Quito, Ecuador was even better than we expected

Quito was not what we expected. It was, in so many ways, so much more. We were anticipating a large city and it was. Also, we expected very temperate weather – and it was. We also were anticipating friendly and enthusiastic people and they were. What we hadn’t anticipated was how comfortable and beautiful and scenic the city was and just how much to see and do there was. In this post we’ll share with you our very active, interesting journey of our time in Quito, Ecuador and why it was even better than we expected.

Arrival

We arrived to Quito very late at night. We had been flying all day from Victoria – Vancouver – Houston and then arriving in Quito. Passport and Immigration were smooth. The airport, however, was very busy. We found out later that a lot of visitor flights from North America arrive late in the evening between 10 PM and 4 AM. We picked up our baggage and came out of customs and were met by our Celebrity Cruise representatives. As mentioned in previous posts, the Celebrity Galapagos Cruises are basically all-inclusive cruises. From arrival at the airport to departure from Quito you are looked after by Celebrity Cruises. After collecting the eight of us they were waiting we then took off to the shuttle that was to take us into Quito.

Airport Location and Driving in to Quito

The location of the airport in relation to the city of Quito is quite a distance. Previously the airport had been located in the centre of the city of Quito. The city is in the valley between volcanos so it made for a tricky place to land and take off from. And, the weather could be quite unpredictable due to the altitude. The move of the airport out of town approximately 45 minutes meant that more air traffic could be pushed reliably through the airport and also meant that there wouldn’t be as many cancellations due to whether conditions for the airport.

The drive in is a scenic one. We didn’t see it our first night, but we did on subsequent drives out to the airport. The view is largely of residential and industrial developments. These contain their bustling industry of exporting Ecuadorian roses around the world. You climb steadily to the city of Quito. At 2,850 m (9,350 ft) above sea level, Ecuador’s dramatic capital city is the second highest in the world after Bolivia’s La Paz. As you climb you see ever expanding vistas and valleys that go out to other cities and regions within the country of Ecuador.

As soon as you arrive in Quito, you know it! There are buildings everywhere, and it was even bigger and better than we expected!

Quito – the unexpected

The old quarter of Quito (not to be confused with the Historic Center) is well-maintained and full of interesting sites both tourist and locally focused. The hotel we stayed in, the JW Marriott (see below)was within walking distance of many of great sites and activities. Quito is a narrow and long city. From north to south it is quite long and it is narrow east to west. It sits between the volcanic mountains around it.

Two key areas outside of old town to get a visual lay of the land include the Virgin of the Panecillo, and Parque Itchimbía.

Even further field (if you haven’t rented a car, either hop on a tour or hire a car is a visit to the Intinan Equator Museum. There are two actual locations for the equator. One is the old one, Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, and the new one which is the actual equator line at the equator museum. The Intinan museum is a great way to learn a lot about Ecuador, the equator, the indigenous population and its evolution over the course of colonization, and population of the area, and Ecuador as well; you can also just have a lot of fun!

Check out our YouTube post on some of the fun we enjoyed while there. This museum is approximately 30 minutes outside of central Quito, but the drive is a pleasant one going through a lot of middle class and upper middle class residential areas and seeing the evolving architecture of the area as well as to see the beautiful views of the city from these regions as you climb out of the valley and into other areas on the plateau outside of Quito.

Accommodation 

We enjoyed the same accommodation for two nights prior to our Celebrity Galapagos cruise on the Flora and three nights following our cruise. The JW Marriott in the old town of Quito was well located and well equipped to accommodate our every need. On our first two nights we were in a deluxe room, and in our last three nights we were in a One Bedroom King Suite. The Marriott has a number of restaurants available, which I note below in the eat section. They also have a lot of shopping available on site which you can see from their website. Don’t forget to provide your Marriott number so you get your points. And as with the airport and all hotels are around the world it’s a 24×7 operation and there are always people around able to help you.

Transportation 

Given the amount of time to get into Quito from the airport, a transfer is a good idea. Either car rental, a driving service or transit would all make the 45 minutes more manageable. Check out Rome2rio for some ideas on this if you don’t have a prescheduled tour arranged as we did.

Within Quito itself, transportation to and from activities is dependent on time of day and day of week. Be thoughtful in your planning and take into account the recommendations of the locals.

Walking

From JW Marriott we were largely discouraged from walking to/from anywhere in the area after 6pm when the sun went down. There are some obvious reasons: not knowing the language, not knowing the area, and being in the middle of a high car traffic area. There are other reasons as well: crime and there are homeless to take into account. During the day, walking to the El Jardin Mall was absolutely fine – and faster than the car traffic! Walking through La Carolina park across the street from the mall during the day was also wonderful – a lot of locals enjoying coffee/lunch, along with some park workers and dog walkers made for a very active park!

