Quito
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Quito - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Iglesia de la Compañía
CentroThe "company" referred to here is the Society of Jesus, the powerful Jesuit order that profoundly influenced religious life in colonial South America. In many cities, Quito included, the local Jesuit church outshone the local cathedral. La Compañía is the most impressive of the capital's 86 churches, with 10 side altars and a high altar plated with gold. The high central nave and the delicacy of its Arab-inspired plasterwork give the church a sumptuous, almost sinfully rich appearance. Indeed, almost half a ton of gold was poured into the ceilings, walls, pulpits, and altars during its 160 years of construction (1605–1765). At the center of the main altar is a statue of the Quiteña saint Mariana de Jesús; her remains are entombed at the foot of the altar. Guided tours in Spanish or English are included in your admission price. If you see nothing else in Quito, don't miss this.
Benalcazar 562 and Antonio Jose de Sucre, Quito, Pichincha, 170130, Ecuador02-2581--895Sight Details
Rate Includes: $5, Night visits can be arranged by calling 02--258--1895 -
2. Basílica del Voto Nacional
El BelénConstruction of this neo-Gothic church has been going on for more than a century, but it still isn't completed, and never will be: Local susperstition holds that the world will end when basilica construction is finished. Here the traditional gargoyles found on such structures are representations of Ecuadoran jungle animals. The structure bridges the Old and New cities—literally, figuratively, and stylistically—but falls into neither. Its 115-meter (380-foot) towers are one of Quito's best-known lookout points.
Venezuela and Francisco Caldas Street., Quito, Pichincha, 170130, Ecuador22-289--428Sight Details
Rate Includes: $1 -
3. Calle de la Ronda
Here's a textbook case on how to do urban renewal: The city has taken one of its most historic streets, cleaned it up, beefed up security, and given grants to owners to refurbish their properties. The result is a two-block pedestrian-only cobblestone street lined with independent galleries, shops, cafés, and a few small bars. Flowers deck out the wrought-iron balconies and flags flutter over strolling Quiteños.
Juan de Dios Morales, Quito, Pichincha, 170130, Ecuador -
4. Casa de Sucre
CentroThe restored Sucre House, once the residence of Field Marshal Antonio José de Sucre, displays 19th-century furniture and clothing as well as photographs, historical documents, and letters. The house makes an interesting visit if you're a military-history buff.
Oe4 Venezuela, Quito, Pichincha, 170130, Ecuador22-512--860Sight Details
Rate Includes: $1 -
5. Casa del Alabado
This museum of pre-Colombian art and artifacts is easy to miss, hidden as it is inside a lovingly-restored 17th-century house. The museum has arranged the pieces thematically, not chronologically, so a walk through the eight galleries is both a history and an art lesson. The museum is small, so you can move through it in less than an hour before or after visiting Iglesia de San Francisco next door. There are two tranquil courtyards here where guests are welcome to relax. The gift shop sells nice Ecuadorian handicrafts alongside some locally-made clothing and bags. The free audio tours are informative and engaging.
Calle Cuenca N1-41 y, 170401, Ecuador22-280--940Sight Details
Rate Includes: $4, Mon.--Tues., Thurs.--Sun. 9--5:30, Wed. 1:30--5:30 -
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6. Catedral
CentroThe city's cathedral is a repository of art from the Quiteña school, which combined themes of Spanish and indigenous cultures: Jesus preaching in the Andes or the Wise Men mounted on llamas in the Nativity scene. The exceptional sculpting abilities of Manuel Chili Caspicara can be appreciated in the 18th-century tableau The Holy Shroud, which hangs behind the choir, and in the intricate designs of the rococo Chapel of St. Anne, in the right aisle. The building also houses the volcanic rock-hewn tomb of Quito's liberator, Antonio José de Sucre. A guided tour in Spanish or English is included in your admission price. Enter around the corner on Venezuela.
