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Surrounded by 3 snow capped volcanoes, peaceful valleys enclosing rural life, and amazing cloud and tropical forests just one hour away, this cosmopolitan city, located only 15 km South of the Equator, will fulfill every traveler’s expectations. |
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QUITO, a Unesco Heritage Site, holds one of the largest and best preserved -lived in- colonial areas in Latin America; home to the best Colonial Schools of Art in the American Continent, it offers even now one of the largest collections of baroque art in its colonial architecture, sculpture and paintings, all displayed in large and small churches, convents, museums and private collections.
At the same time the city, in its modern area, offers all the comforts of the 20 th century, with luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants, large shopping malls, theaters, art galleries, aerial tram, international airport, etc.
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ACTIVITIES IN QUITO (back to top)
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Quito City Tour
During the walking tour along Quito’s cobblestone streets we will have the chance to view buildings from the 16th to the 20th centuries. We’ll visit Independence Square where the Presidential Palace is located, and marvel at the ornate interior of the Baroque/Moorish Church of San Francisco as well as the golden interior of La Compañia church. The last part of our tour takes us far above the colonial section where the guardian of the city—the winged Virgin of Quito—keeps watch over her city. The view is spectacular, not only of the city far below but of the skyscraping Andes above and beyond. |
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Equatorial Monument
About 20 minutes away from the northern part of Quito stands the Middle of the Earth Monument, built to mark the meridian arch of the planet at 0º latitude—better known as the Equator—and to commemorate this surveying feat of the 18th century. It’s also the site of a small colonial replica town crowded with craft shops and restaurants. This excursion includes a visit to the marvelous Ethnographic Museum, which traces the history and archeology of Ecuador’s native peoples back to the Pleistocene. |
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The Aerial Tram
After a relaxed 10 minute ride up the mountain we reach an altitude of 4,050 meters, quite close to the summit of Pichincha volcano and the best location to see part of the Avenue of Volcanoes. We sit and enjoy the spectacular view of the city, its surrounding snow covered volcanoes: Cotopaxi, Antisana and Cayambe (over 5,750 meters); other volcanoes and mountains under 5,500 meters, as well as the fertile valleys with its agricultural fields between two Andean ranges. An impressive view complemented with restaurants, cafeterias, handcraft stores, and entertainment for everyone. |
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Museum Visits
Being home to some of the largest art collections in Latin America, Quito offers over 20 museums, some of them are part of convents and cloisters, holding almost exclusively religious art used even nowadays in processions; impressive public museums with exhibits going from archaeological to modern art, passing by pre-historical, ethnographic, colonial and gold artifacts collections, and private homes turned into museums, with exhibits of past elegant life- style or Modern Art exhibitions. |
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ACTIVITIES NEARBY QUITO |
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Otavalo, Peguche & Cotacachi Villages
Just two hours north of Quito lies the lush volcanic highlands with towering volcanoes and verdant slopes. This land is rich in friendly and colorfully attired indigenous people found on various villages. As we pass through the highlands, we’re treated to a sweeping views of Imbabura and Cotacachi Volcanoes rising above San Pablo and Cuicocha Lakes. Our first stop is the village of Peguche where native weavers demonstrate their craft, as they have for centuries. Then it is on to the Otavalo market, which dates back thousands of years and is famous throughout the Andes for its handicrafts, textiles and tapestries. We’ll also visit the food market with a colorful array of produce, spices and world-renown flowers. Lunch will be served at one of the local haciendas built between the 17th and 18th centuries with a typical Andean ambience. An alternative is a restaurant by San Pablo lakefront. We will also visit Cotacachi, home to Ecuador's finest leather craftsmen. This is a trip for those looking for colorful scenery, indigenous cultures and bargains. We return to your Quito hotel at the end of the trip or stay at one of the haciendas of the area.
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Cotopaxi National Park
South of Quito, standing tall among the 'Avenue of Volcanoes is Cotopaxi. At 19,348 ft (5,897 m) above sea level it is the highest active volcano in the world, and home to Cotopaxi National Park. The park offers a tundra-like environment and is surrounded by other volcanoes both active and extinct. The area offers good hikes with the opportunity to study its geology and flora and chances to see local fauna, including wild horses and the Andean Condor, the world's largest flying bird. Lunch will be served at one of the area’s historic haciendas or country inns. After a relaxed stroll in the region we’ll return to Quito or spend the night at a hacienda.
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Tandayapa Cloud Forest
Just an hour and a half north of Quito stands a primeval cloud forest set in the mountains above the Tandayapa River. Here a North American who used to work in the Monte Verde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica has discovered what could be the birders’ paradise of the world. Containing over 1/3 of the world's total species of hummingbirds, this area rivals—and may well surpass— in number of species, any single location in the world. If you want your bird species list to expand exponentially, this is a must visit.
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Antisana Ecological Reserve
Following the Cinnamon Trail that Francisco de Orellana took in 1542 in search of “ El Dorado” treasure, we detour to a private hacienda at the foothills of Antisana Volcano (5,753 m/19,000 ft). With 90,000 hectares as Ecological Reserve, it is one of the most important sanctuaries for a number of endangered species. The magnificent Andean condor, the spectacle bear, puma, paramo wolf, and others find protection here. Enjoy the magnificent landscape of a pristine páramo (a highland moor), visited only by special permit. Lunch will be served at a local hacienda or picnic-style, depending on the number of passengers.
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