In 1978 Quito became, alongside Kraków, the first city in the world inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List: before Rome, Venice or Paris. Its colonial centre is the best preserved and least altered in Latin America, seventy hectares of baroque churches, cloisters and plazas that remain a living neighbourhood rather than a museum.
What you will see
San Francisco
The largest colonial architectural complex in the Americas: 3.5 hectares and thirteen cloisters.
La Compañía de Jesús
Quito baroque at its purest, with an interior entirely covered in gold leaf.
Plaza Grande
The city’s civic heart, between the Carondelet Palace and the Cathedral.
Wildlife & flora
Not a nature destination, though the Pichincha valleys surrounding the city host hummingbirds and, higher up, Andean cloud forest.
From our own visits
The old town is walked, and it deserves a good part of the day. You eat very well here: Casa Gangotena, on Plaza de San Francisco, is among the best in the country and belongs to Relais & Châteaux; Vista Hermosa has a terrace with a view, both in the historic centre and up on Itchimbía; on the Itchimbía hill you will also find Café Mosaico and Pim’s, looking out over the city; and Negroni is a good stop for Italian cooking. Tell us what you feel like eating and we will book the table.
What you should know
At 2,850 metres mild altitude sickness is common in the first 24 to 48 hours. Spend an acclimatisation day here before heading up to Cotopaxi or Chimborazo. Solar radiation is extreme given the altitude and latitude, even under cloud.
