Things to do in Quito

Landmark · The colonial core, south of the modern centre

The largest and best-preserved historic centre in the Americas, and one of the first two sites ever inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1978.

Local tip: La Compañía de Jesús, with an interior covered in gold leaf, and San Francisco are the two that stop people in their tracks. Go on a Sunday morning when the streets around the Plaza Grande are closed to traffic — the centre becomes a completely different, calmer place.

Neighborhood · Down the hillside east of the centre, below González Suárez

A steep, narrow, artistic quarter tumbling down the valley wall, with a seventeenth-century sanctuary at the bottom and views into the valleys.

Local tip: The walk down from the Hotel Quito is spectacular and the walk back up at 2,800 metres is not — take a taxi home. The bars along the Camino de Orellana have the best views in the city, and the neighbourhood has kept a genuine artistic community rather than becoming a set.

Nature · West of the city, up Pichincha

A cable car from about 3,100 metres to 4,050 metres on the flank of Pichincha, with the whole city laid out below.

Local tip: Do not go in your first three days — the top is above 4,000 metres and altitude that fresh is genuinely unpleasant. Go on a clear morning, because the cloud comes in most afternoons. The walk on toward Rucu Pichincha from the top station is a real hike, not a stroll, and people underestimate it every week.

Food · Centro Histórico and Santa Clara

Working produce markets where the fruit of three climates — coast, sierra and Amazon — arrives on the same morning.

Local tip: The upstairs food counters at the Mercado Central serve hornado and caldo de bola to people who work nearby, at a fraction of restaurant prices. Mercado de Santa Clara is the one northern residents actually use. Go before ten and bring small notes.

Culture · Between the centre and the eastern hillside

The city's creative quarter — the Ocho y Medio arthouse cinema, independent galleries, small restaurants and a strong neighbourhood identity.

Local tip: This is where Quito's cultural life actually happens, as opposed to La Mariscal, which most residents now avoid at night. The Ocho y Medio cinema is the anchor and its café is where you will meet people. The weekend market at Parque La Floresta is small and genuinely local.

Nature · On the ridge above Bellavista, north-east of the centre

Nearly six square kilometres of eucalyptus forest and trails on the hillside above the city — one of the largest urban parks in South America.

Local tip: It is bigger than Central Park several times over and most foreign residents in Quito have never been. Trails run for kilometres through eucalyptus with views down into the Tumbaco valley on one side and the city on the other. Free, open daily, and almost empty on a weekday morning. Take water — you are running at 2,900 metres.