What to do in Quito

1. Explore Old Town, Quito

   • Start in the main square, and pick a church or two to explore. These are particularly convenient if it starts to hail!

   • Learn about and taste chocolate at Indemini Baez

   • The gothic Cathedral with the tall spire you can climb seems awesome, but we didn’t wind up making it there

   • At night, head to La Ronda for some live music, ranging from singer songwriter chill to full on discoteca

2. Go to a market, such as Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal

   • We bought one of our favorite pieces of art here - a small, handmade, wooden facade of a house. I’m looking at it as I write this!

3. Walk around La Floresta

   • Casa Warmi is a really cute restaurant for breakfast or brunch in this district

4. Go to the Guayasamin Museum & La Capilla

   • But don’t stick around the area after 6pm when the sun goes down (any time of year - it’s the equator after all!). We’re not inventing this - the owner of a cafe we went to in a gated building after 6 asked us 3+ times if we had a cab picking us up, and warned us that it was not safe to walk around this area at night.

5. Ride El TeleferiQo and (optional) climb Ruca Pichincha

6. Get some great coffee - it’s everywhere!

7. Otavalo and Laguna Cuicocha are a great day trip from Quito!

   • I recommend getting a private tour with a driver. It won’t be terribly expensive, and it will be SO much easier than doing it yourself. We got to make a bunch of fun stops that we would have certainly missed otherwise, including trying Bizcochos, eating lunch at a colonial Hacienda, and seeing a couple of small towns near Otavalo’s market.