Quito, Ecuador

I fell in love with this charming city! I've had the chance to visit most capitals in South America and in my opinion Quito is definitely the most beautiful. The buildings and stunning churches, monasteries, and convents in the Old City are impresive. Forget Old San Juan, Old Quito surpasses it in history, beauty, and size! It's spring-like climate, the landscapes, panorama, and glorious morning skies were spectacular.

Quito rates up in the top 5 cities of South America, and I have seen them all during my tenure with the State Department. Quito is a wonderful city to retire for an American. Quito offers climate that is hard to beat. It's layout in the Valley among the mountains is breathtaking and the Ocean is not far away for weekend getaways. IF you have not been to Ecuador, Quito must be on the list to visit. I am even thinking of opening up an American Barbeque/Grill restaurant in the near future. Perfectly timed for the relations between U.S. and Ecuadoreans.

the best in south america

the best city in southamerica.. good history.. great mountains around and quite safe...

Great city, the best old city in south american, quite safe and with nice mountains and vulcanos around it..

Great choice!!!!

Quito offers an excellent excuse to take a vacation to paradise and enjoy life. Ecuador itself is a photogenic peaceful country rich in diverse habitats from coast to mountain tundra. The environment simply is the best. Ecuador has good infrastructure: new roadways and bridges, communication, general services and good medical services, and excellent international and local airport access. The city of Quito (elevation 2,700 meters above sea level) is a cultural center with some of the most interesting historical destinations in all of Latin America, but without big city confusion. Scenic Quito, with it's perpetual spring time climate and the Andean ambiance, is nestled in a valley of snow capped volcanos. This habitat harbors countless species of colorful birds and wild flowers yet maintains its deep picturesque culture. Old Town in Quito and the new Quito Zoo are must see points as well. The Banco Central Centro de Cultura (Cultural Exhibition) and the adjoining museum full of Inca ... Read more

BEAUTIFUL CITY surrounded by white peaked mountains, is magic and friendly. At the heart of the old district can be found the largest historical center in Latin America, filled with wonderful colonial European Renaissance art treasures miked with the artistic flair of the indigenous and mestizo peoples, and rightly named by UNESCO a World Cultural Heritage site. The new metropolitan district of Quito has large avenues, good entertainment relaxing green areas and first class hotels. The food is very good too. As with any large city in the world you must ecercise good common sense, but the bottom line is that Quito is the best choice to get to know a little bit of Latin America. I'm planning to go back next year.

Great city.Can not beat the setting.Mount Pichinchas 9220 feet over looking the city.the colonial part.Which was declared by the United Nation as a World Cultural Heritage site.Like every big city it has its problems like poverty,traffic,and crime.This city is beautiful..

Crime rate is deplorable. Cops are afraid to go up that hill on the south side of town because the bad guys own it. The equatorial monument is ok. The most interesting thing about it is that it is located in the wrong place! The anthropological museum in the monument is world class. Really fabulous.

Quito is the standard base for most travelers as they explore Ecuador, and for good reason. The city itself is worth checking out (the colonial Old Town, the Museo del Banco Central) and there are some popular tourist destinations nearby (Mitad del Mundo, Otavalo, Cotopaxi). The Marsical Sucre area of New Town offers a wide array of services for travelers (laundry, Internet access, book stores, banks, nice restaurants, etc.) and is always full of tourists. But, partly for those reasons, Quito seemed more to me like a staging area for trips to more interesting places than a great destination in and of itself.

Like just about every Latin American capital, Quito is dirty and chaotic, and if you're coming from the U.S. or Europe, the degree of poverty may get you down. That said, it's a beautiful city. Ecuadoreans tend to be decent, the older parts of the city are charming, and the surrounding mountains are beautiful. When I was last there in the early nineties, it seemed quite safe, but I've heard that kidnappings have increased, so use common sense.

Be sure to visit the equator right outside the city when there too. Nice monument sits right on the equator line... pretty cool to see. Historical parts of the city are interesting as well.

Neat city -- check out the older areas, which retain a sort of colonial charm.