Two almost perfect days in Quito
Ecuador’s capital offers fascinating mix of old and new
In a small stall QUITO, ECUADOR at Quito’s oldest public market, Doña Rosa Lagla, a fourth-generation homeopathic naturalist, performed an ancestral cleansing ceremony by beating my bare skin with nettles and rubbing me down with aromatic herbs.
Cleansing rituals have been part of Ecuadorean culture for centuries and are thought to heal everything from aches and pains to negative energy. The final steps of the healing procedure included a rose petal rub and a calming lotion spritz after which Rosa advised me not to bath for two days. I was pretty sure the rose petal smell wasn’t going to last that long.
Surrounded by the rugged snow-capped peaks of the Andes, Ecuador’s capital city is an intoxicating mix of old and new. Modern apartment buildings and humble concrete homes fringe a UNESCO listed historical old town that contains 40 colonial churches and chapels and 16 convents and monasteries. In and around the restored 17th-century buildings are artisan shops, upscale restaurants, shoe repairmen, fabric stores, hardware shops and plenty of street hawkers — signs of a city pulsing with everyday life.
Many travellers pass through Quito on their way to the Galápagos Islands or the Amazon and only see the airport — missing the opportunity to explore the city’s rich culture and legendary heritage architecture. A few short days are all that’s required to experience many of the top sights in the world’s second-highest capital city. (At 2,850 metres elevation, touring Quito’s breathtaking sites may actually leave you breathless.)
The best place to begin any exploration is in the old town, which contains some of the finest colonial architecture in the Americas. As you wander along the cobblestone streets, be sure to explore La Ronda, Quito’s oldest street. In the evening you’ll find bars and restaurants. During the day it’s a good place to see artisans making traditional arts and crafts using tin, silver, wood, leather, straw and textiles.
There are many historic churches, monasteries and cathedrals in old town, but if you only have time to visit one, make it the Compañía de Jesús. Known to locals as “the golden church,” it is arguably the most beautiful building in Quito. Construction began in 1605 and took 160 years. Countless artisans carefully carved the interior decorations and gilded them with 23-karat gold. The interior is absolutely breathtaking and the art inside and the legends surrounding it are fascinating.
There are many tourist markets in and around Quito, but you should take the time to visit at least one of the ancient markets where locals do their shopping. San Francisco Market has been operating for 120 years. You’ll see fruit and vegetable stands, meat markets, a food court selling favourite Ecuadorean dishes and small stands selling herbal remedies. The real charm of these kinds of markets comes from the fact that many of the vendors have worked the same stands with their families for generations.
One of the most notable landmarks in Quito is El Panecillo, also known as the Virgin of Quito. Said to be the only winged virgin in the world, locals use the structure as a landmark to determine their location in the city. A viewing platform partway up the figure gives visitors the opportunity to climb up and enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of the city.
Those who want an even better view can take the Teleférico aerial cable car up to the Cruz Loma viewpoint and see the Avenue of Volcanoes that overlooks the city. It’s best to go at dusk when you can watch the sunset and then see the city light up below.
Ecuador gets its name from the fact that the city sits on the equator and a visit to the middle of the world is an absolute must for any visitor. If you want to experience latitude zero, head to the Intiñan Museum where you can take a picture, practise balancing an egg on the head of a nail and learn other unique things about living at zero latitude. You can get a more impressive picture at the Mitad del Mundo monument, a massive statue built in 1979 to mark latitude zero, but you won’t really be at the equator. Modern GPS has shown that the impressive statue is about 240 metres off.
In the end, that was about the only thing that was off about my visit to Quito. And since I had visited Rosa and removed my negative energy, I didn’t really care. I snapped a picture at the museum and then popped over to get a second one at the monument. More information on Quito: quito.com.ec