So towards the end of January our time in Ecuador was drawing to a close. We had climbed a volcano in the Andes while hiking the Quilatoa loop and spent five days away from civilisation in the Amazon at Shiripuno Lodge. We’d had some pretty mad bus rides. We had brought in the new year and have visited some lovely cites too. But now we were returning to Quito to finish our adventure. We had spent a little time there a few weeks ago but now had a few days to unwind and enjoy the city before heading home. Our first stop in Quito is here: Ecuador: Quito (pt.1). Anna’s daughter, Aniska, had come up from Gualaceo for a few days to join us too. We would then head back to England while she continued her gap year in Ecuador.
Exploring Quito
We had really enjoyed Quito, the people were really friendly and the steep hilly streets of the city really made it interesting to explore. We spent most of our time in the old quarter of the city which has lots of older styled, colonial buildings which really gives it some character.
Where ever you walk there are lots of interesting people and street scenes being played out which is part of what makes it a pleasure to just explore. We had one strange moment when we turned toward a little market only to find a little Ecuadorian man with a fridge on his back! These people are quite amazing.
We had a handful of days but didn’t want to be rushing everywhere. There were a few things we did want to see so here is what we did in our few days there…
Things to see in Quito
The central square, or Plaza Grande, is a fabulous place to take some time to sit down with a cold beer and just people watch. It is filled with local people talking and taking the time of day. We were quite surprised at how few western tourists there were there too. Yes of course there are some, but the majority of people there all looked local. Starting from the square, if you wander around the old part of the city you sooner or later you’ll find your way back to this beautiful plaza. We had a lovely afternoon on Anna’s birthday just enjoying watching the world go by while eating a little lunch at one of the little cafes along the side of the square.
It is worth walking up to the Basílica del Voto Nacional, the Basilica of the National Vow. The walk up the hill is quite lovely as you pass shops full of leather belts and general hardware and it was good just to spend a little time there. But for us, it was as much just having a goal to give us a reason to walk through the city streets.
We spent some time walking around the city in the evenings too. It always felt friendly and inviting and of course with street food sellers dotted here and there which is lovely. I’m sure the city may well have a few corners that are best avoided but we didn’t find any of them. Never once did we feel anything but comfortable and relaxed while walking in the evening.
There is also a great artisan market called: Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal. This was brimming over with an abundance of interesting things, form the obvious touristy trinkets to some beautifully crafted items. I have to confess we walked away with an elegant but simple embroidered top for Anna and a classic wooden chess set which is something we had both been looking for.
We also took a walk to the indoor food market but were quite disappointed with it. The markets in Cuenca, Gualaceo and Latacunga all seemed more interesting and to have more life that the one in Quito which seemed quite dull. I wouldn’t recommend spending time to visit it if you get a chance to visit one of the others instead.
And then on our last day in Ecuador we had a lazy morning and breakfast in our room before heading up to the ‘sculpture on the hill’, El Panecillo (the virgin of Quito). She’s deceptively large too, larger than ‘Christ the redeemer’ in Rio, but maybe not quite as dramatic. We were advised that a taxi up there was best as the streets going up the hill were known for thieves praying on tourists. How true this is we didn’t know, but we were happy to not walk the steep hill in the midday sun and so a taxi it was. Once at the top the view is absolutely stunning! Quito is a mostly low level sprawling city but looks fabulous from up there just laid over the peaks and troughs of the hills and mountains.
One little gem we discovered too late was Calle La Ronda. This street just off of Rocafuerte Street where we were staying and is lined with restaurants, street food, bars and as the evening went on, a happy buzz of people and music. There was Latin American music drifting out of 1st floor windows and dancing in bars. Unfortunately we needed to leave at 2am for our flight and so a late night just wasn’t going to happen for us. We explored a little, grabbed some food and had to leave but would recommend anyone seek it out and enjoy.
For our final stay in Quito we had booked an AirBnB in the old quarter of the city here: Link here
It was nice enough but to be honest some of the kitchen was pretty grubby, I can’t say we’d recommend it. Bizarrely, without knowing it it was only three doors down from the 1st place we had booked a couple of weeks before. A link for the 1st AirBnB is here. This one we would recommend very much and the guy looking after the place, Pablo, couldn’t have been more helpful.
Ready for home… via Miami
And so it was time to pack the rucksacks one last time and head for Quito airport for 2am. We did have one last bonus un-planned stop on the way home though. A day in Miami!
Our connecting flights were from Quito to Miami and then then Miami to Heathrow but the first flight to Miami has been brought forward quite a lot. Normally a big delay between flights would be a pain but we have around 11 or 12 hours between flights in Miami and South Beach is only 30 mins from the airport. Luggage was transferred to the next plane so no waiting for us, straight out and on a bus to Long Beach! It felt quite strange being immersed in the culture of the USA after a few weeks in South America, it’s quite a stark contrast. But it was good to explore South Beach, even if it was just for the day.
Then back to the airport and back to England. Altogether a great trip and we would wholeheartedly recommend Ecuador as a destination to explore to anyone.
If you want a different perspective on some of these places check out Anna’s blog too!
The Sporadic Blog 