Quito: what to see in 1 day

The Plaza Grande remains the first appointment of the day: surrounded by the Presidential Palace, Cathedral, and Archbishop's Palace, it remains the political and religious heart of the city since its Spanish founding.

A few steps away is the Compañía de Jesús, the Baroque church covered almost entirely with gold leaf, considered one of the richest religious decorations on the continent.

Continuing through the colonial streets you reach the Basílica del Voto Nacional, the neo-Gothic cathedral whose towers, climbable via stairs and wooden walkways, offer an open view of the rooftops of the historic center.

For lunch, La Ronda, the oldest colonial street in the city, offers traditional inns where you can taste Andean cuisine in a cozy atmosphere.

In the afternoon, the TelefériQo, the cable car that in a few minutes brings you from 2,900 to nearly 4,000 meters on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, allows you to dominate the entire Quito valley from above.

Just outside the city, the Mitad del Mundo instead marks the passage of the equatorial line, where it is possible to stand with one foot in each hemisphere.

As evening falls, heading back to the historic center, the restaurants around La Ronda are the obvious place to dine, among live music and the lights of illuminated colonial churches.

Plaza Grande, Compañía de Jesús, and Basílica del Voto Nacional are enough to restore Quito's colonial richness, while an afternoon choice between the TelefériQo and the Equator Line adds the volcanic or geographical dimension.

The Guápulo neighborhood and a trip to Quilotoa lagoon remain chapters for a second journey. Watching the towers of the Basílica del Voto Nacional stand out against the Andean volcanoes condenses Quito into a single scene.