Quito Introduction
Quito is the capital of Ecuador, and the second highest capital
in the world at 2,850m above sea level. It is located in northern
Ecuador, about 25 km south of the equator, in the Guayllabamba
river basin and on the eastern slopes of the Pichincha (4,794
m), an active volcano in the Andes mountains.
Due to its altitude and location, the climate in Quito is
mild to cool, fairly constant all year round, with a high temperature
typically around 20°C on any given day, and a low around
10°C at night. The city experiences only two seasons: summer
(the dry season, June-August) and winter (the rainy season).
Quito is the second most populated city in Ecuador after Guayaquil.
Points of Interest in Quito
In this section:
The northern part of Quito is where the main business district
of the city is located. It also contains upper-middle class
neighborhoods and a substantial number of buildings. It is
also where the international airport and major recreational
areas are located.
This museum is a comprehensive showcase of Ecuadorian art,
history and culture. On the ground floor it has an extensive
collection of pre-colonial (including pre-Incaic) potteries,
sculptures, gold, lithics, and even a mummified body. There
are also some remarkable but somewhat distorted models that
help evoke the way various parts of Ecuador must have looked
like, from the Pambamarca fort to the Cochasquí tumuli
complex. The highlight of this collection is a golden sun mask
of the La Tolita culture. The second floor is dedicated to
Colonial art; several paintings and sculptures with religious
themes are in exhibition. The third floor is devoted to contemporary
Ecuadorian art.
Quito has some wonderful parks including:
-
Parque Metropolitano (5.57 km²) is the largest urban
park in South America. (As reference, New York's huge Central
Park is 3.4 km²) The park is located in the north
of Quito, on the hillside, behind the Atahualpa Olympic
Stadium. The park is suited for mountain biking, walking,
or running. Most of it is eucalyptus forest with trails.
There are many sculptures on display for the public. The
park has stunning views of Cotopaxi, Antisana and the Guayllabamba
river basin.
-
La Carolina is a park located in the middle of Quito's
business and shopping district, between the avenues known
as Avenida Amazonas, Avenida Shyris and Avenida Naciones
Unidas. Quiteños gather at La Carolina mostly on
weekends to play fútbol (soccer), básket
(basketball), ecua-volley, doing aerobics, flying kites,
running, snacking or just observing the thralls of people
just walking around. The southern part of the park has
a small pond where paddle boats can be rented, and a skatepark
for bicyclists and skateboarders. Artists are known to
perform on weekends at the park. In the western part of
the park is the Quito Exhibition Center with different
exhibits every month, the Quito botanical gardens and a
Vivarium.
-
El Ejido is the park situated between the old part of
the city and the modern section. This park is known for
handicrafts available for sale every Saturday and Sunday.
Local painters sell copies of paintings by Oswaldo Guayasamín,
Eduardo Kingman or Gonzalo Endara Crow. Otavaleños
sell traditional sweaters, ponchos, carpets and jewelry.
-
La Alameda park has the oldest astronomical observatory
in South America. The park has a monument of Simón
Bolívar and a small lake where boats can be rented.
The "centro histórico", historical center, was appointed
along with the historic center of Kraków, Poland, as
the first UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 1978 and has many appealing
plazas (the Independence Plaza being the most important) and
manierist and baroque churches, including the Cathedral; the
convent and church of St. Francis, which is the largest building
of the Colonial era built by the Spaniards in South America;
the church of El Sagrario; convent and church of Santo Domingo
and the church of the Society of Jesus, or "La Compañía" which
was built after the model of the Church of the Gesu in Rome.
There are also several museums, many of them dedicated to Colonial
art and history; some of the most renowned are the City Museum,
the Metropolitan Cultural Center and the museum of the Convent
of St. Francis. Markets are scattered throughout the area.
In 1976, the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán
Matorras was commissioned by the religious order of the Oblates
to build a 41 m tall aluminum monument of a madonna which was
assembled on a high pedestal on the top of Panecillo. It is
made of seven thousand pieces of aluminum. The monument was
inaugurated on March 28, 1976, by the 11th archbishop of Quito,
Pablo Muñoz Vega.
The virgin stands on top of a globe and stepping on a snake,
which of course is classic madonna iconography. What is not
so traditional is that she has wings. The people of Quito proudly
claim that she is the only one in the world with wings like
an angel. The monument, was inspired on the famous "Virgen
de Quito" (Quito's Madonna) also known as "the dancer" sculpted
by Bernardo de Legarda in 1734, which now decorates the main
altar at the Church of St. Francisco. This madonna represents
a turning point of the Quito School of Art (one of the most
renowned of the Americas) because it shows a virgin with great
movement that is practically dancing as a contrast with the
traditional static madonnas that were produced during the 18th
century.
Since July 2005, Quito has cable car, known as the "Telefériqo,"
from the city center to the hill known as Cruz Loma on the
east side of the Pichincha volcano. The ride takes visitors
to an altitude of about 4100 m where they find a number of
restaurants, coffee shops and stores of different kinds.
The temperature there is many degrees cooler than in Quito
itself. There are also trails for hiking.
Besides the cable car to Cruz Loma, the Telefériqo
as a whole is a visitor center that includes an amusement park
(Vulqano Park), restaurants, Go Karts, Paint Ball, shopping
malls, extensive food court, and other attractions.
La Mitad del Mundo is a small village administered by the
prefecture of the province of Pichincha, and is located about
35 km north of Quito, on the equator, where visitors find a
monument to the equator housing a historical museum, in addition
to a planetarium, various exhibits, and shops.
Pululahua is a volcano not far from La Mitad del Mundo, with
a caldera or crater visible from a spot easily accessible by
car.
Useful Links
Official
Quito Website
Google
Maps Satellite View of Quito
Wikipedia
Entry on Quito
Lonely
Planet Quito
South
American Explorers Quito / Ecuador
British
Foreign Office Ecuador Advice
US
State Department advice on Ecuador
