Question 1

Quito on Your Own

Accepted Answer

A free day in Quito is a stay before or after the islands rather than a port call, and the simple plan is the historic center on foot, with taxis booked through your hotel. Take the first day slowly, because the altitude is high. The old town: Start at the Plaza de la Independencia, with its monument to the heroes of August 10, 1809, and the cathedral on the south side. The church of La Compañía and the Basilica of San Francisco are also in the historic center. Taxis: Book through your hotel or a known radio-dispatched taxi company. Express kidnappings in Ecuador often involve taxis hailed on the street. Pickpockets: Mugging and pickpocketing are common, so take care in the old town and at transport hubs. El Panecillo: Go up the hill with the statue of the Virgin by taxi or bus, never on foot. Money: Ecuador uses the US dollar. Many businesses refuse $50 and $100 bills, so carry small ones. Before your flight: The airport is about 18 km from the city, so allow a generous margin to reach it.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Quito's Metro opened on December 1, 2023, with one underground line of 15 stations between Quitumbe in the south and El Labrador in the north. The full ride takes about 34 minutes, and trains run every 5 to 10 minutes. The Metro uses a contactless fare card that also works on the city's buses. The TelefériQo cable car climbs from about 3,100 meters to Cruz Loma, above 4,000 meters, on the slopes of Pichincha. Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, the equator monument, is 26 km north of the center.

Question 3

What to Eat

Accepted Answer

Quito's menus run from Ecuadorian takes on Latin American dishes to chifas, the city's many Chinese restaurants. Meat, pork above all, is a highlight, served with potatoes, plantains and Andean fruit. Chaulafán is the local name for fried rice, a chifa staple. Tallarín is a noodle dish with chicken or beef, and churrasco is an Ecuadorian version of a Brazilian dish. Cebiche here is made with shrimp or clams marinated in a broth. Pick a busy place where locals eat, so the seafood is fresh. In the evening the La Floresta traffic circle becomes a food market, known for tripa mishqui, grilled beef or pork intestines.

Question 4

Tipping

Accepted Answer

Bars, restaurants and hotels in Ecuador usually include a 10 percent service charge in the bill, so a tip is not required. In restaurants, leaving some spare change for good service is customary. Where no service charge is added, some restaurants hand you a slip to add a tip of about 5 to 10 percent when you pay by card. Ecuador uses the US dollar, so there is no money to change.

Question 5

Altitude, Dress and Manners

Accepted Answer

Quito sits at about 2,850 meters, and altitude sickness is a risk in parts of Ecuador, so give yourself an easy first day. The highlands are conservative in dress, and evenings turn cold. People in Quito tend to dress up, and shorts are seldom worn. Once the sun goes down it gets cold, so dress in layers. Spanish is the language. Use the formal usted with older people and anyone you do not know. Simón Bolívar is Ecuador's national hero, and he is not a subject for debate with locals. In an emergency in Ecuador, call 911.

Question 6

History

Accepted Answer

Quito was an Inca regional capital before the Spanish founded the colonial city in 1534, and the cry for independence that began here in 1809 ended with victory on the slopes of Pichincha in 1822. Its historic center was among the first two places UNESCO listed as World Cultural Heritage. First settlers: Archaeological evidence suggests people settled here between 4400 and 1600 BC. The Inca, late 1400s: The Inca emperor Huayna Capac defeated the Quitu and made Quito the capital of the northern part of the empire. Two foundings, 1534: Diego de Almagro founded Santiago de Quito near present-day Riobamba on August 15, 1534. On December 6, 204 settlers under Sebastián de Benalcázar founded the city again on its present site. Resistance ends, 1535: The Inca general Rumiñahui was executed on January 10, 1535. The San Francisco convent was begun that month, the first of about 20 churches and convents of the colonial period. A seat of government, 1563: Quito became the seat of a Real Audiencia, governing a wide district for Spain. The first cry, 1809: On August 10, 1809, a movement in Quito set up its own government to win independence from Spain. Pichincha, 1822: On May 24, 1822, Antonio José de Sucre, under Simón Bolívar, won the Battle of Pichincha on the slopes of the volcano, securing Quito's independence. World Heritage, 1978: Quito and Kraków were the first World Cultural Heritage Sites UNESCO declared. To learn more ashore: The Museo de la Ciudad on García Moreno street, in the old town opposite the Carmen Alto monastery, shows everyday life in Ecuador through the centuries, in a building in use since 1565.

Question 7

With Children

Accepted Answer

Quito with children works best in short outings with rest in between, because the altitude tires everyone. The equator monument north of the city and the cable car up Pichincha make two good outings. Younger children: Keep the first day short and gentle, and pack warm layers for the cold evenings. School age: At Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, 26 km north of the center, a 30-meter monument marks the equator, and an ethnographic museum on the grounds covers Ecuador's indigenous peoples. Teenagers: The TelefériQo takes about 18 minutes to climb 2.5 km to Cruz Loma, above 4,000 meters. Watch for signs of altitude sickness, and do not hike on toward Rucu Pichincha, where there have been fatal accidents from hypothermia.

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