Plaza de la Independencia,, Quito, Pichincha, 170130, Ecuador02-257--0371Sight Details
Rate Includes: $2 -
7. El Panecillo
The opening of the New City's Teleferiqo has eclipsed this rounded hill and its stunning views as Quito's most popular lookout point, but El Panecillo wins in convenience and authenticity; it's easy to walk to, you can climb up, and the presentation here is more serene.. At the top stands the monumental cast-aluminum statue of the city's protectress, the Virgin of Quito—a 1976 copy of Bernardo de Legarda's famous 18th-century sculpture Virgin of the Apocalypse of the Immaculate Conception, on display in the Iglesia de San Francisco. There are police on the long flight of stairs up, so it's safe to climb. Due to the elevation, a moderate level of fitness is needed to tackle the stairs, so some visitors may wish to take a taxi and have it wait for you at the top (about $10 round-trip).
Costado del centro historico, Quito, Pichincha, EcuadorSight Details
Rate Includes: $1 -
8. Fundación Guayasamín and Capilla del Hombre
BellavistaEcuador's most famous contemporary artist, Oswaldo Guayasamín (1919–99), held court at a workshop and beautiful museum in the residential neighborhood of Bellavista, befriending everyone from the Rockefellers to Fidel Castro during his long career. This is the starkly modern vision the artist never lived to see completed: a secular chapel of art dedicated to the history of mankind, housing a collection of his cubist works on the theme of social injustice in Latin American history. Take a guided tour in English or Spanish. It's included in your ticket price and will prove invaluable for understanding what you're seeing. On display here are pre-Colombian ceramics, colonial sculptures, and paintings from his private collection, as well as a permanent exhibit of his own paintings. Original works by Guayasamín, as well as prints, posters, and T-shirts, are sold in the gift shop.
Mariano Calvache E18-94 and Lorenzo Chávez., Quito, Pichincha, 170122, Ecuador22-446--455-CapillaSight Details
Rate Includes: $8 -
9. Guápulo
Town/VillageNestled in a secluded valley below the Guayasamín museums, the village of Guápulo is a preserved pocket of colonial architecture only 2 km (1 miles) from Quito's New City. Early September brings Guápulo's annual festival, which features food, drink, and marching bands. To reach Guápulo, walk downhill via the steep staircase directly behind the Hotel Quito, east of the city at Avenida Gonzáles Suárez 2500. To return, make the uphill trek, or take a taxi for about $4.The settlement, with narrow cobblestone lanes lined with two-story white houses trimmed in blue, grew up around its impressive 17th-century church, the Santuario de Guápulo. The Guápulo Sanctuary contains pieces by some of Quito's most exceptional sculptors and painters; the paintings in the central nave are the work of Miguel de Santiago, and the side altar and pulpit—completed in 1716 and considered masterpieces of colonial art—were carved by Juan Bautista Menacho.
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10. Iglesia de la Merced
CentroThe Church of Mercy's beautiful, light-filled interior contains a brilliant statue of the Virgin of Mercy above the main altar. It was sculpted to honor Mary, who supposedly intervened to save Quito from a series of 18th-century earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The church's 153-foot tower houses the city's largest bell. The adjoining convent, shown by appointment only, features a rich collection of colonial paintings and sculptures.
Chile at Cuenca, Quito, Pichincha, 170130, Ecuador22-280--743Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
11. Iglesia de San Agustín
CentroIn 1809 Ecuador's declaration of independence was signed in the Church of St. Augustine, and many of the soldiers who fought the Spanish crown are buried here. The gilded crucifix on the main altar offers an impressive example of a style of art called the Quiteña school. The altar displays paintings by Miguel de Santiago about the life of St. Augustine, while more depictions of the saint crowd the side aisles.
Chile at Guayaquil, Quito, Pichincha, 170130, Ecuador22-955--525Sight Details
Rate Includes: $2, Weekdays 9–12:30 and 2, Sat. 9–1, closed Sun. -
12. Iglesia de San Francisco
CentroEstablished by Franciscan monks in 1536 and said to be the first church built in the Americas, the Church of San Francisco was named for the patron saint of the city. The twin towers, destroyed by an eruption of Volcán Pichincha in 1582, were rebuilt at half their original size in 1893, contributing to the facade's uninspiring appearance. Inside, however, you will find the first New World example of an interior entirely covered with gilded and painted wood. Stationed at the main altar is Bernardo de Legarda's famed 18th-century sculpture Virgin of the Apocalypse of the Immaculate Conception. The monastery, at the north end of the complex, now houses a museum of colonial religious art. You can arrange for an English-speaking guide with 24 hours' notice.
