Panecillo-Panorama-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
View looking southwest from atop the Basilica del Voto Nacional to El Panecillo and the Winged Virgin of Quito

First of all, four days is not enough to see and appreciate Quito. We had always planned only a short stay in this fantastic colonial city as the jumping-off point for our trip to the Galápagos Islands. But we did hit some important highlights – and, best of all, we have a list of things to do when we come back (which will happen). We call this our Quito shakedown.

A few general observations about Quito:

  • It’s high country, more than 2,850 meters (9,350) feet. Luckily, we didn’t feel any ill effects from the altitude unless you count the huffing and puffing we did up the city’s impossibly steep hills. Our tour guide, a native Quiteña, did mention that even folks that grew up there get winded climbing those hills (or maybe she was trying to make the two middle-aged gringos feel better!).
  • Situated in a deep and elongated valley surrounded by the Andes, Quito reminds us a lot of Medellin, Colombia, but without the tall, red-brick high-rises.
  • It’s true that the sun shines brighter and closer at the equator. Bring the sunblock.

So, in the spirit of one of those airline magazines, here’s the blow-by-blow of our first two days in Quito, the gem of Ecuador and its capital city.

Day One – Settling In
We arrived in the late afternoon at Quito’s new-ish and ultra-modern Mariscal Sucre International Airport, situated about 11 miles east of the city. UIO has the distinction of being the first all-new airport to be built in the Caribbean, Central, or South America in the past decade. It was a pleasure to fly in and out of this well-thought-out and highly efficient airport four times, counting our trip to the Galápagos.

Apartment-in-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Maria’s cozy loft apartment

We were met by our driver, Rene Sandoval, who took us into the city and to our Airbnb lodging – a beautifully decorated but snug and cozy loft apartment in a historic building just four blocks from the Plaza Central in Quito’s historic district. For less than $100 a night, we had everything we needed, and the host, Maria, even left us fresh flowers and some groceries (fruit, cheese, crackers, eggs, butter, cold cuts, coffee, and wine) to tide us over.

After settling into Maria’s place, we took our famished selves out to find a dinner spot. Our noses led us to the Plaza Central and a fabulous restaurant, Hasta la Vuelta Señor. Situated on the top floor of the historic Archbishop’s Palace, this place offered up wonderful Ecuadoran cuisine, an excellent wine list, and a very interesting back story about a fun-loving monk – all for the budget-breaking price of $68 for both of us (including a bottle of wine).

Ecuador-Dinner FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
We were so hungry we almost forgot to take the picture! The shrimp ceviche was to die for. A bowl of popcorn is nearly always served at Ecuadoran restaurants.

Tips for the day:

  • Hiring a driver like Rene (rsandovall666@hotmail.com) will save you time and money. Rene drove us to and from the airport (a half-hour trip each way) and gave us a full day exploring Otavalo and surrounding sites (a two-plus-hour drive from Quito), all for less than $200.
  • So far we’ve had great luck with our Airbnb experiences, and we can’t recommend Maria’s apartment enough. Here’s the listing.
  • Hasta la Vuelta Señor. As a bonus, it seems to be open later than other nearby restaurants, many of which close by 8 p.m.

 

IMG_5139-e1512935487478 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
At the equator on the day of the equinox, items and people cast almost no shadow at noon.

Day Two – Seeing the Sights
As luck would have it, our first full day in Quito was Sept. 22, which happened to be the autumnal solstice. According to Marisol, our tour guide, this was a very auspicious day on the Incan calendar. It’s one of two days out of the year where the sun is almost exactly overhead at noon, a phenomenon that only exists at or near the equator.

Quito-Lunch FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Very tipico Ecuadoran cuisine at El Balcon

After breakfasting on Maria’s groceries, we met at the Community Hostel for our free walking tour led by Soledad (“Call me Sole”). This three-hour tour (I know what tune’s in YOUR head now!) stretched into almost five hours and covered almost all of the major points of interest in and around the historic district including the National Theater, President’s Palace, Archbishop’s Palace, numerous ornate and monumental old Catholic churches, and Quito’s famous Calle La Ronda, known for its artisan workshops during the day and vibrant night life when the sun sets.

Quito-Guide-Mirasol FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Our excellent guide, Sole, at Community Hostel

Following our marathon tour, we were once again famished – and discovered a restaurant row on Eugenio Espejo street just off the Parque Central. We finally settled on an upstairs cafe named El Balcon, where we enjoyed an authentic Ecuadoran lunch and a couple of “Latitud Cero” microbrews.

Instead of dinner that night, we went for another Community Hostel offering, the Friday Food Tour. And who should turn up as our guide but . . . Sole! Not only was she a font a knowledge, but her pride in her home city was a joy. She was a kick to hang out with all day.

