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Quito

Quito, San Francisco de Quito or “Carita de Dios”, is the capital of the Republic of Ecuador and the oldest capital in South America. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978, for the historical and cultural wealth it houses. City of warm and friendly people, of beautiful women and chullitas, and rich in culture and ancient traditions.

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Our top 5 things to do in Quito

The capital of the Republic of Ecuador, Quito, is located on two slopes of the Pichincha volcano. Is an amazing city that has to offer you adventures behind every corner. We’ll show you some things that you can do there.

Historic Center of Quito

It’s located in the south center of Quito and is considered the best-preserved historic center and one of the most important in Latin America. The Historic Center of Quito was declared by UNESCO, together with Krakow (Poland), the first Cultural Heritage of Humanity on September 8, 1978.

Panecillo

Is a 200-meter-high hill of volcanic origin, located between central and southern Quito. There is a representation of the Virgin Mary known as the "Virgen de Quito", the tallest aluminum sculpture in the world. It was made in 1975 by the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras, the base of the monument measures eleven meters and thirty meters the image of the Blessed Virgin. It’s made up of a total of seven thousand four hundred pieces.

Middle of the World City

There is the emblematic monument to the Middle of the World exactly at Latitude 0°0'0" that celebrates the equinoctial location of Ecuador. Inside the Mitad del Mundo City complex are 19 tourist attractions (planetarium, museum, squares, ancestral homes, among others) and some cultural events that highlight Ecuadorian culture.

Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve

Is located in the north of Quito, near Mitad del Mundo City. It covers the inside and the slopes of the volcano of the same name. The main tourist attractions of this Reserve are the crater and volcanic caldera, natural formations resulting from ancient eruptions of the Pululahua volcano and one of the few inhabited volcanic craters in the world.

Quito Botanical Garden

Located in ‘La Carolina’ Park, north of Quito. Created in 1989 through an agreement signed between the Ecuadorian Museum of Natural Sciences, the Gardening Club and the Municipality of Quito. This space is intended for the knowledge, protection and conservation of Ecuadorian botany, especially Andean flora.

Best food in Quito

‘La Carita de Dios’, Quito, has a diversified gastronomic offer that can be enjoyed by both, national and foreign visitors. In addition to an assortment ‘menu’ of restaurants, dining rooms, traditional markets, and ‘huecas’ where you will find the various delicious dishes that the capital has to offer. Here are some examples.

Hornado

It’s a typical dish that is prepared with pork, and is accompanied by potato tortillas, mote, tostado, and avocado. But what cannot be missing is the "agrio" made with hot pepper, salt, onion, tomato, and a little panela or chicha.

Locro of potatoes

Also known as cheese locro or ‘locro quiteño’. It’s a classic Ecuadorian potato and cheese soup served with avocado, very popular in Quito and the northern region of Ecuador.

Wind patties

‘Empanadas de viento’ in spanish. Are delicious fried patties that have cheese filling and are served sprinkled with sugar. Also, are accompanied by ‘morocho’, a thick drink prepared with broken morocho, milk, cinnamon, sugar or panela, and raisins.

Sweet figs

Sweet figs or overripe figs are figs cooked in panela honey and served with slices of cheese.

Canelazo

It is a traditional drink that is prepared with water, cinnamon, sugar or panela, and schnapps. It’s ideal for cold nights or when it rains.

What to pack for Quito

Hiking shoes

To explore and know this city, you will have to walk a lot, so it’s very important to feel comfortable in your shoes. Also, in case that is a rainy day, you won’t wet your socks.

Reusable water bottle

During your visits to the different places of Quito, you will walk a lot, and if it’s a sunny day you easily can feel thirsty. For that reason, is necessary to bring with you a reusable water bottle that will help you to stay hydrated.

Wind and waterproof coat

The climate in Quito is temperate-cold. Although it may be sunny at first, it can suddenly change to rainy. That’s why it is important to have a wind and waterproof coat, to be warm and protected from the rain.

Sunscreen

Although it is cold, keep in mind that exposure to the sun can be very high and you may not notice it because of the cold. Also, a lipstick to prevent dryness on your lips and a moisturizer if you have skin that tends to dry out easily.

Comfortable and warm clothes

Quito has very changeable weather, so to walk around the city comfortably and without worries about that, it is convenient to dress in several layers of clothing.

Cash

It’s very important to have cash if you want to buy handicrafts, drinks, traditional sweets or other things.

Other things to know before you go

Depending on your nationality, you’ll need a valid passport and may also need a visa to enter Ecuador. Please check this well in advance of your trip departure date. Also, people over 16 years old have to present the vaccination card against COVID-19 with at least 14 days of validity after completing the schedule. In addition, the negative result of a qualitative RT-PCR test in real-time, carried out up to 72 hours prior to shipment to Ecuador. The country’s entry requirements may vary depending on the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, so please check them in advance before your trip.

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