Travel
24 Hours In… Quito
Slide Nr 1Located on the equator, at 2,850 metres above sea level in the Andes mountain range, Quito is a fascinating city that enamours its visitors. The first city in the world to have its historic centre declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Quito’s long history begins well before it was established by the Spanish in 1534, stretching back to pre-Columbian times when it held important status in the Inca empire. Today Quito is a cosmopolitan capital bursting with history and buzzing with modern life – travel blogger Cristina Pettersen Carpio shows us how to take the pulse of this dynamic city.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 28am, Time For A Mountain Breakfast – Start your day at Caffé and Nata, the best place to enjoy an authentic “mountain breakfast” and get to know the La Floresta neighbourhood, where tradition meets modernity – with bohemian flair. Do as the Quiteños do and order a combo nata: delicious fresh-baked bread with homemade cream. To finish, ask for a bolón de verde mixto con queso y chicharrón (a typical dish of green plantains with cheese and pork rinds) to get a taste of the Ecuadorian coast.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 39am, Visit Latitude 00º00’00” – Sure it’s touristy, but it’s a must: head to the Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World). Here you’ll find a monument dedicated to the 18th-century French expedition that began measuring the circumference of the earth right in this spot, but most people come for another reason: to claim they’ve stood in both hemispheres at one time. Thanks to modern GPS technology, we now know that the actual equator is located a few hundred metres north of here, but the site remains a requisite for any visitor. Don’t leave without taking the elevator to the lookout point to enjoy a panoramic view, and if you’re a coffee lover, check out Guayasamín Café in the central plaza to discover the flavours and textures of high-quality Ecuadorian coffee with an expert barista. [Photo: Paulo JC Nogueira/Wikimedia Commons]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 410:30am, Equatorial Experiments – Just a short walk from Mitad del Mundo is the Intiñan Museum, which claims to be the true site of the equator. There’s no grand monument, but here the keyword is “fun”. Visitors can join a guided tour to learn about the indigenous cultures and ethnic groups of Ecuador, as well as the physics of the equator, through exhibits, experiments and demonstrations. Some of it is questionable science, but it’s still an entertaining and educational experience. [Photo: Rene Leubert/Flickr]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 512:30pm, Prandial Panoramas – Getting hungry? Head to the Pululahua Geobotanic Reserve to find El Cráter, a popular lunch stop for visitors of Mitad del Mundo. Ask for an authentic seco de chivo, a traditional dish of the Sierra region prepared with goat or lamb and served with rice, avocado and fried sweet plantains. To complement the gastronomic experience, you can enjoy an unparalleled view of the only inhabited, cultivated volcanic crater in the world.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 62:30pm, Travel To The Colonial Era – Bellies full and legs well-rested, we’re off to explore the historic centre of Quito, where a wander along the cobbled streets will transport you back to colonial times. Start at the Plaza Grande, the heart of the historic centre, and admire the colonial buildings and the monument to independence. From here you’ll have a magnificent view of the cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace and the Municipal Palace.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 73pm, A Baroque Beauty – Head down Garcia Moreno Street to La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús (Church of the Society of Jesus) to admire one of Quito’s most important colonial landmarks, built in the baroque style; enter to see its marvellous altars and pulpits awash in gold leaf. Back outside, take some time to simply stroll and admire the city’s impressive historical legacy of more than 200 churches, convents and monasteries, making it one of the oldest and best-preserved historic city centres in the Americas. [Photo: Diego Delso/Wikimedia Commons]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 94:30pm, Explore Historic La Ronda – Just a short 5-minute walk from the museum, you’ll find the picturesque cobblestone street La Ronda. This street was built by the Incas as part of the road that connected Quito and Cuzco, and became home to a creative community of artists, poets and musicians; perhaps unsurprisingly, this street has inspired several poems and songs over the years. Admire the restored houses built in the typical Spanish style with their colonial balconies, and pop into local craft shops and bohemian cafés to try traditional sweets and other typical dishes, like a giant empanada de viento (fried cheese empanada) at Café Leña Quiteña. [Photo: Diego Delso/Wikimedia Commons]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 107pm, Tuber-ific Dinner – Ecuadorian cuisine is very diverse, with each of the country’s 4 regions contributing their own local flair. Get a taste of its bounty, along with beautiful panoramic views over Quito’s historic centre, at Vista Hermosa – a favourite haunt for locals. If you want to try a specialty soup from the Sierra region, ask for locro de papa: a thick soup of pre-Hispanic origin, prepared with two main ingredients produced in the Andes: milk and potatoes. The addition of avocado and fresh cheese complements the feast of Andean flavours.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 119:30pm, Tunes And Chill – Wind down (or up!) the night with live music at local hotspot La Estación, where jazz, rock, fusion and electro tunes meet tropical rhythms. Grab a craft beer and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, where local artists belt out the best of their own repertoires and pay tribute to the icons of Latin music.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 14Read Before You Go – Abdón Ubidia’s novel Wolves’ Dream (Sueño de lobos) gives readers a glimpse of 1980s Quito, a time marked by social struggle as the oil boom came to an end and a period of uncertainty set in. In the book, 5 very different people form an uneasy alliance as they hatch a plot to rob a bank in Quito – but fate has other plans.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Quito.
Slide Nr 15Cristina Pettersen Carpio is the Ecuadorian-Norwegian blogger behind Visit Ecuador and South America, a travel blog borne of her passion for travel and her extensive knowledge of (and love for) Ecuador, combined with her experience in tourism and her studies in Marketing and Communications. After living in Norway for 9 years, Cristina is back in Ecuador, constantly exploring her country and travelling with her husband in search of new experiences – and to share the best of this amazing Andean country with the rest of the world.
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