Before planning to visit Ecuador, I knew little to nothing about the country or the capital, Quito. However, upon visiting, I was pleasantly surprised by how much this city had to offer for tourism. Quito, Ecuador’s capital, is located over 9,000 ft above sea level in the Andes mountains. The city is quite large and is known for it’s Spanish history and being right on the equator.
The city’s most popular tourism is in the “El Centro Historico de Quito”. In the Centro, there are plenty of beautiful churches and colorful buildings from the Spanish conquest. The Centro looks like Spain. The streets are narrow, bustling with people, and full of little shops.
The Centro’s main attractions are the Plaza de la Independencia, Convento e Iglesia San Francisco, and the Compañía de Jesús. All are beautiful.
The inside of the Convento e Iglesia San Francisco and the Compañía de Jesús are both stunning. When the Spanish conquered Ecuador, they collected the Incans’ gold and decorated their churches with it.
I loved going to the Equator which is just north of the city. There is a little landmark and line dedicated to it. You could stand right over top of the Equator with one foot in each hemisphere!
