We visited Quito, the capital of Ecuador briefly after our glorious time in the Galápagos Islands. It’s a huge city perched on a plateau in the Andes and, at 2,850m above sea level, it’s the second highest city in the world after La Paz in Bolivia. It’s also surrounded by volcanoes, but as we found out, it’s often too cloudy to see one! On our way to the airport on the last day we caught a glimpse of Cotopaxi volcano and our taxi driver was kind enough to pull in at the side of the motorway so that we could snap this (crap, sorry) picture! Whilst we were definitely on a post Galápagos come down, and feeling the altitude and the difference in temperature, we still managed to do some sightseeing. It is easy to visit the sights, and here are our tips on what to do in Quito for 2 days.

Day 1

The old town of Quito is spectacular, its glory stemming from its importance as an administrative centre during the colonial period. It is UNESCO protected and it is stated that “the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in Latin America”. The town has several nice squares which are great for people watching, and is packed full of magnificent colonial architecture, not least of all the churches and convents of various religious orders. We were there on Easter weekend so we were able to peek in on the locals receiving church services and enjoy the festive atmosphere on the streets which had been temporarily pedestrianised.

Make sure that you check out the cathedral which instead of having gargoyles has a selection of Galapagos Island creatures adorning it.

To get an idea of the size and sprawl of the city, hire a taxi up and down from the Panecillo monument (a giant Virgin Mary) and take in the view.

Day 2

Take a taxi up to the TelefériQo station and ride the cable car all the way up the up the east side of Pichincha Volcano to 3,945m above sea level. There are several view points and also trekking trails. We walked part of the way along one, but it is not advisable to attempt the trails unless you are fully acclimatised to the altitude.

Spend some time in the new town entertainment area of La Mariscal, also known as Gringolandia. This is where most of the cheap hostels and noisy nightlife are. The restaurants here are very chainy and americanised, which might appeal if you are a long-term traveller a little tired of rice, chicken and beans, however, there is also a sizeable Arab population nearby if you happen to fancy something a bit more exciting.

There is certainly more that you could do as day or multi day trips whilst based in Quito, but it was time for us to move on to Columbia. If you are able to spend more time in the area then there are opportunities to straddle the equator, do trekking and climbing on or around the volcanoes, relax in thermal springs, stay in cloud forest and wildlife reserves or check out traditional market villages.

All of the above sounds exciting so we were a little sad to leave mainland Ecuador so soon, especially after having only spent a few days in big cities before and after our Galapagos adventure. Ecuador is definitely a country that we would consider exploring further in the future… we hope to be back!