Things to do in Quito

High up in the Andean foothills sits a wondrous city. Quito is the capital of Ecuador and one of the highest-altitude cities on the planet at 2850 meters. They say it’s the oldest capital in South America, built atop an Inca settlement.

Here’s how to do Quito right.

Historic district of Quito, as seen from the Basilica tower.

Old Town

The narrow streets of the Old Town are best explored by foot. The historic district is full of European-style houses and colonial red-time roofs. Walk it. Let the city talk to you. As a compliment to stoplights, the traffic is regulated by officers standing in intersections, armed with whistles that sound like angry birds.

Vista Hermosa Café Mirador on Mejia street is a great place to get your bearings of the city. Order a smoothie on the rooftop terrace and gaze at the city that sprawls over the winding hills.

Historic district of Quito.

Want more altitude? Head north to the looming Basilica del Voto Nacional, the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas. Climb its tower for a view you won’t forget.

Or wander south toward the Panecillo hill crowned by the large statue of Virgen de Panecillo. I went inside and to the top of the statue, where the view is almost as great as from the Basilica. There are stray dogs in the area, so watch your step.

Pop into the churches too, and not just to escape the heat and busy streets. Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de La Merced has a beautiful interior with paintings featuring apocalyptic scenes of volcano eruptions (jolly times). The Catedral Metropolitana de Quito hides an unusual passageway through a library and exiting through a tomb. Iglesia Católica San Francisco is the oldest in town and also worth a visit.

In general the old town feels safe, even though we got a bit hassled by aggressive characters at Plaza Grande and Plaza San Francisco.

Checking out the view from Vista Hermosa towards Panecillo hilltop.

The equator

Ah yes, the eponymous and ubiquitous geographical curiosity. Mitad del Mundo is a 30-meter high monument that straddles the equator. Or does it? There is indeed a yellow line across the area and an entire town has been created around the monument, but the old mapmakers had made a slight mistake.

In the modern day of GPS, it turned out that the real equator is actually a few hundred meters north, marked by a red line. To hide this embarrassing fact, they somewhat hid it behind a large wall, in order to attract visitors (and their money) to the grand monument instead.

The geographically correct equator.

Volcanoes

Around Quito lies a stretch known as the “Avenue of the Volcanoes”. Eight of Ecuador’s nineteen volcanoes live near here.

The best known is the snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano, which is still active. It’s Ecuador’s second highest mountain and was the world’s highest volcano for years until the Chilean volcano Tupungato erupted in 1986.

We parked at the Limpiopungo Lake and walked around the area. Wild horses roamed the fields and condors soared high above us. The ground was a bit wobbly at spots, due to the old lava flows. We made it up to around 4200 meters, then decided the peak at 4300 m was pushing it. A hundred meters may not seem much, but the altitude and oxygen will humble you.

Exploring the area around Cotopaxi volcano.

For an experience closer to the city, take the Teleférico gondola up to Pichincha Volcano. It goes up to 4100 meters, so bring a warm sweater and respect the altitude.

Eating

Painted lines and looming volcanoes spikes the appetite. Start with a large bowl of Locro de Papa, a famous Ecuadorian soup. Avocado, potato and cheese. Simple yet deeply satisfying.

Bars? Sure. The wild ones around Plaza Foch (Dirty Sanchez, No Bar and so on) are fun if you’re in the mood for mayhem. But if you’re serious about craft beer, head to Turtle’s Head on La Pinta. And for something local-traditional, try Canelazo, a hot fruit drink with sugarcane liquor.

I deliberately saved the best part for last, or dessert if you wish. The chocolate in Ecuador is just amazing. There are lots of variety and retailers, such as Republica del Cacao. I tried to sample as many varieties as possible, making it a fierce draw between the brands Pacari and Wao.

Sampling chocolate in Quito.

Quito isn’t pristine. It has urban grit, altitude headaches, stray dogs and the occasional mayhem. But that’s the point. It’s alive. Walk the old streets. Climb towers. Gulp soup. Hike volcanoes. Eat good chocolate. Sit still and feel the city press in under you, while your head throbs from the altitude. You’ll come away a little out of breath. And you’ll be glad of it.