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Travelers worldwide are drawn to Quito for its developed tourist infrastructure, international cuisine, spectacular mountain setting, adventure travel opportunities, and the gentle, generous culture. The city is known for being home to some of the best Spanish schools in South America; there is a great backpacker community; and, the area offers plenty of activities to help you escape the typical tourist crowds. Don't miss out on socializing with the locals, Quiteños tend to be relaxed, friendly and eager to make friends.
Planning a trip from Quito to other parts of Ecuador, or to neighboring South American countries, is also fairly easy - most Quito hotels, travel agencies and tour operators are found in La Mariscal sector are are within a five block radius of each other, and transportation by land and air is plentiful and generally inexpensive, depending on the time of year.
This rapidly growing capital city has a past that stretches back to before the Incas made Quito the second capital of their empire. It appears that only the mountains that cradle the city remain unchanged. The historic Old Town features colonial architecture the Spanish constructed over the charred remains of the Incan city. Just north of Old Town, towering concrete and glass structures show off the modern structures of the business and tourist center of the city.
Quito's Sectors
Divided into different neighborhoods (sectores), most tourists spend their time in La Mariscal, or the area north of Parque el Ejido and south of Avenida Orellana. The Mariscal has the highest concentration of travel agencies, hostels, international restaurants and inexpensive bars, but there are a couple of other neighborhoods that are worth devoting some time to, so be sure to branch out. The Centro Histórico, hosts a diverse and rich colonial history with some beautiful plazas, churches, museums and pedestrian walkways. Other noteworthy neighborhoods include Guápulo, La Floresta and the North part of Quito. Quito was originally contained within the limits of what is now called the Centro Histórico. Today it is about 35 kilometers long from north to south (21 miles) and on average 8 kilometers (about five miles) wide east to west.
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El Palacio Arzobispal (The Archbishop's Palace)
Opposite the cathedral in the Plaza Grande, the former Palacio Arzobispal (Archbishop’s Palace) now houses a row of shops, ranging from delicatessens to clothes stores. During the last few years,
...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
Palacio del Gobierno
The building on the northwestern side of the plaza above the row of arched, hole-in-the-wall shops, is the Palacio del Gobierno (Presidential Palace). Only the entrance area is open to the public,
...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
Iglesia San Marcos
Compared to the ornate extravagance of many churches in the Old Town, Iglesia San Marcos is relatively quaint. Constructed over an 87-year period that began prior to the 17th century, the exterior ...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
Iglesia de Santa Bárbara
Three blocks from Plaza Grande, the shimmering-white Iglesia de Santa Bárbara stands out among the surrounding drab-gray buildings. Though attractive enough with its stained glass windows and ...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
Iglesia San Roque
Tucked away in the bustling back streets of Quito's Old Town, among the cevicherias and traditional tiendas, sits the understated Iglesia San Roque. A white-washed colonial building first constructed ...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
La Compañía
Carved entirely out of volcanic stone, the ornate Baroque façade of this Jesuit church is probably the most exquisitely executed in Quito. From the arresting outside, walk inside and you’ll be ...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
San Agustín - Museum and Monastery
Constructed by Spanish architect Francisco Becerra in 1573 and then rebuilt after the earthquake in 1868, this beautifully designed church and monestary holds political and artistic significance to ...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
Iglesia de La Merced
With its plain white exterior, handsome bell tower (the highest in Colonial Quito) and tiled domes, the church of La Merced is a good example of the Moorish influences in Spanish architecture in the
...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
La Basílica del Voto Nacional
A relatively new addition to the Quito skyline, and now one of its most striking landmarks, is the Basilica del Voto Nacional, or simply ‘the Basilica’. Consecrated in 1988 (though still
...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
Monasterio de San Francisco
The bored-looking stone chap also in the northern corner of the Plaza de San Francisco is Franciscan missionary Joedco Ricke, who set to work in the Monastery de San Francisco soon after the
...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
Café Mosaico
Ecuador goes international in this lively café, perched high above the city... by far the best restaurant view in Quito! Originally from New York, the owners clearly packed their stylish city ...Centro Histórico, Quito, Ecuador
Zazú
Offering a modern interpretation of Peruvian cuisine, this sleek restaurant is filled nightly with diplomats, oil expats and Quiteño high society. Stand out appetizers include thinly sliced ...Northern Quito - the "New Town", Quito, Ecuador
