Trip to Ecuador. Part 1. Quito. March, 2025

This was our first trip to Latin America, and the choice of country was not accidental. I’ll talk more about that later. But, jumping ahead a little, I can already say that we absolutely loved Ecuador. First of all, visiting the equator itself is pretty impressive (in the photo below, you can see the line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres). Secondly, the country is incredibly beautiful: a wonderful climate (eternal spring), Amazon jungles, majestic waterfalls, volcanoes, mountains hidden in the clouds, and delicious food. But let’s start from the beginning 

I’ll start with some travel tips.

When is the best time to visit Ecuador

The climate in Ecuador varies depending on the region. In highland areas, such as the capital Quito, temperatures range from 15 to 25°C. In the evening, at night, and early in the morning it can be significantly colder than during the day. On the coast and in the Amazon region, the climate is more humid, and in spring and summer you are more likely to experience rain. We noticed that both the temperature and the weather itself can change several times a day. That’s why locals always carry light jackets with them.

Safety

We heard a lot about crime in South American countries, and Ecuador in particular. Yes, we were a bit worried. Ecuadorians themselves warned us that phones can be snatched from your hands, especially in tourist areas. But where is it truly safe these days? Unfortunately, this is a problem in many big cities. The further we were from the city center and tourist spots, the more relaxed we felt. In the center, we simply kept a tight hold on our bags and phones :)

Accommodation

In Ecuador there are hotels of different levels, as well as Airbnb options. I’ll share links to the places where we stayed.

Transport

Renting a car doesn’t really make sense. Taxis and Uber are quite cheap, and between cities you can travel by intercity buses.

Currency and prices

The currency is the US dollar, and it’s best to bring cash with you. In most places cash is preferred, although in more upscale places you can also use a credit card. If you run out of cash, you can easily withdraw money from ATMs — they are everywhere. Change is often given in small local coins equivalent to the US dollar. Ecuador is a very affordable and budget-friendly country.

Mobile connection

Changing a SIM card is not that simple. You can buy one almost anywhere, but you can’t activate it yourself — it requires an authorization process. That’s why you should buy a SIM in mobile phone stores that also provide service. The seller will make a few calls and activate it for you.

Language

Spanish. Almost no one speaks English, including taxi drivers. Tour guides and some tourist attractions are the exception.

Altitude sickness

The capital of Ecuador, Quito, is located at an altitude of almost 3,000 meters above sea level. And if you go up into the mountains or volcanoes, the elevation can reach up to 6,000 meters. I know that many people need a couple of days to acclimatize, and some take special medication. We didn’t have any issues, but when climbing uphill, we were out of breath after just 10–20 meters… but slowly we pushed through these challenges.

We spent 8 days in Ecuador. We managed to see a lot, but honestly, it wasn’t enough time to fully enjoy all the beauty of this amazing country.

Day 1

There are no direct flights from Toronto to Quito. We flew through Panama (Copa Airlines). The flight to Panama takes about 5 hours, and from Panama to Quito another 2 hours. We took a taxi and from the airport went straight to the heart of the Old Town. Here we stayed in a very unusual hotel — Casa Alquimia. You ring the bell, the owner opens the heavy metal gates, and you find yourself almost in a museum. Just look at it

Every corner was decorated with antiques. We had never seen such a large collection of interesting vintage items or such attention to detail… Since we were advised not to walk around after dark, we went to sleep early so we could start our vacation the next morning.

Day 2

A delicious breakfast at the hotel, accompanied by music playing from a record player

Freshly squeezed juice was always served with breakfast — and even with dinner. We stopped by a small shop and bought a SIM card for our phone. Now we could finally stay connected with the world.

Here are a few interesting facts about Quito:

• It is one of the highest capital cities in the world (2,850 meters above sea level), located right in the middle of the Andes, just 24 kilometers from the equator.

• Quito is one of the oldest Indigenous cities. It was the first city in the world to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

• The city stretches across a valley between volcanoes for about 60 km from north to south.

• In the historic center of Quito, all streets are named after countries and cities of South America.

We wandered a bit through the streets. In the distance, we could see a statue on a hill. We took a taxi and after about 10 minutes of driving uphill, we reached the base of the Virgin Mary statue. It sits on Quito’s main viewpoint (El Panecillo). Locals call it the Virgin of El Panecillo. The statue is taller than the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. It is 41 meters high, and even the hand alone is 6 meters long!

