CITY GUIDE
QUITO
³ Why Go Now: Boutique hotels and Novo-Andean cuisine are reaching new heights in Ecuador’s capital
The neo-Gothic
spires of the
Basílica del Voto
Nacional tower
over Quito’s
historic center.Wedged into the folds
of the Andes, the
world’s second highest
capital city (surpassed
only by La Paz, Bolivia)
contains the best pre-
served Spanish colonial
core in the Americas.
Despite this, travelers
tend to overlook Quito
as they make their way
to the country’s Pacific
islands treasure, the
Galápagos. But times
are changing, and this
city of two million is
having a moment.
A burgeoning food
scene, new boutique
hotels, and a subway
slated to open by year’s
end are encouraging
visitors to explore this
modern city with an
ancient soul. “Quito is
best understood as a
collection of diverse
neighborhoods united
under a volcano,” says
Jorge Vinueza, of Ecua-
dorian travel magazine
Ñan. “These elements
give it a unique energy
that you only have to
walk its streets to feel.”
The city’s UNESCO-
designated center is a
rabbit hole of riches,
but don’t stop there.
Take the teleférico to
the top of the volcano.
Stock up on textiles at
the Artisanal Market.
And on weekends,
make like the Quiteños
and head out of town.
—Norie Quintos