Quito is one of the world's most unique destinations for its setting, its beauty and its history. With a population of 2 million, Quito is the capital of Ecuador and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a fascinating and colorful mix of historic plazas with colonial architecture and modern high-rises, malls and large green parks sprawling for nearly 4500 square miles between majestic Andean peaks. On a clear day, snow-capped Volcano Cotopaxi can be seen in the distance adding to the visual feast that Quito is. With everything to offer from indigenous culture to European designers, Quito is a melting pot where Andean culture embraces settlers and influences from all over the world.

ART & CULTURE:

Museo de la Ciudad: The museum ranks among Quito's best, providing an entertaining, authoritative and extremely well-displayed view of life in Quito, from Pre-Colombian times to the 19th century. Garcia Moreno 572 and Rocafuerte.
Banco Central: A must see museum that offers a cultural and artistic perspective of Ecuador's proud history. Patria between Av. 6 de Diciembre y 12 de Octubre.
Guayasamin Museum: Renowned the world over, Guayasamin is Ecuador's most famous painter. The museum also houses his personal collection of Pre-Colombian artifacts. Jose Bosmediano 543 y Jose Carbo.
Mindalae Museum is a 5 floor museum built in the shape of a clay jug. Ecuador's finest ethno-historical museum is dedicated to the arts and crafts of Ecuador. It also has an excellent Fair Trade shop. Reina Victoria N26-166 y La Nina.
Sucre Theatre: This elegant National Theatre is the country's foremost venue for concerts, ballet and opera. Manabi N8-131 between Guayaquil y Flores, Plaza del Teatro in Old Town.
Centro Cultural Metropolitano: The Old Town's premiere venue for art exhibitions within restored municipal buildings. Exhibitions, libraries, events and more. Garcia Moreno y Espejo.
Centro Cultural Benjamin Carrion is home to various theater and dance groups. Hosts visiting groups and festivals year round. Jorge Washington 909 y Paez.

These are just a few of the primary venues for art, music, theater and dance in Quito. There is such an abundance of cultural opportunity in Quito, it's impossible to find the time to enjoy it all. The city goverment publishes a monthly calendar of cultural activites in Quito.

ATTRACTIONS:

Old Town Quito:
Quito has the best-preserved, least altered historic center in Latin America, with cobblestone lanes lined with balconied, colonial houses, plazas and churches. The monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, and the Church and Jesuit College of La Compana, with their rich interiors, are pure examples of the 'Baroque school of Quito', which is a fusion of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous art. Here you find the Presidential Palace, world class cathedrals, museums, galleries, plazas and an abundance of cuisine opportunities all set amidst cobblestone streets and the grandeur of colonial facades, a captivating ambience. Except for the traffic and modern amenities, you will feel as though you are walking through a by-gone century.

Las Fiestas de Quito:
To celebrate the founding of the city on December 6, 1534, fiestas are held all over the city. In addition to the grand parades, you will find "Gypsy" singers and dancers; music ensembles including mariachi bands abound in the city at hotels, restaurants, plazas and parks. To drive home the festive feeling so pervasive during this time of year, local newspapers feature letters written to San Pedro, who holds the 'keys to the heavens'. Often humorous, numerous letters written and published plead with San Pedro to hold off on the rain until the festivities are over.

Perhaps the most dynamic celebration during this time of year is the Feria de Toros "Jes s del Gran Poder". Bullfighting is the main event of this festival as bullfighters (and bullfight fans) from around the globe gather at Quito's famous bullring, the Plaza de Toros. Spectators and lovely se oritas cheer while elegant matadors perform their time honored ballet with the bull.

Mitad del Mundo:
The Middle of the World is located 30 kilometers outside Quito at 0 0'0'' latitude/longitude. This is the place where the equator divides the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Mitad del Mundo is a tourist center designed to be a replica of colonial Quito and offering a range of attractions such as the ethnographic museum, an art gallery, a bullfighting ring, and handicraft stores. It's also a classic photo op to stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one foot in the southern hemisphere.

Otavalo:
1.5 hours north of Quito, surrounded by volcanoes and lakes, for many, the opportunity to take a day trip to the world famous indigenous Otavalo market is a highlight of their Ecuador holiday. The market enjoys an international, well-deserved reputation for weavings (rugs, ponchos, shawls, table covers, etc) made today the way they have been for centuries. Other fine offerings include hand crafted leather goods, jewelry and incredible carved or painted wooden bowls, furniture and masks. Export agencies are on virtually every corner, so packing for your return home is not a problem. Best to set your alarm early and get there by 6AM to have the best selection.

