NATGEOTRAVEL.COM
WILLIAM HEREFORDSEE IT
QUITO
The High
Points
Explore a city of historic
splendor in a region of
natural wonder
Fine Arts
Quito has marvelous
museums, including the
Museo de la Ciudad and
the Museo Nacional
del Banco Central, but
don’t overlook these two
under-the-radar gems: The
Casa del Alabado show-
cases the surprising and
sophisticated workmanship
of pre-Columbian art within
an elegant Spanish colonial
house. And Casa Museo
Guayasamín displays
paintings and murals at the
home of Ecuador’s most
famous 20th-century artist,
Oswaldo Guayasamín.Fresh Air
Despite its notoriously
fickle weather (keep a rain
jacket in your day pack),
Quito often sees the sun.
After you’ve acclimatized
to the altitude, take the
teleférico up the city’s
volcano, Rucu Pichincha,
for a look around. Beloved
by locals, centrally located
Parque La Carolina has
running trails, a man-made
lake, and the orchid-filled
Botanical Gardens. On
Sundays, rent a bike and
cruise Quito north to south
on roads closed to traffic
for the weekly Ciclopaseo.Divine Sights
It could take weeks to see
all of the city’s churches.
If there were a people’s
choice, it would be
San Francisco church and
plaza, its winged Virgin
of Quito statue above the
altar replicated to gigantic
proportions on Panecillo
Hill. But there’s also the
gleaming, gold-leaf-plated
interior of La Compañia,
built by the Jesuits in
baroque style. If you
don’t fear heights, scale
one of the towers of the
Basílica del Voto Nacional
for heavenly vistas.Out of Town
All the volcanoes and
lakes within a 60-mile
radius encourage weekend
jaunts. North of Quito is
the world-famous Otavalo
market; stay at the new
Otavalo Hotel and arrange
a guide for the textile and
music workshops. South
of Quito, adventurers can
climb the majestic (and
active) Cotopaxi volcano
or take in the views from
horseback at Hacienda
El Porvenir. Baños, at the
base of another volcano,
Tungurahua, is known for
its thermal springs.The French-led Condamine expedition famously mapped
the line between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
just 14 miles north of Quito, and visiting the official site,
La Mitad del Mundo, is a popular excursion. A massive mon-
ument and bright yellow stripe of demarcation make for cool
snaps straddling the line. The problem is the 18th-centuryWalk the Line
Ecuador’s equatorial
encounters
An Ecuadorian
cowboy, or chagra,
from Hacienda El
Porvenir rides by the
Cotopaxi volcano.explorers were about 800 feet off. To get closer, you’ll have
to go to the nearby Intiñan solar museum, a hokey attrac-
tion with mock physics experiments. For the most accurate
GPS readings and scientific explanations, head to Quitsato,
near Cayambe, site of a large solar clock and the best place
to appreciate the gravity of where you are standing.