Taxis

These are very inexpensive in Quito and recommended for any jaunts in the evening to restaurants or other parts of town for activities. Keep in mind that rush hour occurs everywhere, and dependent on where you are staying, the taxis may take some time to get where you want to go.

Tours

These are great for getting you around the city and to different attractions in Quito. There is a local HOHO – hop on hop off – bus: the Quito Tour Bus. I’ve heard it is wonderful. I’m thinking some of the roads in old town would be very interesting to ride in a double decker! We had more than enough fun on these older cobblestone roads in our 16 seater van.

Activities 

City, sights tours, other activities

Quito was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 9350 feet. It has one of the best preserved historic centres in Latin America. There was a lot to see and do in the city, and this post shares a snapshot. Other options can been seen on Tripadvisor, Viator and so on.

Following everyone’s arrival at the JW Marriott for the Celebrity Flora Galapagos cruise, a Quito City Tour was provided. This was a full 7 hour city tour including lunch that had us visit or see:

• San Francisco Monastery
• Santo Domingo Monastery
• Church and Jesuit College of La Campania, and,
• a variety of beautiful city parks and landmarks

Other options for activities include food tours, walking tours of the Historic Old Town, and, visits to the Intinan Equator Museum.

Shopping

Shopping is available everywhere. Not only are their street vendors, but, if you ask around, you can easily find the markets to get the very same alpaca wool blankets, ponchos and scarves, along with the requisite t-shirts for everyone back home. La Mariscal Artisan Market (noted above) is row after row of vendors, and it’s really up to you to determine who you want to buy from. Many have very similar products, and some have similar pricing. It’s all in the negotiations!

Ecuador is also known for its coffee – in fact it’s grown in the Galapagos. It supports the local farmers and is very well known for its high quality, sweet taste and fragrant aroma. You can buy coffee at the local supermarkets, or from the tourist stores or at the airport.

Chocolate is another premium shopping item in Ecuador. You will find chocolate tasting stores – Cacao & Cacao for example – which encourage you to taste while you enjoy your special coffee drink! We really enjoyed this experience and it was amazing to do a comparison across so many different chocolate types.

Another item that had many of our new friends shopping was the panama hat! These hats originated in Ecuador.  Intricately woven with the toquilla palm, they are a much sought after souvenir!

Eat 

We were absolutely spoiled for choice for food while in Quito. We didn’t have any bad meals – I only wish we could have eaten more so we could have tried more places! Below are places we enjoyed –

JW Marriott

Botanica by Bistro Latino – we enjoyed our breakfasts here each day. Excellent coffee, baked goods, omelettes and eggs made to order, french toast, and a huge amount of fresh local fruit. There was much more this is just a sample of what we ate! We also enjoyed one late dinner here. The squash soup was excellent and the pasta was extremely good.

Kaori Sushi Bar – on the main level directly across from guest services, this bar and sushi bar was large and very typical for an international hotel. The sushi was above average and we enjoyed the wines and drinks as well. A little on the pricey side, but, you are in a hotel after all!

Meet Gourmet – very good (like, VERY good) charcuterie and cheese trays, which we received as a part of paying corkage on a bottle of white wine from the wine store across the hall! We found out about this from the wine store owner – 1) select the bottle you would like to drink, 2) purchase it, 3) take it over to Meet Gourmet and ask for it be opened, 4) receive glasses, they open the bottle, and for the $13 corkage, they provide a lovely cheese / charcuterie tray with crackers!

Zazu

Very close to the hotel, this Relais & Chateaux Restaurant is very sleek and modern. We had read about it on Cruise Critic and it has great reviews so we gave it a try. Overall, very good, with fresh, local ingredients and good service. Our only complaint (if you can call it that) was the size of the servings – they were very large. Very tasty all the same.

La Gloria

We were taken to this Quito restaurant following our tour of the city. There was a select menu and wine available for our group. The food was excellent – braised meats (see below pic) along with fish and a pasta option. The wine included some excellent local options, including the Dos Hemisferios Travesia Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, which was of very good quality.

Summary

We very much enjoyed our time in Quito. The city was relatively easy to navigate, was clean, orderly, and had a lot of similar every day conveniences that we like to see when we travel. We stopped in at a pharmacy or two for some headache medication, and cold medication, and also into local coffee shops – they definitely have a coffee culture in Quito! The food and drink of Quito and the region was excellent – fresh and flavourful.

For more details on our time in Ecuador, check out Our Adventures in the Galapagos Islands, and our review of the Celebrity Flora! More of our travels are available on this blog – check out our travel feed –

Enjoy!