Orientation

Quito, the capital of Ecuador is about 25 miles long north to south and about 3 miles across. Quito sits high in the Andes with an elevation of 9,300 ft/2,835 m. The mountains including the active volcano Mt. Pichincha to the west of the city makes its impossible to become disoriented. The city is divided into the Old Town, for historical sights and New Town, visitor services, accommodations, restaurants, and and everything else. Vintage facades line the streets and large open plazas are surrounded by cathedrals and stately public buildings. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Old Town

Quito's Old Town is a wonder, blocks and blocks of colonial architecture, some of it dating to the mid 1500s when the Spanish founded the city. Vintage facades line the streets and large open plazas are surrounded by cathedrals and stately public buildings. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

Steep, narrow streets characterize this part of Quito, and cars barely fit in lanes designed for horse and foot traffic. Residents look down from wrought-iron balconies at street vendors each with his own small crowd of skeptical but interested onlookers-hawking miracle products. Storefronts at ground level sell household wares, clothing, and an astounding number of shoes. Hotels are generally inexpensive and restaurants few.

Most visitors come for the outstanding churches and museums, . Other visitors are content to wander the cobbled streets that evoke Ecuador's colonial past more than any others in the country-despite the handbills and red graffiti from the latest political uprising that occasionally mar the white-washed walls.

New Town

Outside of Old Town, Quito is modern and does not possess the beauty of the colonial section. It's home to a large selection of hotels, restaurants, money-exchange houses and upscale souvenir shops. Also in the New Town is the Casa de la Cultura, a must-see attraction. It contains the Banco Central archaeological museum, an attached art museum, a vast musical-instrument museum, an indigenous-clothing museum and a modern-art museum. It has an amazing display of works produced by Inca goldsmiths, as well as lots of ancient pottery and detailed dioramas of life in Ecuador's pre-Columbian civilizations. Tourists keep this part of Quito in business, supporting dozens of hotels and restaurants for every budget, along with enough souvenir shops, tour companies, and banks for two cities.

SAFETY

With one of the highest concentrations of bodies in the country, Quito naturally has its share of crime. It's nothing to cancel a trip over but definitely worth considering.

It is not recommended to walk alone at night in the old town. Even with company ou should be careful and keep valuables hidden. Pickpockets, bag slashers and camera snatchers ply their trades there. One place you should definitely not go on foot is El Panecillo, the hill directly south of Old Town that's crowned by the large Virgin of Quito statue. Walking the streets that lead to the top is an invitation to be mugged. If you want to take in the view from El Panecillo, hire a taxi to drive you.

By taking the standard precautions that you would in any major city, and avoiding a few problem spots, you should have little to worry about.

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