- Quito
- (28)
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Ecuador
Uncle Ho's is a small Vietnamese restaurant tucked away on a quiet street off the busy square in the middle of the tourist district of Quito.
Locals call it home and for good reason. You won't find better food such as Pho and traditional Vietnamese dishes anywhere else in South America.
The Irish expat owner makes sure that no one leaves without having some fun and keeps his regulars happy with music, movie, and sports nights complete with drink specials nightly. If you're travelling in Ecuador make sure you visit Uncle Ho's before heading out to the Galapagos or jungle.
166-E(-29 Jose Calama and Diego de Almagro La Mariscal, Quito, Ecuador
Google map: bit.ly/cVw00M
If you need a rest from refried beans and are willing to break the backpacker budget for the day, here are two tips on places to eat in Quito's new town which will satisfy any cravings for a taste of home. Start with lunch at Super Papa which serves tasty jacket potatoes with any filling imaginable. In the evening feast on traditional fish and chips in the cosy and authentic Queen Victoria British pub.
Super Papa, Juan Leon Mera
Reina Victoria, Reina Victoria y Roca
I noticed they have a great variety of topics about this beautiful country. They also have maps, pictures and a donations section.
Every second Sunday Quito closes a 10km route to traffic and thousands of recreational cyclists take to the streets. Cyclists - you can hire bikes and helmets to join in this fun event for all the family.
Fundacion Ciclopolis
Equinoccio y Queseras del Medio, Quito
593 2 3226502
www.ciclopolis.ec
The apartment in Quito was fantastic. Everything was clean and lovely and the location was perfect. I really had such a beautiful stay in the apartment and the comfort and convenience of it made it all possible.
This hotel is in a beautiful colonial building in the old town of Quito. The location is ideal, the staff are friendly and the rooms are comfortable with hot water. The suites also have a small kitchenette.
It is also resonably priced for a capital city. Suites at US$42 and all other rooms for less.
cnr. Av. Guayaquil and Sucre.
www.uio-guided.com/hsfquito
It is a cafe, cultural centre, and shop. The cafe has tables outside overlooking the Plaza San Fransisco which is very beautiful. The shop sells indigenous art ranging from clothing to paintings and jewellery.
Plaza San Fransisco, Quito
Sacha Lodge in the Northern Oriente area of Ecuador is a fantastic place to experience the Amazonian rain forest. It’s made up of a collection of cabins on the banks of a lake. Whether you are an avid bird watcher, or just a curious traveler, the lodge have staff who will do everything they can to make your visit rewarding, educational and whole lot of fun. Accommodation is comfortable, the food is amazing, and the level of customer care from all of the staff is exceptional. Our guides were knowledgeable and friendly and were only too happy to pass on some of their knowledge of the flora and fauna that surrounded us. I can’t recommend this place highly enough and on top of all that it does valuable work in conservation too.
Some tour companies in the area are providing hunting expeditions with members of the local indigenous communities. While it’s legal for the indigenous population to hunt, it is illegal for tourists to take part in hunts, and the activity damages local wildlife populations so you should decline, and find another tour company if they offer you a hunt as part of your tour.
www.sachalodge.com
Take a short flight from Quito
It's a community ecotourism project off the beaten track. You can going trekking, rafting, horseriding, and other activities too, and it's more interesting than a place like mindo as it feels more like Ecuador!
www.piedrablanca.org
Near San Luis de Pambil
Bolivar Province
The official website for the city of Quito, with plenty of inspiration and information on sights, activities and events in the Ecuadorian capital.
A small, friendly and ethical 'adventure holiday' company, specialising in climbing/trekking in Ecuador. Offers three tours - all out of Quito: a two/three-week trek-based holiday, a two/three-week climbing-based holiday and a week-long add-on option in the Galapagos. Nice team, genuinely love what they do - and the bonus of eco-tourism to boot. A (rare to find these days) genuine experience of a lifetime! Recommended.
www.mountainsofecuador.com
Tel. 0844 800 9679 / 01926 887688
Email: info@mountainsofecuador.com
Mountains of Ecuador Ltd
PO Box 4529
Leamington Spa
CV31 9EP
Tel. 0844 800 9679 / 01926 887688
Email: info@mountainsofecuador.com
From the big city to some of the last remaining pristine cloud forest on the continent in just a couple of hours. Estimates state that a mere 5-10% of the original coverage of cloud forest on the western cordillera of Ecuador still exists today. That the people of Mindo have opted to protect their corner of what’s left is just one part of the reason to go. The other part is that it’s great fun.
Suddenly skyscrapers and buses are replaced by dirt roads and beat-up truck-taxis. Hummingbirds, butterflies, orchids, waterfalls, huge trees, about 450 species of birds … Mindo’s got the lot for anyone enamoured with nature. For those with a taste for adventure, there’s a gravity-defying cable car, and Mindo’s unique version of “rafting” involving inner tubes. But the vibe is so laidback, it’s hard to maintain that pace. Just relax, no estas en Quito.
Getting there: Reina de los Nubes Bus Terminal, just down the hill from Quito’s main Terminal Terrestre, in the Old Town. About 2 hours to get there.
