Variety In Sights In Quito Ecuador

Discovering The Variety In Sights In Quito Ecuador

We enjoyed discovering the variety in sights in Quito Ecuador. Arriving a few days early before our Silversea Cruises trip in the Galápagos Islands gave us time to explore the city. A day trip outside of Quito added interesting sights to our visit.

The high altitude of Quito took a little adjustment. But we still managed to explore this new country and city in South America.

Flying To Quito In Ecuador

Quito was on the west coast of South America. Flying from Vancouver on the west coast of Canada, we expected to fly directly south. So we were surprised when we found that all flights to Quito from Vancouver went through Toronto or Montreal. When we opened a map we immediately saw that Quito was not in fact directly south from Vancouver!

Our long flight path took us from Vancouver to Toronto. We then flew south to Lima in Peru and connected to Quito in Ecuador. A very long day of flying! We were delighted we had access to the Air Canada Signature Suite in Toronto where we enjoyed a tasty dinner before we boarded our night flight south.

Connecting through Lima in Peru turned out to be quite simple. We were notified in advance that a fee was paid at the airport for connecting flights. So we easily found the signs for the payment booth. Our future flights through the Lima airport turned out to be much bigger pains! 

A Lovely Hotel Base In Quito

We booked our stay in Quito at the JW Marriott Quito. This was the hotel booked as the pre-cruising hotel for Silversea Cruises so it made sense to stay in the same hotel when we arrived several days in advance of the cruise.

Our Marriott Bonvoy Elite status got us a lovely upgrade with a patio and view over Quito. We got full access to the Executive Lounge. This gave us breakfast and later in the day snacks with drinks. The lounge team offered great suggestions on things to see on our short visit to Quito.  

The hotel was located a bit from the Old Town area of Quito. But we found it easy to take an Uber to the top of the hill and walk down from there. On the way back, the Uber pickup time depended entirely on picking the right spot for pickup.  The JW Marriott Quito provided a good base for discovering the variety in sights in Quito Ecuador.

The Beautiful Basilica Del Voto Nacional

We had one major site on our list for our explorations in Quito.  The Basilica Del Voto Nacional (Basilica of the National Vow) was a sight we did not want to miss. A quick Uber ride got us to the church early in the day. For a nominal entry fee, we explored the main level of the church.

We slowly moved around the church and admired the interior. The stained glass was beautiful from the ground level.

We saw people on the upper level and exited the church to find this access point. Across the courtyard we found the spot to purchase tickets to go higher in the church. These tickets were quite a bit more expensive than entry to the lower level of the church. But we quickly understood why.

This second ticket got us access to the mezzanine level for a look at the church from above. And a much closer look at the reflecting stained glass.

Our view of the inside of the Basilica Del Voto Nacional left us wanting more as we wandered in Old Town discovering the sights in Quito Ecuador.

Panoramic Views Showed Us The Variety In Sights In Quito

The second ticket also got us access to a series of elevators that took us higher and higher in the church. After we stopped at the mezzanine level, we took the elevator to the roof level. From this point we got a close look at the roof structure. We were amazed by the very interesting gargoyles. Unlike most churches with demon-looking gargoyles, those on the Basilica Del Voto Nacional represented local wildlife.

We crossed inside the roof structure and exited outside below the steeple. From this point we got a view back to the bell towers of the church and our first panoramic look over Quito. Climbing a narrow set of stairs, we went higher up the steeple for an even better view! 

Heading back inside to the main church, we went even higher. We found a circular set of stairs that took us up inside one of the bell towers. We found the inside view of the bell tower fascinating. But were very glad there were no longer operating bells in the towers!

Climbing high in the Basilica Del Voto Nacional got us amazing views as we started discovering the variety in sights in Quito Ecuador.

Wandering Around The Plaza Grande

From the Basilica Del Voto Nacional we walked downhill towards the Plaza Grande (also known as Independence Square or Plaza de la Independencia). As we walked we got our first view of the Virgin El Panecillo statue high on the hill above Quito. This statue was visible as we wandered all around the Old Town of Quito.

We sat in the Plaza Grande and admired the beautiful buildings surrounding the square. In the centre we found the Independence Monument commemorating the heroes who fought in the war for independence from Spain.

Around the square we found several churches. We entered the Eglisa El Sagrario just as the noon sermon began. So we quickly wandered in this church filled with gold. We then stopped at the Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus which we later learned was known as the “Gold Church” due to its heavily gilded interior. But we did not get inside.

Our final stop around the square was at the Plaza San Francisco for a look at the Church and Convent of San Francisco. But it was lunch time and we needed a break. 

After lunch the afternoon rains started so we called it a day. We saw quite a bit on our first day exploring the variety in sights in Quito Ecuador.

Visiting The Guayasamin Museum

On our second day, we booked a full day tour outside of the Old Town area of Quito with Tully Luxury Travel.  Our first stop was at the Guayasamin Museum.  Oswaldo Guayasamín was a local artist and collector of pre-Columbian and colonial art. On his death, he bequeathed his house, all of his art he owned and his entire art collection to the state for public viewing.

We started with a tour of his house. On our walk-through we got a good look at how Guayasamín lived. His house was filled with the varied art he collected over the years.  

At the house we saw his art studio. And we got our first look at several of the different art collections that Guayasamín himself created.

We found several self portraits of Oswaldo Guayasamín. And several interesting pieces that showed Quito.

Guayasamin Art Offered Variety In Sights In Quito

Much of the art was very darkly themed, meant to show the troubles faced by people around the world.  When we moved to the Chapel of Man (Capilla del Hombre) in the separate building, we saw larger pieces that reflected this theme. The massive dome with an unfinished art piece in the centre of the Chapel of Man fascinated us.

