Planning a trip to Quito
Arriving
By Plane -- All flights into Quito land at the Aeropuerto Internacional Mariscal Sucre (tel. 02/2944-900; www.quiport.com; airport code: UIO). The airport is about 8km (5 miles) from the heart of New Town. Right before you exit the international terminal, you'll find several information desks. I recommend ordering and paying for your taxi here, then taking your receipt to one of the many taxis waiting outside the terminal. Taxis shouldn't cost more than $9 (£6). In fact, most rides to downtown hotels are around $6 (£4). You will find yellow taxis waiting as you exit anywhere in the airport.
By Bus -- The Terminal Terrestre de Cumandá (tel. 02/2571-163), located on the edge of Old Town, is the main bus station in Quito. A long line of taxis is usually waiting at the arrivals area. A taxi to New Town should cost around $6 (£4); to Old Town, the fare should be only $2 to $3 (£1.35-£2). If you don't have much luggage, you can take the Trole (trolley) into the heart of Quito. From the terminal, you have to walk up a serious set of stairs to the Cumandá station. To get to both the Old and New Town, be sure to get on the Trole going toward LA Y (indicated on front of trolley and at station).
Visitor Information
The Corporación Metropolitana de Turismo (Metropolitan Tourism Corporation; tel. 02/2959-505; www.quito.com.ec) runs a few helpful information desks at strategic spots around Quito. You'll find one of their desks at the Mariscal Sucre Airport (tel. 02/2300-163), after you clear immigration and just before you exit Customs. This is a good place to pick up an excellent free map of Quito, as well as a host of promotional materials. Their main office (tel. 02/2570-786) is in Old Town, at the corner of García Moreno and Mejía (in the Palacio Municipal). These folks also have desks at the Museo Nacional del Banco Central and at the Telefériqo.
The nonprofit South American Explorers (tel. 02/2225-228; www.saexplorers.org/quito.htm), Jorge Washington 311, at the corner of Leonidas Plaza, is perhaps the best source for visitor information and a great place to meet fellow travelers. The offices are staffed by native English-speakers who seem to know everything about Ecuador. Membership costs $50 (£33) a year per person ($80/£53 per couple). Members have access to trip reports (reviews of hotels, restaurants, and outfitters throughout Ecuador written by fellow travelers) and a trip counselor. If you aren't a member, the staff can give you basic information that will get you on your way.
Local travel agencies are excellent sources of information. Metropolitan Touring (tel. 02/2988-200; www.metropolitan-touring.com), Safari Ecuador (tel. 02/2552-505; www.safari.com.ec), and Surtrek (tel. 866/978-7398 in the U.S. and Canada, or 02/2231-534 in Ecuador; www.surtrek.com) are some of the best and most helpful.
Orientation
Quito is a long and thin city set in a long and thin valley. It runs 35km (22 miles) from north to south and just 5km (3 miles) from east to west. Most of the city's attractions are located in two areas: Old Town and New Town. Old Town, at the southern end of the city, is where you'll find most of the historic churches, museums, and colonial architecture. New Town, which is sort of the center of the city, has the greatest concentration of restaurants, bars, shops, and hotels.
Warning: All parts of Quito can be dangerous at night. Avoid dark and deserted areas, and take taxis, even when traveling relatively short distances.