An inspiring ecolodge high in the Andes, in the small village of Chugchilan, near Latacunga (about a day's journey from Quito). It's in a beautiful rural location - just getting there is an adventure. Delicious veggie food, grown organically by the lodge. Composting toilets are an experience. Great hiking, biking and horseriding nearby - the lodge give you all the info you need. All local staff and loads of benefits go to the local community. And (the unusual bit for such a great ecolodge) - totally affordable at around $30 per person per night including breakfast and dinner. It's an amazing place.
See www.blacksheepinn.com for instructions on how to get there. Local buses or private vehicles can be arranged:
tel: 593 3 - 281-4587
San Francisco is the Jake La Motta of Ecuadorian churches – you just can’t knock it down. It has survived the eruption of Pichincha Volcano in 1582, an earthquake in 1868 that toppled its towers, and a further eruption – this time of the volcano Gua-Gua Pichincha – in 1999, to win the title of longest-standing church on the continent. Currently, and unsurprisingly, undergoing restoration, San Francisco is considered the indigenous church – a champion of the people if you like. Dark and gloomy within, most of the light comes reflected from the huge gold-leaf nave. Built on the site of an Inca temple, San Francisco is as tough and stoic as its worshippers.
Hours: Mon-Sat 7-11:30 am and 3-5:30 pm; Sun 7am – noon.
Location: Plaza San Francisco, Old Town.
Telephone: 02-221-1124
Source of arguably the best coffee in Quito, it’s the perfect place to get a day of sightseeing off to a civilised start. A little pricey by the standards of the Mariscal district, but worth every centavo if you have been on a steady diet of chicken and rice for several weeks. Real bacon, bagels, pancakes, fresh juices ... and that coffee. Let it work its magic.
Foch No 681 and Juan Leon Mera (by Ave Amazonas); tel: (593 2) 2566 181/2906 105;
www.ecuadorexplorer.com/magic
“Soy un indio, carajo!” (“I’m an indian, dammit!”). So declared Oswaldo Guayasamin, Ecuador’s most famous artist. Son of an indigenous father and mixed-race mother, this conflict influenced much of Guayasamin’s works and produced an artist of fiercely strong social conscience.
It’s hard to escape Guayasamin in Ecuador – every tourist stall flogs t-shirts bearing the image of his distinctive emaciated figures, with their oversized hands and eyes. But to really appreciate his genius, you need to visit the not one but two neighbouring museums dedicated to the maestro.
The Guayasamin Museum – located in the artist’s former house – is a peaceful spot in which to enjoy some of his most famous sequences. His depictions of grieving war-mothers and dodgy characters in the Pentagon are as relevant as ever.
The Chapel of Man is different. Built to the artist’s specifications but not completed before his death in 1999, it’s an impressive bunker-like building with a stunning view over the city. Its huge walls accommodate the larger paintings and quotes by the artist, who continued to rage against imperialism to the last. Powerful stuff.
Calle José Bosmediano 543, Barrio Bellavista, El Batán;
Corner of Mariano Calvache y Lorenzo Chavez, Bellavista, Quito;
Taxi up to Chapel of Man and walk down to museum is the easiest way;
tel: 593 2 2446455 / 2452938 / 2465265;
fax: 593 2 2446277;
email:guayasamin@uio.satnet.net;
www.capilladelhombre.com, www.guayasamin.com
If you do stay in Quito you must stay in this wonderful hotel. An old hacienda with beautiful individual rooms covered in murals - many have open fires, four-poster beds, Victorian baths, balconies - and delicious food including home-made bread and preserves. Worth staying in Quito just to stay here.
Many people use Quito as a brief stop-off on their way to the jungle, or to the Galapagos. However, it is worth thinking of staying a bit longer. One possiblity is to stay a few weeks to do a full immersion course in Spanish. There are many schools in the city, who can provide one to one tuition at a very reasonable price.
If you are staying longer, you might also want to explore the possibility of taking an apartment - there are many options for apartments to rent in the Old Town, the Mariscal and Guapulo Village.
Of course you can have a great time whilst staying in the city - there are a good selection of theatres, clubs, bars and restaurants to visit, and a nightime walk around the old town is a must, and on Sundays there is a very good sale of artwork at Parc El Ejido.
more about staying in Quito at www.my-Quito.com
If you have an afternoon to spare, why not take a walk down to the historic village of Guapulo.
Take a taxi to the Camino de Orellana, just next to the Hotel Quito - five minutes from the Mariscal.
At the top of the winding round down to the village you will find a small bar, Mirador de Guapulo, where you can enjoy a light lunch with typical Ecuadorean platters, whilst looking out over the fabulous view of Guapulo and its historic church.
From here you can either follow the cobbled street down the hill or take the short cut through the small park in front of the bar. Wear good shoes as the road is steep. On the way down you will see a range of interesting old buildings.
The area has a bohemian atmosphere and is home to many artists. At the bottom sits the beautiful Sancturia de Guapulo, Quito's oldest colonial church, facing onto a small square. In front of the church is a statue of Fransisco de Orellana, the Conquistador who sailed the length of the Amazon to the Atlantic Ocean in 1542. There is a small taxi rank opposite the church, where you can get a ride back up to the city.
Taxi to Hotel Quito and then by foot.
At Mitad del Mundo, or middle of the world, you can have the all-important photo taken of yourself with one foot in the Southern hemisphere and one foot in the Northern hemisphere. You can also buy a little something for the relatives back home: a genuine panama hat, for instance, or perhaps a stuffed llama.
Is this your business?Search Been there
