QUITO 6 Things To Do In and Around Quito

Throughout our travels through Peru and Ecuador, we were told by fellow backpackers again and again that Quito was not worth more than a night, or at a push, two. However due to our own bad planning, we ended up arriving in Quito with 10 days to spare until our next leg of the journey to the coast.The Quito we experienced was certainly not the Quito we had been expecting. Despite being the second most populated city in Ecuador, as well as the capital, it was remarkably less overwhelming than other capital cities, especially comparing it to others we had visited throughout South America.Here’s my list of things to do in and around Quito that will hopefully encourage you to dedicate longer than a couple of days to this city.

The view from our hotel- Hotel Vista del Angel- overlooking The Virgin of Quito on El Panecillo hill.

1. El TELEFÉRICO

Quito’s lengthy landscape is a bizarre and memorable mix of mountainous terrain, monotonous cityscape and imposing cathedrals, and this can all be seen from the impressive mirador at the top of Cruz Loma, at 4100 metres above sea level. (Bring a jumper!)There are a few things to do at the top, after the short cable car ride; you can trek even further up the mountain or go horse riding. There is also a small food court selling (quite expensive) Ecuadorian specialities.We went during the day for a beautiful view but think it would've been even more perfect to watch the sunset from the top with a cold Pilsener.

Opening hours:Fri-Mon 8am-8pmTue-Thu 9am-8pm

Cost for extranjeros (foreigners) is $7.50 USD

2. EAT SOME OF ECUADOR’S BEST FOOD Ecuador is not particularly known for its cuisine, especially not as well as its neighbouring country Peru. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of good dining options in Quito, from the most luxurious to the simplest comedores.Here are some of our faves; there should be something for even the most budget-minded backpacker!

-ZAZU-

I was lucky enough to be visited by family for my birthday during our time in Quito and my birthday meal at ZAZU was the most spectacular event of my life. The delicate combinations of tastes and textures throughout the chef’s 7 course tasting menu with wine pairings left me speechless.It certainly isn't a cheap eat, but if you have the funds and ANY reason to celebrate, make it happen!

Poached egg yolk with veal jus and crispy breadcrumbs at ZAZU

-URKO-

URKO is a trendy, hipster restaurant which uses regional Ecuadorian ingredients to create food as ‘art’. The menu is created to encourage sharing plates, which makes the ambience warm and friendly. The menu is very innovative, the food is delicious and the staff are lovely.

-Zoko-

Just across the road from URKO, Zoko is a cocktail bar/restaurant with a very eccentrically decorated interior. The menu is based on American and Mexican classics with things like burgers, nachos and burritos, and everything we tried was done perfectly. We would definitely recommend this place for lunch or pre-dinner cocktails, and we loved the surreal interior- Go there and see for yourself…

-JUICY ROLLS-

I'm sure you have seen videos on Facebook of cream being poured onto a cold plate and mixed with chocolate and cookies, before being rolled up and served with cream, toppings and sprinkles? Well, this is where you can finally try it! Juicy Rolls offers a host of flavours for your sweet treat at very reasonable prices- and you get to watch them make it! The strawberry and Oreo flavour was my favourite.

-PARQUE EL EJIDO-

This park in the centre of Quito is a hotspot of food, music and performing arts. Every time we walked through there was some sort of performance going on or people playing

volleyball, and the army of street food stands is very tempting. There are all sorts to satisfy your hunger, corn on the cob, grilled platanos, anticuchos, empanadas, juices and fruit stands.

3. WANDER AROUND SOME TRENDY DISTRICTS

-OLD TOWN-

Old colonial buildings line the cobbled street of La Ronda, where punters take to the streets after dark, drinking and dancing. Old town is the epicentre of culture; the majority of the museums, cathedrals and churches are located here, as well as a lot of good quality souvenir shops.

-LA FLORESTA-

This is a very trendy bohemian district just north of La Mariscal which deserves at least an afternoon spent wandering around, looking at the street art and going for a snack at either Juicy Rolls or La Cleta Bici Cafe, a cafe/pizza place which is furnished almost entirely from bicycle parts. Then do a bit of window shopping in the independent souvenir shops before popping into one of the tiny jazz bars and restaurants for an evening out!

