Quito – Latin America For Less

Quito’s great historic center

Anabel Mota — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:33:04 +0000

Today, we travel to Ecuador to shine a spotlight on the historic wonders of Quito. Visitors to Quito will find a city that is modern, multifaceted, and energetic, but the city’s role in the history of South America is simply fascinating. Quito’s historical richness is such that UNESCO inscribed the city as one of the first ever World Heritage Sites in 1978, declaring Quito as the “best-preserved, least-altered historic center in Latin America.”

Although UNESCO’s designation is in acknowledgement of the city built by Spanish settlers and their descendants in the 16th through the 18th centuries, Quito’s pre-Columbian history is also a huge shaping factor. Before the Spanish arrived, Quito was the second capital (after Cusco) of the Inca Empire, and before that it was the capital of the Shyris or Quitu culture. The historical record is not conclusive, but evidence suggests that the Inca Emperor Huayna Capac was born in Ecuadorian territory and that his son, Atahualpa – the last emperor before the arrival of the Spanish – may have been born in Quito.

In 1534, a cavalry of Spanish conquistadors led by the captain Sebastián de Benalcazar rode into Quito expecting to find a city of gold (Atahualpa’s fabled treasure), but they encountered instead a city in ashes. Hearing of Atahualpa’s capture by conquistador Francisco Pizarro, the Inca general Rumiñahui had ordered his warriors to burn Quito to the ground. Undeterred in their zeal for colonization, the Spaniards founded San Francisco de Quito on December 6, 1534, upon the ruins of the Inca city.

Streets and houses are adapted to the hilly topography of Quito’s center.

Based on access to mineral resources, the development of a huge textile industry, and a strategic geographic position, Quito went on to become a fabulously wealthy city. The city elite used their profits to build mansions, grand churches, and even grander administrative palaces. Today, these monumental buildings are the most impressive features of the historic center of Quito, all arrayed around the main square, Plaza Grande, and the surrounding streets.

The city’s historic churches are a definite highlight of a Quito tour. The Jesuit Church, called Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, was built of volcanic gray stone between the years 1605 to 1765. The drab color of the façade is considered a fine example of baroque architecture and gives entrance to the visual delight of a richly gilded interior. The long central nave is roofed with intricately detailed wood carvings and Mudéjar figures in gold leaf, culminating in a golden altar considered to be the greatest work of the Quito School of Art.

The Church of the Society of Jesus is one of the most visually thrilling church interiors in South America.

San Francisco Church is another of Quito’s jewels. Construction for the church and monastery began in 1534, on the same site where the palace of Atahualpa lay in ruins. A wood carving of the Virgen de Quito, also known as the “Winged Virgin” and the “Dancing Virgin,” is the artistic centerpiece of the church. In an unusual depiction of the Madonna figure, the mestizo sculptor Bernardo de Legardia added wings to the figure and its flowing robes and upturned hands create a sensation of movement.

Another notable construction in the historic center is the massive presidential palace called Palacio de Carondelet, which is the seat of government in Ecuador and currently also functions as a museum. Construction of the first version of the palace began in 1570. Simon Bolivar resided here for brief periods of time during his campaign of independence from the Spanish Empire. The treasures of Quito’s historic center are thus hugely symbolic and deeply intertwined with stories of Ecuador and South America’s most influential characters and events.

As mentioned above, Quito as a city goes well beyond the historical. In and around the neighborhood of Mariscal Sucre (La Mariscal), modern Quito is equipped with parks, museums, shopping malls, and myriad attractions like the Teleferico cable car which transports visitors to a restaurant and park complex on the 4,000 meter slopes of the towering Pichincha Volcano. For its wealth of offerings, old and new, Quito is one of South America’s most exciting cities, fast outgrowing its status as a mere stopover prior to a Galapagos vacation launch. The city of Quito’s information website is a great resource for travelers planning an Ecuador vacation in Quito.

Latin America For Less provides comprehensive packages for travel to the Galapagos Islands, Quito, Guayaquil, and other destinations. Contact us to start planning your dream South America vacation.