Plaza San Francisco, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador022-281--124Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
13. Iglesia de Santo Domingo
CentroThe interior of the colonial Church of Santo Domingo may not be as impressive as the Old City's other churches, but it does feature an eye-catching clock and some interesting statues, including the Virgen del Rosario. The adjacent Dominican monastery also holds a small museum of religious art. South of the Plaza Santo Domingo, narrow cobblestone streets lead down to Calle Ronda, one of Quito's first streets.
cnr Flores & Rocafuerte, Quito, Pichincha, 170130, EcuadorSight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Sun. -
14. Iglesia Parroquial del Sagrario
CentroThe Church of the Shrine is noted for its beautiful facade in carefully sculpted stone, large gilded altar, and colorful interior, which includes an 18th-century mural of eight archangels covering the cupola. The site is undergoing a massive renovation at this writing, but do stop in even if the scaffolding is still up during your visit.
García Moreno, Quito, Pichincha, 170130, EcuadorSight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Mon.–Sat. 8–11 and 1–6 -
15. Museo Casa de María Augusta Urrutia
CentroIn the colonial section of Quito is the Museum of Maria Augusta Urrutia, which a grieving widow kept exactly as it had been when her husband was alive. Don't miss the collection of fine French porcelain, beautiful silver dinnerware, and Ecuadoran art from colonial times to the present. Of note are the works of Ecuadoran painter Victor Mideros.
Calle Garcia Moreno 760, Quito, Pichincha, 170130, Ecuador22-580--103Sight Details
Rate Includes: $2 -
16. Museo de Arte Colonial
CentroThe Museum of Colonial Art, housed in a restored 17th-century colonial mansion, includes colonial furniture and 16th- to 18th-century sculpture and paintings by Miguel de Santiago and various other members of the School of Quito. The amusing Vices and Virtues of the European Countries is a series of 12 allegorical 18th-century paintings by colonial masters Samaniego and Rodríguez.
Cuenca 901, Quito, Pichincha, 170130, Ecuador22-282--297Sight Details
Rate Includes: $3, Closed Sun.--Mon. -
17. Museo de la Ciudad
Museum/GalleryFollow the life of the city from indigenous trading post and northern Inca capital to conflict with conquistadors up to the 19th-century. In the former San Juan de Dias Hospital, the city museum's grounds also include a chapel, two courtyards, and a small cafe. Located close to several major Old City attractions, it's a nice historical overview for travelers with limited time.
Garcia Moreno E1-47, at Rocafuerte, Centro, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador-228 3882Sight Details
Rate Includes: $3 -
18. Museo del Banco Central
La MariscalThe Central Bank Museum, Quito's most modern museum, features an astonishing collection of pre-Colombian archaeology and Inca artifacts. Brightly lighted cases containing sculptures from different regions of Ecuador stand next to large-scale dioramas detailing the minutiae of pre-Colombian life. The first floor includes an unparalleled collection of gold artifacts; journey upstairs to an excellent exhibit of colonial paintings and sculptures. Up one flight more you'll find an impressive collection of modern Ecuadoran paintings.
Avenida Patria, Quito, Pichincha, 170143, Ecuador022-223--259Sight Details
Rate Includes: $2, Closed Mon. -
19. Parque El Ejido
Park (National/State/Provincial)One of Quito's largest parks, El Ejido is popular for its extensive playgrounds and courts for ecuavoli (three-person volleyball). Theater groups regularly hold impromptu performances here, and there are often open-air art exhibitions on Saturday. You can also usually find a handicraft market in progress on weekends. As pleasant as it is by day, Parque El Ejido should be avoided once the sun goes down.
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20. Parque La Alameda
Park (National/State/Provincial)The elongated triangle of La Alameda Park lies between the Old and New cities, near the Asamblea Legislativa, a large, modern building that houses the nation's congress. This is a pleasant, shady park where pedal and row boats can be hired and Quiteños enjoy cycling and jogging. At the center of the park stands the handsome, yellow El Observatorio, the oldest astronomical observatory in South America, though it's rendered useless by the bright city lights. Within is a small, free museum showcasing vintage astronomy equipment. A monument to Simón Bolívar dominates the southern apex of the triangle.
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