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SUNRISE OVER CENTRO HISTORICO

Plaza Santo Domingo, from La Casa de las Tias, a BnB with a 16th century fresco in the kitchen.

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PLAZA GRANDE

On Monday, the changing of the guards takes place on Plaza Grande at 11am.

--Lonely Planet

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CALLE DE LAS SIETE CRUCES Y ROCAFUERTE

In Centro Historico, have a meal in an old-world restaurant or join the festivities on lively La Ronda street before retiring to one of the many charming guesthouses in the neighborhood.

--Lonely Planet 

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PLAZA GRANDE

Plaza Grande’s benches are great for soaking up the Andean morning sun and watching the bustle all around.

--Lonely Planet

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PLAZA GRANDE

Quito’s cathedral stands on the southwest side of Plaza Grande.

--Lonely Planet

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PLAZA GRANDE

The white building on Plaza Grande’s northwest side with the national flag flying atop is the Palacio de Gobierno, the seat of the Ecuadorian presidency.

--Loney Planet

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PLAZA GRANDE

While wandering around colonial Quito, you'll probably pass through the Plaza Grande several times.

--Lonely Planet

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SUNRISE OVER QUITO

From the rooftop of the 500-year-old Casa de las Tias guest house within the UNESCO World Heritage site on Calle Rocafuerte.

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EL PANECILLO

From the summit there are marvelous views of the sprawling city and the surrounding volcanoes.

-Lonley Planet

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EL PANECILLO

Climb steps up to the base of the Virgin statue for an even loftier outlook.

-Lonley Planet

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EL PANECILLO

El Panecillo is topped by a 41m-tall aluminum mosaic statue of La Virgen de Quito (Virgin of Quito; completed in 1976), with a crown of stars, angelic wings and a chained dragon. 

-Lonley Planet

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EL PANECILLO

The hill to the south of the Old Town called El Panecillo (the Little Loaf of Bread) is a major Quito landmark.

-Lonley Planet

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CALLE DE LAS SIETE CRUCES Y ROCAFUERTE

Calle de las Siete Cruces sites include: the Museo de la Ciudad, the Carmen Alto Monastery, the Presidential Palace and Plaza Grande, the Numismatic Museum at the Ecuadorian Central Bank building.

--Casa Gangotena

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CALLE DE LAS SIETE CRUCES Y ROCAFUERTE

Picturesque plazas, baroque 17th-century cathedrals and the snow-covered peaks beyond form a backdrop to a vibrant city in motion: indigenous in traditional garb and bowler hats mingle with mestizos amid the sing-song voices of street vendors, newspaper sellers and shoeshine boys, while the scent of Andean cooking spills out of open-sided restaurants and food stalls.

--Lonely Planet

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CALLE DE LAS SIETE CRUCES Y ROCAFUERTE

Calle de las Siete Cruces is home to early 20th-century aristocrat María Augusta Urrutia’s residence (for a taste of upper class Quito), La Compañía Church, the Cathedral, even a colonial home where, as a sign once read, “Bolívar danced”.

--Casa Gangotena

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CALLE DE LAS SIETE CRUCES Y ROCAFUERTE

Calle de las Siete Cruces, which means Street of the Seven Crosses, officially García Moreno, after the infamous early 20th century President brutally murdered on its sidewalks, is now home to an astonishing number of visitor sites.

--Casa Gangotena

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CALLE DE LAS SIETE CRUCES Y ROCAFUERTE

The second-highest capital in the world (after La Paz, Bolivia), Quito is a lovely Andean city with an exquisite colonial centre packed with architectural treasures.

Wandering the Unesco-listed centro histórico (aka old town) is pure sensory overload.

--Lonely Planet

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CALLE DE LAS SIETE CRUCES Y ROCAFUERTE

History lurks around every corner of this well-preserved center. 

Delve into the past by stepping off the cobblestones and entering beautifully maintained museums, historic mansions and jaw-dropping sanctuaries. 

--Lonely Planet 

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CALLE DE LAS SIETE CRUCES Y ROCAFUERTE

A Spanish-colonial stunner, Quito’s vibrant Centro Historico is packed with elaborate churches and old-time monasteries (some were centuries in the making), people-packed plazas and looming bell towers. 

--Lonely Planet