We made our way up to the viewpoint 

Then we headed to a volcano. Once again, we took a taxi, and about 20 minutes later we arrived at the slopes of Pichincha volcano. We took the TelefériQo cable car and ascended to an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level 

Brave (or slightly reckless) travelers were hiking up the volcano on foot. For that, of course, it’s better to have proper hiking shoes — or at least a pair you don’t mind getting ruined :) 

The scenery was absolutely incredible. Time for a cappuccino with a local cheesecake at the Visitor Centre 

In the afternoon, we had a guided tour of the Old Town. It wasn’t our first time joining so-called free walking tours while traveling. The guides earn money through tips, so they really put in the effort. We booked a four-hour tour with a company called Freetour.

We met our guide near the Basilica del Voto Nacional. The basilica was built in the style of European Gothic cathedrals but adapted to local culture. For example, instead of gargoyles, you can see animals from the Galápagos Islands — dolphins, monkeys, pelicans, turtles, and more. The basilica is incredibly beautiful

We stroll through the streets of the city. It’s much easier walking downhill than uphill :) 

We step into a souvenir shop and try Ecuadorian vodka 

And here are the “dog poop.” In reality, it’s a corn-based snack. There are many different varieties of them in Ecuador 

A whole separate topic is Ecuadorian chocolate. Ecuador is one of the largest cocoa producers in the world, and its chocolate is famous for its high quality and unique flavors. The taste of the chocolate depends on the region where the cocoa is grown. We didn’t really see chocolate in supermarkets, but we tried it in many specialty shops. And it truly is very delicious.

Our guide takes us to one of these chocolate stores. After that, we make a stop at a small restaurant and try a traditional hot drink called canelazo (a mix of fruit juice, sugar, cinnamon, and alcohol).

Fruits in Ecuador are also a whole separate topic. Later I’ll show a market where you can buy any tropical fruit for ridiculously low prices. But for now, here is one of the fruit vendors. You can see women like her on almost every corner. Any bag of fruit costs $1 

We step into some cozy courtyards. Here they have an interesting restaurant concept — the higher the floor, the more expensive the food. We try popular Ecuadorian candies with alcohol (we didn’t really like them) 

We arrive at the city’s main square — Plaza de la Independencia. We pass the Church and Convent of La Compañía de Jesús. The exterior of the church is quite modest, but inside it is completely covered in gold decoration. It was a public holiday, and there was a huge line outside for a concert taking place inside. We then head up to one of the rooftops

It’s time for dinner. We head to the street La Ronda. There are many small restaurants serving local food.

We really wanted to try a huge empanada. You can choose from three sizes, and the largest one was about 30 cm/12 inches in diameter! We ordered a ball-shaped empanada filled with minced meat and cheese, as well as a traditional potato soup with avocado and cheese (locro de papas)

The next day we will move to a completely different place — the town of Baños  — to dive into active adventures, enjoy breathtaking nature, and explore the Amazon jungle.

After that, we will return to Quito again. So I’ll skip ahead a few days and continue our exploration of Quito… This time, at a more relaxed pace, we’ll get to know the culture of the country, try local cuisine, visit several authentic markets, go to the equator, and even attend an award ceremony for the world’s best photographers!

Day 6

This time we stayed in an Airbnb apartment in the La Mariscal district. It’s a residential area in the north of the capital, about 10 minutes by car from the Old Town

There are quite a lot of accommodation options in the city, both hotels and apartments. Housing prices are very affordable. We had planned to occasionally buy groceries and cook at the apartment, but food prices were so low that we simply didn’t bother cooking.

We did stop by a supermarket anyway, just out of curiosity. We really liked the local yogurts — very tasty, but sold in huge containers

But as we understood, most people mainly buy their food at markets. We visited the market Mercado Santa Clara several times, because it was both beautiful and delicious. Take a look 

The fruits definitely impressed us the most, but the market also had all kinds of other products, as well as plants. Ecuadorians are big fans of various herbs and natural remedies for treating all kinds of illnesses 

And the flowers there are absolutely beautiful! It turns out that Ecuador is one of the world’s largest suppliers of roses. Thanks to its climate, which is ideal for flower cultivation, Ecuador exports a huge number of roses to various countries 

Back to the fruits again. They were absolutely amazing! We put together something like this at home, and then happily ate it for several days. And all of this cost us just $10 