Breaking the Code -- Feeling a little bewildered by Quito's street-address system? Well, you should be. While it's actually pretty logical, there are plenty of anomalies and certain addresses that correspond to a previous system. To add to the confusion, Ecuadoreans only occasionally use the calle (street) and avenida (avenue) designation. More often than not, addresses are given with the street or avenue's name, but no indication if it's a street or avenue. Introduced in 1998, the capital's newer street-numbering system is prefixed by one of the following letters: N, indicating that the street is situated north (norte) of Calle Rocafuerte in Old Town; S, meaning south (sur) of Old Town; or E, indicating east (este) and OE, meaning west (oeste), depending on which side of 10 de Agosto the street is located. A hyphenated number follows, and then the name of the nearest cross-street or avenue. The first of these hyphenated numbers is actually the building number, while the second number indicates the number of meters the house or building is from the cross-street. For example, González Suárez N27-142 and 12 de Octubre. The building would be found on González Suárez street, north of Calle Rocafuerte. The building number is "27," and it is roughly 142m (466 ft.) from Avenida 12 de Octubre. This new street-numbering system has principally been adopted in the north of the city, and has proven difficult to implement in the south, owing to the nonperpendicular streets. Addresses in Old Town may have neither a letter indicator nor a hyphenated number, although the nearest cross street will always be given. Both address systems are currently in use. Luckily, just about every taxi driver in Quito can find any address using either the new or old system.
Neighborhoods in Brief
Most visitors will not venture far from Old Town and New Town, except to head out of the city, or to and from the airport, which lies in the heart of northern Quito.
Old Town
Close to the southern extreme of downtown Quito lies Old Town. Also called El Centro Histórico (Historic Center), this is the colonial-era core of Quito. Much of it has survived over the centuries, almost unchanged. Here you will find Quito's classic old churches, theaters, monasteries, and convents. Popular public plazas include the Plaza de la Independencia, Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza de Santo Domingo, and Plaza del Teatro. Although Old Town is hilly in places, it's easy to walk around this compact area and visit its major attractions on foot.
On the southern extreme of Old Town is the Terminal Terrestre de Cumandá, Quito's main bus terminal. And just to the southwest of Old Town is El Panecillo, a high hill crowned with a large sculpture of a winged Virgin.
New Town
New Town is located south of Parque La Carolina and north of Parque El Ejido. As the name suggests, this is a modern and mostly upscale section of Quito, with many of the city's better hotels. New Town's main commercial street is Avenida Amazonas, where a host of banks and travel agencies are located.
La Mariscal, a subsection of New Town, is where you will find a dense concentration of clubs, bars, restaurants, Internet cafes, and backpacker hotels -- the area is informally referred to as Gringolandia because of its popularity with tourists. Plaza Foch (also called Plaza del Quinde) is ground zero for La Mariscal district. La Mariscal is bounded by Avenida Amazonas, Calle Luis Cordero, Avenida 6 de Diciembre, and Calle Ventimilla.
La Floresta lies just to the east of La Mariscal, across Avenida 12 de Octubre and up a small rise. It's an upscale section of downtown with a mix of high-rise apartments and condos, neo-colonial-style mansions, hotels, restaurants, and shops. The area gets its name from the former Urrutia family's Hacienda La Floresta that once occupied this area. La Universidad Católica (Catholic University) is located toward the southern end of La Floresta, while the Swissôtel Quito is at its northern edge.
North of New Town
While both Old Town and New Town lie toward the southern end of Quito's long, narrow valley, many of the city's two million inhabitants live north of New Town. This is also the area where much of the city's industry is located. The neighborhoods here are often crowded, poor, and working-class, and of little interest (and considerable danger) to most tourists. Exceptions include the trendy neighborhoods of Guapulo and Bellavista. The latter is where you find the Fundación Guayasamín and Capilla del Hombre.
The Mariscal Sucre International Airport is located north of New Town. But because the hotels of New Town are really just minutes away, there has been no real tourism or hotel development right near the airport. In fact, the area around the airport is mostly industrial and run-down.
The other main attraction and the geographic heart and civic soul of the area north of New Town is Parque La Carolina, a large, well-kept city park, with a host of facilities for sports and recreation.