Anabel Mota

Anabel has been exploring the length and width of South America since 2010. Ditching preconceptions, settling into the local pace, and embracing the unexpected are the tenets of her philosophy of travel – and life.

www.latinamericaforless.com

Guide of Ecuador: Off the beaten track in Quito

Latin America For Less — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:24:15 +0000

If you have a few days in Quito during your tour of Ecuador, but don’t want to hit the usual tourist attractions, you may be wondering where you can go for a rewarding experience a bit off the beaten path. Wonder no more, as the list below should give you some good options.

Day Time

Monastery Shopping Madness

Most of the convents in Historical Quito have a small gift shop where you can buy interesting goodies made by cloistered nuns. Although the nuns specialize in homeopathic remedies made from plants and herbs prominently displayed at the front counters, head instead to the other cabinet filled with wines and anise flavored mistela to discover the secret way the locals plump up the collection plate. If you don’t drink, other good finds include homemade cookies, and desoured lemons filled with caramel crème. The best part is that most of your purchases will feature handmade nun labels, which makes them excellent and unusual gifts.

Monasterio de Carmen Alto, Calle Rocafuerte and Garcia Moreno

Clothing Market

Leave your wallet at home, but do bring some cash to this sprawling market full of Quitenos bartering for legitimate and not so legitimate brand name clothing. This market isn’t for the faint of heart, or for those who suffer from claustrophobia. The narrow passageways are packed with people and it quickly becomes apparent that what looks like an indoor market is actually an outdoor market enclosed by various tarps covering hundreds of stalls and spread out across almost 3 blocks, giving it an alleyway, maze-like feel. You are likely to be the only traveler there, so try not to stand out or look bewildered, and definitely don’t wear a fanny pack!

Centro Comercial Parqueadero La Merced, Calle Chile and Calle Imbabura.

Guayasamin Museum

Located in beautiful Bellavista, a charming residential neighborhood in the eastern hills of Quito, sits the Guayasamin Museum, once home to Ecuador’s most famous painter Oswaldo Guayasamin. The museum houses some of his most beautiful work meant to represent the strife and injustice suffered by the indigenous workers in Latin America. The painter’s own art collections, a staggering representation of both colonial art and pre-Columbian ceramics, are inside different rooms in the museum as well. After you wander through the galleries, you can visit La Capilla del Hombre, Guayasamin’s final vision illustrating both man’s cruelty and potential. Then spend the afternoon strolling through this picturesque neighborhood and up to stunning Guapulo, full of small winding roads and lovely vistas. Wear your sneakers as the roads are steep!

Calle Jose Bosmediano 543, at Jose Carbo. Capilla del Hombre: Mariano Calvache y Lorenzo Chavez Esquina

Night Time

La Ronda Street

Misinformed guidebooks still warn tourists away from this area at night which is a real shame considering it is the only nightlife in Centro Historico. This pedestrian only, cobblestoned road is one of the oldest in Quito and incredibly picturesque with flower-filled balconies, colonial architecture, wrought iron gates, and artist’s galleries. The best time to visit is Friday and Saturday nights after 7pm when all the restaurants, cafes, bars, and art galleries are open and people sell hot canelazo from doorways. Hundreds of people flood the streets to hear live music, socialize, and sample the homemade wine. Street performers and dancers normally make an appearance around 9pm. There are policeman at either end of the street happy to help tourists flag a taxi.

Calle La Ronda, Centro Historico

El Pobre Diablo

Easily the coolest venue in Quito, this small jazz club hosts live music a couple days a week and is the perfect place to sit back and enjoy local and international musicians, while knocking back a few whiskeys or glasses of vino. This bohemian club doesn’t get the music started until after 10pm and shuts down around 2am. If you really are a poor devil keep in mind that they charge a small cover fee and drinks are a bit pricier than usual.

Isabel La Catolica, and Galavis, La Floresta

If you need some more reasons to visit Quito, check out this article from Jimmy Im at Travelbinger.

To start planning your dream trip to Ecuador, reach out to our team of experts today!

Latin America For Less

Latin America for Less is a group of travel experts who live, work, eat, and breathe all things South America. Their inspiration stems from a deep appreciation for the beauty and diversity that make this continent so special.