Alright, let’s talk about my time checking out the spots in Quito. I’d been wanting to go for a while, heard plenty about the mountains and the old city, so I finally booked the trip and just went for it. My main goal was pretty simple: see the main landmarks everyone talks about.
Getting Started in the Old Town
First thing I did after settling in was head straight for the historic center, El Centro Histórico. Man, that place is something else. Just started walking, really. The streets are narrow, cobblestones everywhere, buildings look like they’ve been there forever. It felt like stepping back a bit. Found myself in Plaza Grande, the main square. It was buzzing with people. Saw the Palacio de Carondelet, the president’s place. Didn’t go in, but watched the guards do their thing for a bit. Pretty cool.
Spent a good chunk of time just wandering around that area. You’ve got churches popping up on every other corner it feels like. I ducked into a couple:
- Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús: Someone told me I had to see this one. Seriously, the amount of gold leaf inside is wild. It’s everywhere. Almost overwhelming, but definitely impressive. Took a while just standing there, looking up.
- Iglesia de San Francisco: This one felt huge, older maybe. Liked the plaza out front too. Sat there for a bit, just watching people go by.
Climbing High: Basilica and Panecillo
Okay, the Basilica del Voto Nacional. This massive church, you can see it from lots of places. Decided I had to climb it. You pay a small fee, and up you go. It wasn’t just stairs, mind you. Part of it involved crossing this walkway high up inside the main roof, then climbing some seriously steep, almost ladder-like stairs right up into the towers. A little nerve-wracking? Yeah, maybe a bit. Especially the last part. But the views from the top towers? Incredible. You see the whole city, the old town, the surrounding mountains. Totally worth the shaky legs.
Then there’s El Panecillo, the hill with the big Virgin Mary statue overlooking the city. Took a taxi up there, probably the easiest way. Walked around the statue base. Again, the views are the main draw. You get a different perspective from here compared to the Basilica, see how the city stretches out along the valley. Snapped a bunch of pictures, like everyone else.
Heading to the Middle of the World
Had to do the equator thing, right? Took a bus out to Mitad del Mundo. It’s a bit of a ride, takes you north of the city. There’s the big monument, the yellow line painted on the ground. Did the classic tourist pose, one foot in the north, one in the south. They have some little museum exhibits there too, explaining gravity and stuff on the equator. Saw people trying to balance eggs. It’s touristy, no doubt about it, but it felt like one of those things you just gotta tick off the list when you’re there.
Up the Teleférico
One afternoon, I decided to ride the Teleférico, the cable car that goes way up the side of the Pichincha volcano. The ride itself is pretty smooth, takes about 15-20 minutes. But man, does it go high. The air gets noticeably thinner and cooler up there. Once at the top, the view over Quito is just massive. On a clear day, they say you can see volcanoes in the distance. It was a bit cloudy when I went, but still breathtaking. Walked around a bit on the paths up there, just soaking in the scale of the Andes.
So yeah, that was basically my run through Quito’s landmarks. Lots of walking, lots of climbing stairs and hills, lots of amazing views. The altitude definitely took a day or two to get used to, but pushing through to see these places was absolutely the right call. Each spot had its own vibe, from the history packed into the Old Town churches to the sheer scale you feel up on the mountainsides. Good trip.
