Travel to Quito

an historic Spanish city, built on Inca foundations

Set in a high mountain valley and surrounded by the snow-capped volcanoes of the Andes Mountains, Quito is the scenic and historic capital of Ecuador.

There is evidence of human activity in this area dating way back to around 8000 BC. The relatively advanced Quitu civilisation arose here around 900 AD, before Inca invaders from the south took control around 1450.

The modern city was founded in 1534 by Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Benalcázar, shortly after the capture and killing of the Inca leader Rumiñahui.

At 2850 metres (9350’) above sea level, Quito is the second highest capital city in the world (after La Paz in Bolivia).

It is a pleasantly intimate place, with an impressive historic centre, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as early as 1978. A great deal of renovation work has been carried out in recent decades and the old town is now a very pleasant and interesting place to explore.

The heart of the city is filled with narrow cobblestone streets, picturesque plazas, beautiful churches and historic monasteries.

There are also some interesting markets, where you can encounter highly-skilled local artisans, mysterious herbal healers and, perhaps most excitingly, the city’s famous chocolatiers (the world has Ecuador to thank for the cacao bean).

It’s also possible to take one of the world’s highest cable car rides up to the summit of Cruz Loma at 4050 metres (13,300’), from where the views of and hikes into the surrounding mountains are spectacular.

The best time to visit Quito is generally considered to be during the Jun-Sep dry season.

Quito has a subtropical highland climate. Temperatures are almost constant year round, with the two seasons being largely defined by the variation in rainfall.

During the Jun-Sep dry season conditions are usually warm and dry, with lots of sunshine. Average daytime temperatures usually reach around 21C/70F, with nighttime lows holding up around 16C/61F. Rainfall is relatively low, at around 25mm (1”) per month. Sunshine is up around 8 hours per day, which is around 70% of daylight hours.

During the Oct-May rainy season conditions are usually warm and wet, with more overcast skies. Average daytime temperatures usually reach around 21C/70F, with nighttime lows holding up around 16C/61F. Rainfall is relatively high, at around 100mm (4”) per month, rising to 175mm (7”) in Mar-Apr. Sunshine drops to around 6 hours per day, which is around 50% of daylight hours, but can be considerably lower during that core Mar-Apr period.

Getting there

The Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) in Quito, is the main flight hub for Ecuador, with a modest network of connections worldwide and to domestic airports throughout the country.

Quito is very much the main flight hub for Ecuador and most trips end up passing through the city on at least one occasion, with flights rarely connecting through the same day.

The majority of people end up spending at least a night or two in the city itself, usually at the front end of the trip, popping out to nearby areas of interest (Otavalo, Bosque Nuboso, Antisana and Cotopaxi) on subsequent visits.

The airport is about 20 km northeast of the old city centre, where most of the good hotels are located. Connecting transfers usually range between 30-60 minutes in duration, depending on the time of day and the levels of traffic.

Where to stay

The vast majority of visitors to Ecuador arrive and depart via Quito, with most also passing through at least one further time when making internal flight connections.

There is a decent range of hotels in the city, the most interesting of which are largely located in the historic quarter.

If your flights arrive late and depart early, then there are some decent hotel options at and around the airport, which will save you from getting unnecessarily snagged up in traffic

most travellers include one or two nights