After 50+ hours in airports, we arrived in Quito, Ecuador, the starting point for our year and a half of travel. Ah, the joys of flying standby. I just had to keep reminding myself that we were saving enough money to travel for almost another month, which makes the temporary misery of sleep deprivation totally worth it. While our time in Quito was short, we still captured some important Quito travel tips to share with our fellow wanderers.
Since were arriving after midnight, and everything we had read on other travel blogs advised against trying to navigate Quito late at night, we stayed at a cozy little place by the airport, Hotel Alpachaca. It was about a $10 taxi ride (don’t be alarmed when they turn down a shady dirt road) and they were nice enough to make us our free breakfast at 11am the next morning when we finally awoke.
From Hotel Alpachaca we took a 45 minute cab ride to our hostel, Hostel Masaya, in Quito’s historical district. Now, as I write this, we are further along in our travels, so let me echo the sentiments of my fellow travelers who stayed at Hostel Masaya with Heather and me. Those sentiments being that it was the best place anyone had stayed in during their months of travel. Hostel Masaya is a beautifully converted old colonial house with courtyard, restaurant, bar, kitchen and reading area, not to mention the free morning yoga, chocolate tasting and tango lessons. For only $22 per night (for two of us combined) in a 6 person mixed dorm, it was a steal. More than anything, Hostel Masaya reminded me that it matters where you stay, especially if you want to meet and connect with fellow travelers, which is my favorite part of traveling.
Using Hostel Masaya as our base for our week in Quito, we were able to venture out into the historical district. Here are some of our favorite things that we did, or wished we would have done:
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Virgen del Panecillo
From the historical district it is roughly a 45 minute hike up through hillside neighborhoods to the Virgen del Panecillo, where the Virgin Mary is crushing the devil underfoot. From this monument, you get an amazing view of Quito and can appreciate how it sprawls throughout the valley for miles and miles. If you don’t want to walk for fitness reasons, or because Quito is roughly 9,350 feet above sea level, or to heed the local warnings about it being dangerous to cut through those neighborhoods, a taxi ride will only cost you a few dollars. Heather and I weren’t hassled at all and used the walk as our workout for the day.
Special Note: The locals boast with nationalistic pride about how it is higher than Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, but that is only because they are counting the base. The statues are actually the same exact height, but it’s not worth getting in the middle of their, you know what, measuring contest to disagree with them. 😉
Quito’s Plaza Grande
Our delicious fresh lunch from Fabolita
Plaza Grande is a great place to check out when you first get into the city. The are a lot of good restaurants to try out and Heather and I highly recommend Cafeteria Fabolita to try their traditional Ecuadorian food. After that, if you are craving an afternoon coffee, the Ktedral Cafteria is right around the corner from Fabiolita. I suggest their fabulous Mocaccino and sitting upstairs in the window overlooking the street so you can people watch. Both places had someone who spoke English well, so even if your Spanish is as bad as mine, they will be able to take care of you.
Special Note: If you walk up Chile street from Plaza Grande, you can find street vendors selling absolutely anything from women’s underwear to wet wipes. I might suggest buying the latter, as Ecuadorian toiletpaper seems to be made from cardboard and sandpaper.
Basilica del Voto Nacional de Quito
About 7 blocks up Venezuela Steet from Plaza Grande is the neo-Gothic Basilica del Voto Nacional. Whether you just want to grab a beer in the courtyard or go inside ($3 US) it is worth thetrip. If you do go inside, you should make the climb to the observation deck of the main tower where you will get a great view of the city and surrounding mountains.
Special Note: The basilica was started in 1892 and technically remains unfinished, most likely due to the superstition that once it is finished, the world will end. Let’s hope they keep it that way because Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck aren’t exactly in their prime anymore, so we would be toast.
TelefériQo
If you really want to challenge your lungs or you are an experienced mountain biker looking for a thrill, take a taxi up to Teleférico de Quito, a gondola that takes you to Pichincha Volcano. For $8.50 US per person (and a photo ID), it will take you up to almost 13,000 feet. You can roam around near the gondola and snap some photos, or you can hike the path up to the top of the volcano. However, this hike to over 15,000 feet is about 6 miles each way and not for beginners. Heather and I hiked up about a mile, a little past where the horseback riding rentals start, and then turned back, as we did not have the gear or training to attempt a summit. If you are interested in summiting please see this post from TravelOutlandish.
Special Note: The good news is that the Ecuadorian police have cleared out the bandits who were robbing people on this trail, so, hey, we got that going for us.
La Ronda
Sneaking out the back kitchen door at Hostel Masaya will put you on La Ronda, a back alley full of restaurants and shops. It is a great place to grab dinner or to try traditional Ecuadorian drinks like canelazo, a warm cinnamon spiced cocktail. If you like sweet, this is the drink for you. And by sweet, I mean really really sweet. If you are going to eat, you should try the llapingachos, although you can find this dish cheaper elsewhere in the city.
Special Note: Beware any place offering live music at night. It’s not that the music is bad, it’s just that they will charge you about $2 per person on your bill without telling you. I guess it’s just their version of a cover charge.
Cotopaxi
Lastly, Heather and I did not have time to hike Cotopaxi Volcano, but our new German friends from Hostel Masaya did and loved it. Like with Pichincha, make sure you are in shape to hike on Cotopaxi as you will get up to roughly 16,500 feet above sea level. However, unlike Pichincha, you wont be doing this alone, as you are required to go with a tour. Make sure you shop around for a good price as tour prices seem to vary highly.
Even though Quito was a quick hit for us, we couldn’t have had a better introduction to South America. Take a look at our other Ecuador posts to find out why you can’t miss Puerto Lopez and to see if Isla de la Plata is really worth visiting!
Also, check out my Practical Packing Guide for South America: the Female List (Men, don’t feel bad, yours is coming soon!)
