses, complete with traditional balconies, are found in an alley called La Ronda or Juan de Dios Morales. Tourists can walk through two historical homes, Casa de Benalcázar and Casa de Sucre.
4. Mirador de Panecillo
Virgin of the Americas is a 41-metre aluminium statue of the Virgin Mary overlooking Quito on a hill at the Mirador de Panecillo. Built in 1976, it has angel wings, a very unusual feature on statues of the Virgin.
5. Quito Zoo
Quito Zoo has the largest collection of native plants in Ecuador, as well as a wide variety of animals and birds.
6. The equator
Visit La Mitad del Mundo, a 100-foot tall monument and museum marking the equator, 22 kilometres north of Quito. The globe at the top of the monument indicates your location at the equator, “in the middle of the world.”
Here you’ll find charming streets, shops and restaurants surrounding the monument. There are llamas grazing nearby and they don’t mind having their photo taken.
7. Museo de Sitio Intiñan
Near the monument is an open-air museum representing the small indigenous villages the Spanish found when they conquered Ecuador in 1531.
The Museo de Sitio Intiñan houses a collection of artefacts and cultural activities centred around the actual equator line, just north of the Mitad del Mundo monument. There are hands-on displays and activities such as balancing an egg or walking the equator line with your eyes closed.
A popular highlight is being photographed at the sign marking the Equator Line at 00° 00’ 00”. Staff will also stamp passports.
8. Market towns
Take an excursion from Quito to the market towns of Otavalo and Cotacachi. You’ll find household furnishings, handmade utensils, food, clothing, handcrafted woollens and textiles, Panama hats, leather goods and toys.
9. Cotopaxi National Park
Cotopaxi National Park lies south of Quito and is possibly one of the most beautiful places in Ecuador. Cotopaxi volcano is the second highest mountain in Ecuador and a favourite with mountain climbers and hikers.
The park protects llamas and other wildlife such as bears, wolves, puma and deer. Visitors often spot eagles and condors.
10. Amazon rainforest
Visit the Oriente Amazon rainforest, a few hours away from Quito. Oriente lies on the eastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes in the Amazon basin and consists of lowland rainforest.
It covers around 130,000 square kilometres and is home to only a small percentage of Ecuador’s population.
About the author
Abby Clark is an enthusiastic adventurer who loves exploring well-known as well as remote corners around the world. Abby also writes blogs and guest blogs for Best Quote Travel Insurance.
