Country Article / Postcards

Heaven on Earth in Old Town Quito, Ecuador

Date: 09/10/2009 Author: Suzan Haskins

When Dan and I lived in Quito in 2002, venturing into the old colonial part of the city was risky business. “Only go during the day,” we were told. “And take a taxi there and back. Don’t walk in the back streets. And always carry your backpack in front and your wallet in your front pocket. Avoid crowds. Watch out for the hookers…”

On and on the warnings went. But, of course, back then we did go to Old Town, as the area is commonly called. It was just too beautiful to resist.

And besides one benign $40 pickpocketing incident on the trolley, we never encountered any problems. (We were actually pretty impressed by the skill and dexterity of the pickpocket "artist.")

In our years of travel, we’ve come to believe that all the warnings of crime and direness are a bit over the top (much like television news report these days…more than a bit sensationalist). But of course, it’s understandable. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say.

I’m happy to report, though, that on a recent weekend outing in Quito, we discovered a "new" Old Town. No hookers, no pickpockets. And the crowds were people like us, out to enjoy a Sunday afternoon in the sun amongst some of the world’s most extraordinary historical buildings and plazas. (Old Town Quito and Krakow, Poland were the very first Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO in 1978.)

“This reminds me of Rome,” our visiting friend from Mexico said. Admittedly, Old Town Quito does have a very European feel to it, thanks to the influence of Spanish colonialists who settled here in 1534.

The French influence is here, too. Balconies in front of the Government Palace overlooking the Independence Plaza are originally from the Palace of Les Tuilleries in Paris and were a gift from the French government just after the French Revolution.

There are numerous plazas like this in Old Town, with many, many churches.

Every one of those we ventured into during our Sunday visit was bustling with activity. One of the most famous of these is La Compañia, said to be the most beautiful church in the Americas. It’s definitely one of the most ornate. Seven tons of gold supposedly ended up on the ceiling, walls, and altars of its “Sixtene Chapel."

Ancient and historical religious art and artifacts can be found throughout Old Town in the many museums and art galleries. Take it from me, if you want to explore all that this area has to offer, you need to spend several days here.

My favorite spot in Old Town? Plaza San Francisco. On the day of our visit, group after group of performers took to a giant stage to show off their talents. We sat nearby and took it all in, enjoying a $2 cappuccino on the cobblestone patio at Café Tianquez beneath the Iglesia San Francisco. Heaven here on earth.

Editor's note: If you haven't yet seen our latest report on Ecuador, you're running out of time—it's on limited release, and in just one more day, it's off the table for good. Take a look before it's too late.