Getting Around
By Taxi
The streets of Quito swarm with taxis -- my preferred means of transport here. Taxis are cheap, costing only $1 to $3 (65p-£2) for a ride within the Old or New Town and $4 to $6 (£2.65-£4) for longer distances. Drivers are required by law to use a meter, but it's obviously not a strict law because few taxis use them. If the taxi has a meter (taxímetro), insist that the driver use it. Alternatively, ask your hotel desk or a trusty local what your ride should cost and negotiate an appropriate price beforehand. Quito can be dangerous at night, so it's best to take a taxi wherever you go, no matter how short the distance. The staff at most restaurants, hotels, and bars will be happy to call a cab for you. In case you need to call one yourself, try City Taxi (tel. 02/2633-333), Taxi Amigo (tel. 02/2222-222), or Taxi Express (tel. 02/2500-600).
By Trolley
Three electric trolley lines run north-south through Quito, connecting Old Town with New Town. In New Town, the Trole runs along Avenida 10 de Agosto, which is a few blocks west of Avenida Amazonas. When it reaches Old Town, it travels along Avenida Guayaquil. To reach Plaza de la Independencia, be sure to get off at the Plaza Grande stop. The Ecovía is much more convenient if you want to start your journey in New Town; it runs along Avenida 6 de Diciembre, one of the major streets. Unfortunately, when it reaches Old Town, it stops several blocks east of the colonial core, and it's a bit of an uphill hike to the heart of the action. If you want to avoid this hike, transfer to the Trole at the Simón Bolívar stop. Metrobus is the third line, and it runs along the western edge of town, along Avenida América. All three of these trolley lines cost 25¢ (15p) for a one-way trip. The turnstiles accept only exact change, but fortunately all stations have change machines. Trolleys run from around 5am until midnight. Warning: Pickpockets frequently operate on crowded trolleys and buses, so be careful.
By Bus
Quito has an extensive and very complicated system of city buses. In New Town, buses run along Avenida Amazonas and Avenida 12 de Octubre. If you're only going a short distance along these streets, it's easy to hop on a bus (just flag it down). But beware: Once you pass Avenida Colón, the buses go off in many convoluted directions. Short rides cost 25¢ (15p). Overall, it's much easier to travel through Quito by taxi, which is inexpensive and safe, and will take you exactly where you need to go.
On Foot
Besides walking around specific and compact neighborhoods or circuits, such as Old Town or the Mariscal section of New Town, Quito is not a friendly city for walkers. Most of the streets are in a state of near-constant gridlock; sidewalks are narrow and irregular; and car and bus fumes, along with street crime, are real problems. Luckily, taxis are plentiful and very inexpensive.
By Car
I highly discourage you from renting a car to get around Quito. Navigating a strange city is difficult enough, and many of Quito's streets are narrow and in a nearly constant state of gridlock. Moreover, taxis are plentiful and inexpensive.
If you're set on renting a car in Quito, Budget (tel. 02/3300-979; www.budget-ec.com) and Hertz (tel. 02/2254-257; www.hertz.com) have offices downtown and at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport; cars can also be delivered to most hotels in Quito. Car rentals will run you $25 to $90 (£15-£60) per day, depending on the type of vehicle.
Fast Facts
American Express -- In Ecuador, American Express travel services is represented by Global Tours (tel. 02/2265-222; www.globaltour.com.ec), located on Av. República El Salvador 309 and Calle Suiza.
Babysitters -- Your hotel front desk is your best bet for finding a babysitter.
Banks -- You'll have no trouble finding a bank in Quito. Branches are common all over the city, especially in the more affluent and touristy areas. Numerous bank branches and ATMs can be found in the popular Mariscal and Old Town areas.
Bookstores -- Café Libro (tel. 02/2234-265; www.cafelibro.com), Leonidas Plaza N23-56, and Libri Mundi (tel. 02/2521-606; www.librimundi.com), Juan León Mera N23-83 and Wilson, are the two best bookstores in Quito. Both have excellent selections of tropical biology, bird, and flora books, as well as books on Ecuadorean history and culture, in both English and Spanish. For a wide selection of used books in English, Confederate Books (tel. 02/2527-890), Calama 410 and Juan León Mera, is your best bet. Also check out Mr. Books (tel. 02/2980-821), on the third floor of the Mall El Jardín.
