Highlights: Colonial and Modern Quito, Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world), Pululahua Volcano, Pasochoa Mt.,
Climate: cold to the Andean peaks, temperate in the plateaus and warm and humid in the deepest valleys
Temperature: Average between 13ªC and 20ªC, Noon 25ªC
Altitude: 2800m Quito
Location: Quito is located on the northern Ecuador
Quito, the capital of Ecuador, located 13km. south of the Ecuador was founded in 1534.
This beautiful land surrounded by mountains, some of them covered by snow, is charming and hospitable.
There are colonial treasures (paintings, sculptures) that can mostly be found in churches in the Old Town (centro historico). This colonial art combines the European Renaissance style with the style and feeling of the indigenous people. These characteristics resulted in Quito being declared a Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO, in 1978.
The places you shouldn’t miss in the Old Town are: The churches San Francisco, Santo Domingo, La Merced, La Compania de Jesus, San Agustin, the Cathedral. Museums: Centro Cultural Metropolitano, Museo de la Ciudad, Museo de San Francisco, Museo de Arte Colonial, Casa Museo “Maria Augusta Urrutia”
You should also visit the Santo Domingo Place and Arc, the Bolivar Theatre, the Theatre Place, the Sucre National Theatre, the Governement Palace and the Plaza Grande.
And of course a visit to the center of Quito is not complete if you don’t attend the Panecillo, the hill in the middle of the colonial Quito, wich features on its top a huge sculpture of the Virgen de Quito (Quito’s Virgin).
In contrast, the modern districts reflect the image of progress, with skyscrapers, luxury hotels, restaurants, casinos, and nightclubs.
You will enjoy the street artists exhibiting their paintings and the multi-culture of this town
In the modern district don’t miss the El Ejido Park, the La Carolina Park and the Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa, where the soccer matches take place.
The newest museum located also in the modern part of Quito is the Capilla del Hombre (Man’s Chapel) next to the Guayasamin Museum, wich pays tribute to the American pre-Columbian man.
The Monument of the Ecuador (Mitad del Mundo) is a popular site located 20 minutes from Quito. You can visit an ethnic museum inside the tower, shop in the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo and put one foot on the northern Hemisphere and the other on the Southern.
The Pululahua Volcano is located 4km ahead the monument of Ecuador, it is a gigantic crater with a diameter of 4-5km, where you can walk down and enjoy feeling as tiny as an ant.
Pasochoa Mt. is a reserve where you will feel the contact with nature and enjoy the proximity to a unique flora and fauna.