SHOPPING:

Quito has several large, very modern malls with huge, varied food courts and many shops with international brands. You will think you're in the US! The 3 largest and most frequented malls are all located in North Quito within blocks of Parque Carolina: QuiCentro (Naciones Unidas between Los Shyris y 6 de Diciembre), El Jardin (Av. Amazonas N6-114 y Republica) and CCI (Av. Amazonas N36 y Naciones Unidas).

If you are more interested in the wonderful handicrafts you can't buy back home, visit Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal (Jorge Washington between Reina Victoria y Juan Leon Mera) or Parque El Ejido (Avenida Patria). The Mercado Artensal La Mariscal is a colourful and fun place to shop with about a hundred stalls selling a huge range of Ecuadorian crafts. It's open seven days a week, 10 am to about 7 pm. On the weekends, the northern end of Parque El Ejido is lined with stalls where craftspeople and artists sell their wares. It's a great place to amble and browse the artworks, and maybe pick something up at a bargain price.

Folklore Olga Fisch is regarded as the home of the finest crafts in the country by connoisseurs. There are several branches across the city, including on Avenida Colon, a block up from Avenida 6 de Diciembre (close to the Mariscal quarter) in Old Town, inside the Hotel Patio Andaluz. The first one is the largest, and includes a museum section which shouldn't be missed. El Quinde is a high end crafts shop located inside the Visitor's Information Center in Old Town (Quito Antiguo) at Plaza Grande.

HISTORY:

Called the Kingdom of Quito in the Pre-Colombian period, buildings in this ancient city were made of carved stone and sun-dried brick. Later, Spanish architects incorporated the same materials into their grandiose constructions. But Quito's history began long before the December 6, 1534 when the Spanish conquistadors founded the city . Although Pre-Colombian traces disappeared with the arrival of the conquistadors, it is said that Rumi Ahui, an indigenous warrior, set the city on fire and destroyed the temples of the Incas who lived there rather than succomb to the Spanish. Other legends tell of such characters as Atahualpa, the last emperor of Tahuauntinsuyo, the Inca Kingdom, who was executed in 1533 by his Spanish captors, despite the fact that the Inca people paid a whole room full of gold and silver for his return. Figuring large in more recent tales is Xavier Chusig, a mestizo (someone of mixed Indian and Spanish parentage), who changed his name to Eugenio de Santa Cruz y Espejo to avoid discrimination and went on the found the city's first newspaper. There are stories of Manuela Saenz, the first woman to join the Bolivarian army, who became the chief lieutenant of "The Liberator" Simon Bolivar.

Indigenous resistance to the Spanish invasion continued during 1534, with Francisco Pizarro founding San Francisco de Quito on August 15 of that same year. Pizarro's home still stands today on Espejo in the Old Town. On December 6, 1534, the city was officially founded by 204 settlers led by Sebastian de Benalcazar, who captured Rumi Ahui and effectively ended any organized resistance. Rumi Ahui was then executed on January 10, 1535. On March 14, 1541, Quito was declared a city and on February 14, 1556 was given the title "Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de San Francisco de Quito" ("Very Noble and Loyal City of San Francisco of Quito").

In 1809, after nearly 300 years of Spanish colonization, Quito was a city of about 10,000 inhabitants. On August 10, 1809, a movement was started in Quito that aimed for political independence from Spain. A chain of conflicts concluded on May 24, 1822 when Antonio Jose de Sucre, under the command of Simon Bolivar, led troops into the Battle of Pichincha. The leaders of the city proclaimed their independence and allowed the city to be annexed into the Republic of Gran Colombia. Simon Bolivar went to Quito on June 16, 1822 and was present at the signing of the Colombian Constitution on June 24, 1822. When Gran Colombia dissolved in 1830, Quito became the capital of the newly-formed Republic of Ecuador.

CLIMATE:

Tell someone the location is just 22 miles north of the equator and images of hot, steamy jungle comes to mind. In Quito, factor in 10,000 feet of altitude and the city that can boast of perpetual spring. Historical averages put the daytime high at 67 and the low at 50. Bear in mind, however, that even if the actual temperature is only 70, in the equatorial sun, it feels much warmer. So, pack the sunscreen!

Consistent with other cities in the Sierra, there are two seasons: rainy and dry. The dry season runs between June and December. The rainy season runs between January and May. The heaviest rains come in the 'invierno' (winter) of March, April and May, but even then, mornings are usually bright and sunny making Quito a year-round destination.