But we also saw several pieces from Guayasamín’s newer collection dedicated to his mother with the theme of “The Age of Tenderness”. These pieces were much more colourful and calm.

On our day exploring the sights in Quito, we were fascinated by the variety in the art we found when we visited the Guayasamin Museum.

Crossing The Equator At The Quitsato Solar Museum

Ecuador straddled the equator and there were several spots around Quito to actually cross the equator. Most people visited the more touristy spot at Mitad del Mundo. Our day trip took us into the Andes Mountains and our stop to cross the equator was at the Quitsato Solar Museum.

The local guide took us through an interesting explanation of the rotation of the sun and earth. He showed how it impacted different parts of the globe including being at the equator with the sun overhead. We then walked to the sun dial and crossed the equator. He kindly volunteered to take pictures for us.

We finished with a look at the night sky and stars at different parts around the globe. And he talked to us about an initiative to change how world globe maps were printed.

We crossed the equator many times on cruise ships with interesting celebrations. This was the first time we actually stood on the equator and crossed. A unique experience on our day exploring the variety in sights in Quito in Ecuador.

A Rose Plantation Added Variety In Sights In Quito

Before our visit to Ecuador, we did not know that Ecuador was a major exporter of roses. When we learned this, we thought it would be interesting to visit a rose plantation on this trip. Our day trip included a visit to the rose plantation outside the town of Cayambe. 

The plantation once belonged to the Jesuits. We started our visit with a local lunch in the plantation house. And then a visit to the chapel that was still in use.

After lunch we visited the rose gallery and we learned about the many varieties of roses produced on this site. We were fascinated with the multi-coloured roses created for special markets. We learned about how dye was used to create the variegated colours.

From there we went to the production facility and saw how roses were grown inside a greenhouse, harvested and then packaged for shipping. We were amazed to learn how quickly the roses went from the plantation to local stores around the globe. And learned that the best day to get really fresh roses was Wednesday!

We enjoyed learning more about rose production in Ecuador on this stop. It was not the idyllic country experience we had imagined it might be. But yet one more facet of life in Ecuador on this day exploring the sights in Quito.

Foodie Treats Around Quito

We always enjoyed the local foods when we travelled. David made sure that at every meal, he found something new to sample. David started with goat stew one day when we explored the old town of Quito. On our lunch stop at the rose plantation, each course was a different local treat. 

When we drove through the small town of Cayambe, every block had one or more shops that sold the local Bizcochos. These biscuits were baked several times like biscotti and were not overly sweet. Traditionally the Bizcochos were eaten with soft cheese. When we arrived at the rose plantation, we were delighted to sample the Bizcochos with a local cheese.

But we were told that the other traditional way to eat Bizcochos was with caramel sauce. As a caramel addict, I was sad we missed this treat. But when the Maitre D’ on our Silversea cruise in the Galapagos heard this, he had the chef create a special Bizcochos treat with caramel just for me!

We also learned that Ecuador was known for great coffee and chocolate. For lunch we stopped at the Paccari Chocolate Cafe with a view over the Plaza San Francisco. We went in looking for chocolate and instead settled for a local lunch.

After our visit to the Basilica Del Voto Nacional in Old Town Quito, we stopped at Kitu Coffee. We went in and checked out the artisanal chocolate offered in a wide variety of flavours. This was our first but not last chocolate experience on this trip. When we finished our trip in Lima, we did a much more extensive chocolate tasting experience. 

Local food and drink enhanced our enjoyment of new spots on our travels. And when exploring the variety in sights in Quito Ecuador we got the chance and tried many different foods. Although we never did try the local treat of guinea pig on this visit.

Dealing With High Altitude

We were prepared for high altitude when we landed in Quito. At home we live at sea level, essentially on the Pacific Ocean. So the altitude in Quito was a big change for us (about 3,000m or about 10,000 ft above sea level). We talked to the pharmacist about medication before we left. But we decided not to take any medicine with us.

When we first arrived, we had a bit of a headache but it settled down quite quickly. The Concierge at the JW Marriott greeted us with a special tea that helped with altitude adjustment.

We drank lots of water and avoided alcohol when we were at high altitudes on this trip. And we drank the special Muna tea several times a day. This helped with both the altitude and digestion. We tried the coca tea once but the Muna tea was more highly recommended by locals.

We were cognizant of the altitude and managed our physical activity while we explored the sights in Quito. Our Apple watches measured our SPO2 levels (oxygen in our blood ). These levels only dipped to dangerously low levels in the middle of the night for short periods.

We then used the same tactics at the high altitudes when we later explored Cusco and travelled to Machu Picchu. But others we met on our high altitude stops did not all do as well. They ate and drank as normal and did not slow down. One woman got so sick she needed doctor care and oxygen more than once.

We learned that we could handle high altitudes for short periods of time. But we were very glad when we left Quito for sea level on our Galapagos cruise.

Enjoying The Variety In Sights In Quito Ecuador

We were glad we had extra time in Quito and enjoyed the sights. It was interesting exploring the Old Town and we loved getting panoramic views when we climbed high in the Basilica Del Voto Nacional.  A day trip out of town got us some very different sights.  We enjoyed local treats with many tasty experiences on this stay.

From Quito we headed for our expedition cruise in the Galapagos with Silversea Cruises. And when we returned to Quito after the cruise, we had only a brief stay before we headed to Cusco to explore the great sites in Peru.

Did you enjoy many of the sights in Quito Ecuador?  What should we do on a return visit?

Copyright Notice: All material on this travel blog site is the sole property of RetiredAndTravelling.  This includes blog posts, pages, design and all photos (whether watermarked or not). Any use of materials from this site without express written consent will be considered copyright infringement.