Quito Travel Guide
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Sebastián de Benalcázar founded Quito in 1534. If he were to return today, he would probably feel right at home. In the Old Town, many of the original colonial structures have been wonderfully preserved and restored. Quito was and still is a city of grand churches with wildly detailed hand-carved facades, and a place where 500-year-old buildings open onto medieval-style courtyards, complete with columned archways. Even the highly active Pichincha Volcano, which dominates the western side of the city, has failed to destroy this living testimonial to Quito's colonial past.
But that's only one side of Quito. If Benalcázar were to venture a couple of miles north, the glass skyscrapers, electric trolleys, and early-20th-century mansions would make his head spin. Quito is a city of wonderful juxtapositions. It's a place where you can travel to the past, while still enjoying a life of modern-day comforts. The living museums in the Old Town nicely complement the modern art and archaeology museums in the New Town. Spend two leisurely days here and you'll see the best of what the city has to offer. Then you can travel to colorful indigenous markets, a unique cloud forest, or to the glaciers of the world's highest active volcano -- all within 2 hours of the city.
Remember that at 2,804m (9,348 ft.) above sea level, Quito is one of the highest capital cities in the world, and the air is much thinner up here. Fortunately, this is a great place for taking it easy.