Tips for the day:

  • Most of the world’s major cities now have some sort of free (plus whatever you decide to tip the guide) walking tour. We’ve done them in Amsterdam, Montevideo, Panama City, Buenos Aires, and now Quito. It’s been a quality experience every time, and it’s a great way to connect with fellow travelers and exchange tips.
  • Community Hostel is a real find, just up the street from the Centro Mercado. Not only did we book the walking tour and food tour there, but they offer a wealth of other activities at very reasonable prices (including last-minute specials to the Galapagos). Although we didn’t partake, we understand they serve an excellent breakfast and dinner.
Quito-Street-Scene-6 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Starting our day, from atop Community Hostel
Street-Scene-3-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Looking towards the central mercado, with La Basilica del Voto Nacional looming in the background
Quito-Mercado-2 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Ladies serving up yummy aguas frescas (fresh fruit drinks) in the Central Mercado
Quito-Mercado-1 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Fresh produce in Central Mercado
Quito-Street-Scene-4 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
A closer view of the Basilica from the street
Presidents-Palace-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
The Presidential Palace
Quito-Parque-Central FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Quito’s Parque Central
Quito-Street-Scene-3 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Hanging out with a bronze friend in Plaza Teatro
National-Theater-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
The Teatro Nacional Sucre
Calle-Rambla-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Calle la Rambla. This busy street really comes alive at night.
Pinata-shop-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Pinatas – such a big deal in Mexico – are apparently also a thing in Ecuador.
Archbishops-Palace-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
The Archbishop’s Palace. Hasta La Vuelta Senor, where we dined the first night, is on the top floor.
Compania-de-Jesus-detail FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
Facade detail, Compania de Jesus church
Compania-de-Jesus-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
The ornate Compania de Jesus church at night. The interior is a showcase of over-the-top baroque decor, although we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside.
Winged-Virgen-Night-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
The Winged Virgen atop El Panecillo looms over Quito at all hours.
Quito-Food-Tour-2 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
On the food tour. One of our first stops was this place, which offered a variety of foods on a stick including whole chicken wings
Quito-Food-Tour-1 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
John tries some wings on a stick with encouragement from Sole. Not the easiest things to eat! But yum.
Quito-Food-Tour-3 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
This man was mixing up a selection of herbal and medicinal beverages with a base of aloe vera, which gave them a strange, slimy consistency
Quito-Food-Tour-5 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
These two sisters are the second generation to run this family business selling tamales, empanadas, and other goodies
Placenta-Soup-Quito FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
OK, folks. Are you ready? This is cow placenta soup. Yes, placenta. It wasn’t bad.
Quito-Food-Tour-6 FOUR DAYS IN QUITO, ECUADOR: Part I Ecuador Quito
We ended the food tour with a toast and a taste of canelazo, a spicy warm beverage spiked with aguardiente

16 Comments

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Thanks – glad you enjoyed it!

  1. Great travel pictures and commentary. I love Ecuador, especially Cuenca.

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Glad you liked the post! Cuenca is high on our list for next visit.

  2. What fun you had there! We did the walking tour from there as well, def would recommend doing it – actually come to think of it we did it twice, the 2nd time when our son turned up.

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Nice! I can see doing it again – there’s so much to see and do there.

  3. Oh this post really makes me want to go to Quito now! I have this plan to visit South America one day in the future, but there’s one country I’ve been consistently struggling with the time I should spend there: Ecuador. This post reassures me that despite what some people said of the Ecuadorian capital, it seems like it’s still worth a visit.

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      Oh, you must visit Ecuador, Bama! it’s high on our list of places to go back to (we’ve gotta stop that, or we’ll never get to all the places we haven’t seen yet!). I’m glad we were able to inspire you to someday go there. You won’t regret it.

  4. Thank you so much for the tips! I will be off to Ecuador next week and we havent thought over of our last 3 days in Quito. Your itinerary inspires us. Will check the Community Hostel and the driver too 🙂 Muchas gracias!

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      That’s great! You’ll love Ecuador and Quito. Here’s two things we didn’t get to, but are high on our list to visit next time: the Casa del Alabado (a museum of pre-Colombian art) and the Capilla del Hombre. If you make it to either let us know what you think!

    • John and Susan Pazera Reply

      How about the vernal equinox? 🙂

  5. I am hoping to travel more in South America in 2018, Quito is certainly in my wish list. I like walking and food tours it is such a great way of getting the vibe, culture and what a place is about. Thanks for this lovely post 🙂

  6. Planning a trip to Ecuador and re-reading your blogs about it. As always, your information is great. Anyone choosing to travel to Ecuador would benefit by reading your posting first. Very well-written and informative. Keep them coming!

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