Pizzeria Ananké
A small converted bungalow that feels more like a hipster's home than a restaurant, Ananké has a stunning view of Guápulo from its upstairs outdoor patio. This artsy dive specializes in ...Guápulo, Quito, Ecuador
El Pobre Diablo
A well-decorated place with great music, popular with artsy intellectuals and local bohemian types. Live music lights the place up most Thursday and Saturday nights, with jazz and soft Cuban beats on ...La Floresta, Quito, Ecuador
Sake
Its hard to say which is better at Sake: the excellent Japanese cuisine or the view of Quito. A huge picture window up on a hill overlooks the city as you munch on fresh maki, sashimi, cooked ...La Floresta, Quito, Ecuador
Vida verde school
Learn spanish with a conscience! Vida Verde is a green-life Spanish language school offering intensive Spanish language instruction and Spanish immersion programs. The school is involved in many ...Quito, Ecuador
Andean Global Studies
Andean Global Studies is a Spanish school based in Quito, it offers to the foreign students a wide variety of programs, such as: · Spanish immersion · Medical Spanish · ...Quito, Ecuador
Apu Inty Spanish School
Although there are tons of Spanish schools to choose from while staying in Quito, it is the little things that make the difference. With a variety of “extras,” Apu Inty stands apart from the
...Quito, Ecuador
Simón Bolívar Spanish School
Located on a quiet street in the east of La Mariscal, Simón Bolívar Spanish School offers lots of extra services like free internet, airport pickup, city tours, two salsa classes per week, classes ...Quito, Ecuador
Amazonas Language School
Amazonas Language School features private Spanish classes at $8/hour. Because the school is paired up with a travel agency, students have the advantage of learning about the country and language as
...Quito, Ecuador
A great place
The people are very nice and the festivals are fun - it is a beautiful country.
Quito, Ecuador
Everything in Ecuador is perfect!!!!
Quito
Well, I'm an American living in London, but my family is from Quito, so I have been there many times. One of the best things about the city is that the Andes surround you, but the climate is pleasant. The city has a great combination of the old colonial and the modern. Within hours you can reach volcanoes, Amazonian rainforest and beautiful beaches.
Quito is awesome
Parties are pretty cool, the people are really nice and there are lots of pretty, cute girls.
Old Town Quito rocks
Quito is a beautiful city in the mountains. The best places to see are in the historical centre. The centre has many colonial buildings, cafes and nice plazas. Ipiales market has some great cheap clothes and shoes. The centre is being restored and is much better than the Mariscal tourist area which is really only worth going for the bars and travel agencies. It is good to see the area being protected and restored because it has a lot of things to see. Some people think the centre isn't safe, but now there are police everywhere and it is safer than Mariscal. We liked going on Sunday when they stopped traffic from entering. We have found some great streets and inner courtyards just by accident. The council just needs to do something about the pollution from buses which is evident throughout Quito.
Excellent experience
It is a paradise in the world. Quito is the first "Patrimonio Cultural de la Humanidad" of the world ... it is cheap and has different landscapes all the time.
I want to live here!
I disliked that my trip was so short. A five day trip to Quito is only brushing the surface. The VIVA Travel Guides Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands book is EXCELLENT. I highlighted what I wanted to do and did mostly all of it. Things I recommend are: White water rafting in Rio Blanco Horse back riding in the Pululahua Volcanoes Papallacta hot springs for your sores Night time in the Mariscal Spending money at El Mercado Artesanal! The only thing is one club called "Oz" has been closed for 8 months, just to give everyone a heads up. The V!VA guide was a very wonderful, detailed book of Quito!
A place full of history and nature
Quito has a very well-preserved historic downtown and very good hotels, like El Relicario del Carmen, located at the center of the historic district. There are lovely views. The city is located between lots of "nevados" mountains and has excellent gourmet food. It is located near lots of places to go trekking, climbing, canopying, with the best bird watching areas like Mindo and thermal waters in Papallacta. It is one of the best ecotourism destinations in the world. There are affordable prices and amazing adventures!!!
This place is awesome
Quito has so much to offer. There are so many places to visit. My trip was four months and I could not make it to all the places I wanted to see.
Nice place to be
City and night life are the most spectacular.
Quito is spectacular
Nested in a valley high in the Andes, Quito has got to be one of the world's most beautiful capital cities. For active travellers and nature lovers, Quito is near cloudforests and the surrounding Andes mountains. The "Old Town", or Quito's Centro Historico, as the locals call it, is a world-class Spanish Colonial city centre and must not be missed. I studied Spanish here and found that Quito was an excellent place to learn and weekends were action packed adventures. Don't miss Quito...
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