-GUÁPULO-

This district is pretty isolated from the rest of the city due to its location in a valley to the East of Quito’s centre. It is one of Quito’s oldest barrios (neighbourhoods) and a lot of old colonial architecture remains there today, as well as an emerging street art scene.

LA CLETA BICI CAFE, recommended by Lonely Planet, do good coffee and pizzas throughout the day. Can be found opposite Juicy Rolls on Calle Lugo.

4. QUITO’S PARKS -El Ejido-

Perfect for a relaxing day watching people play sports or musical instruments. As mentioned before, there are a lot of food stalls and a handicrafts market, and you could easily spend a morning just wandering about the park and people watching.

-Itchimbia-

A bit more of an effort to get here, as Itchimbia park sits up on a hill overlooking Old Town. There are sports grounds and cycle tracks around this park, and it's a lovely place to wander around or chill out and eat a picnic while taking in the view of Quito, once you've walked up the steep steps to get here from the San Blas neighbourhood.

Around Quito…

5. OTAVALO

I would guess that the most popular of day trips out of Quito is this daily outdoor market in nearby town of Otavalo, in the Plaza de los Ponchos. This market has been held for

hundreds of years, and was hugely significant to the pre-Incan traders. We found it to be a bit of a tourist trap, but the sheer scale of the huge array of traditional clothing, paintings, jewellery and tapestries was amazing nonetheless.

A bus from Quito’s Terminal Terrestre Carcelén takes about 2 hours and shouldn't cost more than $3USD.

6. QUITSATO There is a monument only about 30 minutes away from Quito called Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) where you can straddle a line drawn on the floor and achieve that perfect equator picture. However, this monument is not actually on the equator, and I highly recommend making the journey to Quitsato- which means Middle of the World in Tsafiqui, the indigenous language of the coastal Ecautorians- which is the true equatorial monument.It is a really worthwhile day trip out of Quito, the monument itself is very cool, and the local-guided explanations are very informative and interesting. You will also be supporting their current projects.

Quitsato is about an hour and 30 minutes drive away from Quito, near Cayambe. You can get a bus towards Cayambe from Quito’s Terminal Norte and get off at La Bola de Guachalá.

7. MINDO Mindo is known for being a bird-watcher’s paradise and we initially hadn't considered it, but after it was recommended a couple of times from locals, we decided to go for an overnight stay. It is a beautiful little town about 2 hours from Quito via bus or taxi, surrounded by cloud forest and is a perfect retreat from Quito for a weekend.

-Waterfalls hike-

There are a group of about 6 or 7 waterfalls set in the mountains beside Mindo, and you can do a beautiful walk to explore them all, and stop for a dip in the most popular, Cascada Nambillo. Doing a trail of all the waterfalls would take a couple of hours. They can be accessed either by the Tarabita or a longer walk from Mindo.

-Tarabita-

Even if you don't walk along the trail to see the waterfalls, the Tarabita cable car is a must-do. It is an adrenaline rush of being completely amazed and terrified by the height, the speed, and the views, whilst simultaneously not having enough time to be scared.It costs $5 ida y vuelta (return ticket)

-Mariposario-

There are a number of mariposarios (butterfly houses) in Mindo. We visited the one recommended by our hostel, Hostería Mariposario Del Mindo, and it was incredible.

They had a number of different types of butterflies which ranged hugely in sizes and colour. They also had a little informative section showing the butterflies at their different stages of life.

You can get here by walking out of the plaza on the south corner, by El Rafa restaurant, and following the river for about 2km.

-El Quetzal-

This American-run cafe in town runs chocolate making tours every day for $10. We did the artisanal chocolate making tour at 6pm for the same price, where we toasted, shelled and crushed cacao beans, before making and drinking traditional Incan-style ‘hot chocolate’ with the nibs and hot water. The cafe sells world-famous (or at least Mindo-famous) chocolate brownies and also had a little shop selling bars of chocolate, cacao paste and coffee.