Quito, the Capital City of Ecuador.
The Basilica del voto Nacional, 19th Century Catholic Church in Quito, Ecuador.
Visiting Quito, Ecuador's capital city, is a must on a trip to Ecuador. Many day trips and other trips are booked in Quito, as the central point for the travelers. Quito sits very high in the Andian foothills at an altitude of 2,850 meters.
In Quito, you can witness a combination of ancient Incan city, colonial center, rich with constructions from the 16 and 17th century churches, and other colonial structures.
Church and covenant of San Francisco, in the historical center of Quito, Ecuador.
The historical center of Quito, Ecuador.
Walking tour in Quito is a must in order to be familiar with the special culture, construction and the population. The population of Quito is a combination of local Ecuadorian, European, and indigenous. Quito is the political and cultural center of Ecuador and hosts a major governmental administrative and major cultural institution in the city.
Fruit and vegetable stand in the historical center of Quito, Ecuador.
The colonial style streets in the historical center of Quito, Ecuador.
Many foreign companies and locals have their headquarters in Quito, Ecuador. It is considered a major industrial center and the center for foreign international institutions. The population of Quito started with the Inca empire, designing Quito as the capital of the Inca. The Spanish conquered the city in 1534 and that's how Quito became the oldest capital in South America.
The colonial style streets in the historical center of Quito, Ecuador.
Quito’s history is very rich and combines the times of pre-Columbian period, Spanish conquests, Inca empire, and up-to-date. In Quito, you can find many indigenous from different tribes that the Spanish converted to Christianity. Therefore, you can find the church of Jesuits in the center of Quito.
Walking in Quito is very intriguing, as you can find many markets on the streets, near modern stores, and local artisanal shops. The local artisanal includes museums that welcome tourists to explore the culture of traditional masks and production of chocolate products from Cacao, which is rich in Ecuador.
Various types of chocolate made from rich Ecuadorian cacao.
Indigenous artisanal in Quito, Ecuador.
Indigenous tribes map of Ecuador.
Quito has a very modern transportation system, which combines buses and the metro. The buses are connecting Quito to other parts of Ecuador, such as Quayaquil, the Pacific coast, and the Amazon region. From Quito, you can get bus transportation to the border with Colombia, which needs to be examined very carefully while crossing by land between those two countries.
Public Transportation system in Quito, Ecuador.
Metro map of Line 1 in Quito, Ecuador.
We enjoyed touring the city, which was safe until the late hours of the evening. The Ecuadorians in Quito are used to tourists and welcome them. Compared to other parts of Ecuador, Quito is relatively safe from crimes, but still you can witness small pickpockets. It is not recommended to go and tour the city in the late evening. We kept a strict policy that by 7 pm evening time we would be back in the hostel.
From the rooftop of the hostel from where we were located, you could witness a beautiful view from the city and enjoy a nice evening with multicultural tourists from all over the world.
Beautiful night view from the rooftop in Quito, Ecuador.
