Ecuador: Colourful Quito + city tips
The colours of Ecuador’s capital and some tips for your stay.
I liked a lot of things about Ecuador, but the capital city of Quito wasn’t one of them. Why I wasn’t a huge fan is difficult to articulate, though. Sometimes you “feel” a place and sometimes you don’t, there is a certain je ne sais quoi that has you planning a trip back even before the end of your visit. I didn’t feel that with Quito. Maybe it was something about the size of the city, the endless urban sprawl plagued with traffic gridlocks that made going everywhere a pain and a real commitment. Maybe it was the fact that outside of the historical centre, Quito didn’t feel very walkable (uneven sidewalks and difficult crossings) and one of my greatest pleasures while travelling is the ability to explore on foot. My enjoyment also was curtailed by the warnings from friends and strangers about moving about the city in the evening; they said that street muggings under the cover of night were rampant and counseled that we travel everywhere by taxi (in retrospect, I don’t know how true this is as I never felt unsafe). But one thing that I did like about the city was all the colour. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its colonial architecture, Quito is said to have the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in all of Latin America.
Quito Tips
+ Ecuador’s currency is the U.S. Dollar, but they have their own coins (known as centavos) that can only be used within the country. So make sure you spend these before you leave!
+ Quito’s city center is faaaaar from the airport (about a 1 hour drive), so if you can swing it financially, take a taxi ($25 USD). You can take public transportation but it’ll take way longer as it requires a few transfers and you will spend about $9 USD anyway.
+ Quito’s bakeries (known as panaderias) are to. die. for. Literally the best bread/baked goods I’ve ever had in Latin America. If you’re a carb fiend like me, be sure to patronize one of the many bakeries found on Quito’s corners. A bun filled with cheese will run you about $0.30.
+ Depending on where you’re staying in the city, getting around might be a huge pain. Take taxis, but beware, though they have a meter, in our experience drivers preferred to negotiate a price (more advantageous to them, of course)!
+Dining. One evening we ate at Lammhaus Grill and I highly recommend you eat there, too! A touch on the expensive side (for Ecuador) but oh. my. goodness, soooo good. Clean, great service, spectacular food. You can thank me later. We also had a lovely meal at Don David, a Cuban restaurant with the nicest staff located across the road from our hotel. Not as fancy as the Lammhaus but also not as expensive. No pictures as we scarfed down our food at both places as though our lives depended on it.
+The coolest thing to do in Quito (by far) is to take the cable car up Pichincha Volcano so you can get a view on the city. The teleférico is one of the highest in the world, and on a clear day, you can see sprawling Quito in all its glory, as well as the volcanos that surround it. Very very impressive.
+Accommodation. We were surprised at the cost of accommodation in Quito: mid-range options were between $80-$130 USD per night– we were under the impression that it would be cheaper. At any rate, we ended up staying at the Reina Isabel and were really happy with our choice. We paid $120 USD a night for a massive suite that was very clean, well appointed, and in the grand scheme of things, good value for money. Staff were exceptionally nice, the breakfast (included in the nightly rate) was tasty, and the wifi was speedy. We liked!
+Stops at nearby the Cotopaxi Volcano as well as the Mitad Del Mundo Equator monument are easy to arrange once in the city. We booked a tour of Cotopaxi at a travel agent across the road from our hotel– we paid $50 USD per person for a full day excursion including transportation, lunch, and guide. (Sidebar: tours are pretty pricey in Ecuador and will be your greatest expense.) To visit the Equator, we flagged a cab and negotiated a $25 round-trip fare. Once at the monument, we paid entrance separately.