Cellphones -- There are several competing cellphone companies in Ecuador. All have numerous outlets and dealers across the city, including at the airport, and all these outlets and dealers sell prepaid GSM chips that can be used in any unlocked triband GSM cellphone, as well as new phones with or without calling plans. If you're not carrying your own GSM phone, you are probably best off just buying one. Scores of storefronts around town, including those at the airport, sell already activated phones, with a few dollars of calling time loaded onto the chip. After that you simply buy prepaid minutes at any cellphone or pharmacy store around the country. The cheapest of these phones costs around $36 (£24), activated and ready to go, with $3 (£2) of calling time included.
The main cellphone companies in Ecuador are Porta, Movistar, and Alegro. According to my Ecuadorean friends, Porta and Movistar have the best coverage.
Currency Exchange -- The U.S. dollar is the official currency of Ecuador. If you have euros, pounds, Canadian dollars, or any other currency, your best bet is to exchange them for dollars prior to leaving for Ecuador. However, all the major banks in Ecuador will exchange the major currencies for dollars, for a small service fee. And most ATMs in Ecuador will give you dollars at the official exchange rate, even if your home account is in another currency.
Dentists -- Call your embassy for a list of recommended dentists, or check out the Consular Section of the website of the U.S. Embassy in Quito (www.usembassy.org.ec), which recommends local dentists as well.
Doctors -- Contact your embassy for information on doctors in Quito, or check out the Consular Section of the website of the U.S. Embassy in Quito (www.usembassy.org.ec), which has a list of recommended doctors and specialists. You can also head to one of the major hospitals in town.
Drugstores -- A drugstore or pharmacy is called a farmacia in Spanish. Fybeca is the largest chain of pharmacies in Ecuador. You can call Fybeca's toll-free line (tel. 1800/2392-322) 24 hours a day for home delivery.
Emergencies -- In case of an emergency, call tel. 911 or 101. You can reach an ambulance at tel. 09/2739-801 or 02/2442-974. For the tourist police call tel. 02/2543-983; the headquarters are located at Roca and Reina Victoria. You can reach the Cruz Roja (Red Cross) by dialing tel. 131.
Express Mail Services -- Most hotels can arrange for express mail pickup. Alternatively, you can contact DHL (tel. 02/3975-000; www.dhl.com), Fed Ex (tel. 02/6017-818; www.fedex.com), EMS (tel. 02/2561-962; www.correosdelecuador.com.ec), or UPS (tel. 02/3960-000; www.ups.com).
Eyeglasses -- Look for the word óptica. There are ópticas all over Quito. Your best bet is to ask your hotel concierge or manager. Optica Los Andes (tel. 1800/678-422; www.opticalosandes.com.ec) is the largest chain, with storefronts across the city. Or head to Cyber Optic (tel. 02/2285-747), on Venezuela N2-74, or Multióptica (tel. 02/2225-777), on Reina Victoria N26-146. Just about any óptica can do everything from eye exams to eyeglass repairs.
Hospitals -- Hospital Vozandes (tel. 02/2262-142; www.hospitalvozandes.org; Villalengua 267 and 10 de Agosto) and Hospital Metropolitano (tel. 02/2261-520; www.hospitalmetropolitano.org; Mariana de Jesús and Occidental) are the two most modern and best-equipped hospitals in Quito. Both have 24-hour emergency service and English-speaking doctors.
Internet Access -- Internet cafes can be found all over Quito, particularly in the Mariscal and Old Town neighborhoods. Rates run 50¢ to $1.50 (35p-£1) per hour. Many hotels either have their own Internet cafe or allow guests to send and receive e-mail. A few are starting to add wireless access, either for free or for a small charge.
Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- Most folks rely on their hotel's laundry and dry-cleaning services, although these can be expensive. Alternatively, head to the Mariscal district, where there are several self-serve and full-service Laundromats. Try Rainbow Laundry (tel. 02/2237-128), on Juan León Mera 1337 and García, or Wash & Go (tel. 02/2230-993), on Pinto 340 and Juan León Mera.