Fruits, as well as other food, could be bought not only in supermarkets or at markets. There were sellers with their goods sitting on almost every corner. In the third photo, that is not ice cream — it’s marshmallow 

In the evening, we went to the Hilton hotel. A ceremony was being held there to honor the world’s best photographers. My husband made it to the finals (10 finalists from each country) and, together with the other finalists, represented Canada 

This and his other works can be viewed on his Instagram. Canada placed sixth among 60 participating countries. And although our photography team wasn’t very happy with this result, I think they did an amazing job. Their work was among the very best and was selected from thousands of submissions by top photographers from around the world. Representing your country at this level is already a huge achievement. And here are some celebratory dances :) 

Day 7

Yesterday we had a very emotionally intense day. At first, we were planning to take a tour to the town of Mindo. It is located in a cloud forest and is famous for its exotic plants, rare species of birds and butterflies, and incredibly beautiful nature. But since the town is 2–3 hours away from Quito, the excursion would have taken the entire day. And on this day, we simply felt like walking around the city at a relaxed pace.

To start, we went to the artisan market Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal. This is a place where tourists and locals can buy handmade crafts, souvenirs, textiles, jewelry, and traditional Ecuadorian goods

After that, we went to the equator, or as they call it, the “Middle of the World” (La Mitad del Mundo). This is probably the most iconic place in Ecuador — an imaginary line that divides the planet into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In the background is a monument marking the different directions of the world. Inside the monument there is a museum with various interesting exhibits. We saw many groups of schoolchildren. All the kids were wearing different uniforms and behaved very politely 

Весь комплекс как большой красивый парк, с сувенирными лавками и местами для отдыха 

With an obligatory chocolate shop as well 

We tried a wide variety of chocolates, and of course we left with some purchases. Around the park, you could ride a small train and also explore traditional huts and learn about the way of life of the Indigenous people 

The park also had the Ecuadorian Culture Museum (Intiñan). In addition to exhibits about the culture and lifestyle of ancient peoples, it also featured a series of experiments that demonstrate the influence of the equator line on natural forces.

We headed back home. Right next to our place, we once again noticed a huge line. We quickly checked what it was and found out they serve the best ceviche in the city. Of course, we couldn’t resist joining the queue.

Ecuadorian ceviche is a dish made with various seafood marinated in citrus juice, with tomatoes and vegetables, and then topped with different sauces and spices. It is served with banana chips, which you crush into the dish, and (at this specific place) also paired with popcorn.

My husband ordered ceviche with fish and shrimp, and I had fish, shrimp, squid, and octopus. It was absolutely delicious

But no matter how well we ate, by dinner time our appetite always came back :) We decided to visit a Michelin-level restaurant. The restaurant Zazu in Quito is considered one of the best fine dining places in the city. It offers modern Latin American cuisine with an emphasis on fresh seafood and high-quality local ingredients 

Day 8

Late in the evening today we were flying back to Toronto. There are no direct flights, so we traveled with a layover through Punta Cana (Arajet Airlines). But we still had a full day ahead of us.

At first, we planned to go to the famous Papallacta Hot Springs spa. However, the trip would have taken about an hour and a half each way, and we didn’t feel like having any adventures on our departure day. So we decided to return to the Old Town and simply walk around.

It was a public holiday, so the streets were slowly filling up with vendors, and in some courtyards there were already traditional folk dances and celebrations happening in the morning

We head to the San Francisco market — Mercado Municipal San Francisco. And we are not the only ones going there — these women are heading in the same direction too, each carrying her own goods 

We went to this market to see the shamans! At this oldest city market, you can meet shamans and traditional healers. For example, you might be asked to undress completely, like the girl in the photo below. Then you are thoroughly rubbed with nettles. Based on the redness and skin reactions, the shaman makes a diagnosis and then offers a whole range of treatments using various herbs and natural remedies 

We wandered through the streets for a long time, getting lost in the crowds of vendors selling everything imaginable, sometimes noticing that there were more sellers than actual buyers. We passed through already familiar squares, stepped into churches, and walked along small streets, admiring the street graffiti 

We stopped by stalls selling roses nearly a meter long, at ridiculously low prices 

And so our short but incredible trip to Ecuador came to an end. If we had more time, we would definitely have flown to the Galápagos Islands. But now we have a reason to come back to Ecuador :)