Plaza Santo Domingo

City Plaza

V!VA User‘s Description

Towards the south of the city, the wide open Plaza de Santo Domingo is dominated by the Iglesia de Santo Domingo on the southeastern edge, and statue of marshal Mariscal Sucre in the centre, his arm outstretched to Volcan Pichincha where he led the winning battle for Ecuador’s independence in 1822. Being slightly out of the way of the main attractions in the Centro Historico, many tourists miss the plaza altogether. This is a shame, as it’s certainly worth at least a quick detour, especially at weekends when hundreds of Quiteños congregate here to be entertained by storytellers, jugglers, acrobats and magicians (of variable calibre). Unfortunately this area is a prime target for muggers in the evenings. If you want to see the domes of the church lit up, it’s advisable to go with a group of people or get a taxi to take you there and wait for you.