Maps -- The Corporación Metropolitana de Turismo (Metropolitan Tourism Corporation; tel. 02/2959-505; www.quito.com.ec) hands out excellent city maps of Quito at all of their desks, including one at Mariscal Sucre Airport (tel. 02/2300-163), located just before you leave the immigration and Customs area. Other map sources in Quito include hotel gift shops and bookstores.
Photographic Needs -- Film is generally more expensive in Ecuador, so bring as much as you will need from home. I also recommend that you wait to have your film processed at home, but if you must develop your prints down here, or if you need to pick up film, batteries, or storage cards, try Ecuacolor (tel. 02/2254-420; www.ecuacolor.com), Fujifilm (tel. 02/2551-275), or Fotogermana (tel. 02/2520-382), all of which have numerous outlets around town.
Police -- Throughout Ecuador, you can reach the police by dialing tel. 101 in an emergency. The tourist police (tel. 02/2543-983 in Quito) can also help sort out your problems.
Post Office -- The main post office (tel. 02/2561-218) is located in New Town at Av. Eloy Alfaro 354 and 9 de Octubre. There's also a convenient post office in Old Town (tel. 02/2959-875) on Calle Espejo 935, between Guayaquil 935 and Espejo. Perhaps the most conveniently located post office is on the ground floor of the Torres de Almagro Building, on the corner of Avenida Cristóbal Colón and Reina Victoria (tel. 02/2508-890). Most post offices in Ecuador are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 12:30pm and 2:30 to 6pm, and Saturday from 8am to 2pm. It costs 90¢ (60p) to mail a letter to the United States or Canada, and $1.20 (80p) to Australia and Europe. From time to time, you can buy stamps at kiosks and newsstands. But your best bet is to see if your hotel will provide stamps and post your mail, or do it yourself at the post office, especially because there are no public mailboxes.
Restrooms -- These are known as sanitarios or servicios sanitarios or servicios higiénicos. The latter usage is often abbreviated as "S.S.H.H." You might also hear them called baños. They are marked damas (women) and hombres or caballeros (men). Public restrooms are rare to nonexistent, but most big hotels and public restaurants will let you use their restrooms.
Safety -- Pickpocketing and petty crime are problems in Quito. But if you keep an eye on your belongings and exercise caution, you should be fine. Never put anything valuable in your backpack. Also be careful on all public buses and trolleys. At night, Quito can be dangerous, especially in the touristy areas -- take a taxi, even if you're only going a short distance. Because the streets in Quito are often deserted at night, I recommend walking in the middle of them to prevent someone from jumping at you from a hidden doorway. Report all problems to the tourist police office, on Roca and Reina Victoria (tel. 02/2543-983).
Taxes -- All goods and services are charged a 12% value-added tax. Hotels and restaurants also add on a 10% service charge, for a total of 22% more on your bill. There is an airport departure tax of $41.80 (£27.87).
Time Zone -- Quito is on Eastern Standard Time, 5 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Daylight saving time is not observed.
Useful Telephone Numbers -- For directory assistance, call tel. 104; for a local operator dial tel. 105; and for an international operator, call tel. 116.
Water -- Always drink bottled water in Ecuador. Most hotels provide bottled water. The better restaurants use ice made from boiled water, but always ask, to be on the safe side.
Weather -- At 2,850m (9,350 ft.), Quito enjoys consistently mild to cool temperatures year-round. Daytime high temperatures average 18° to 21°C (64°-70°F), while evening lows average 7° to 13°C (45°-55°F). As with much of the rest of the Andean highlands, Quito experiences two distinct seasons: dry (June-Sept) and wet (Oct-May). The dry season is called summer (verano), the wet season winter (invierno). There's also a so-called "little summer" throughout much of December and early January. April is the rainiest month.
