CITY LIFE: QUITO

Old-world charm meets cutting-edge cuisine and bohemian flair in Ecuador's lively capital, rewarding travellers who venture beyond the grand plazas and imposing churches of its UNESCO-awarded core

- SARAH GILLESPIE

Ecuador’s Andean capital sits over 9,000ft above sea level, but it’s not just the altitude that takes your breath away. The city appears to be poured into a dramatic valley, encircled by snow-cloaked volcanoes of which Quiteños speak as one would of neighbours or old friends: Cotopaxi, Cayambe, Pichincha, to name a few.

Less ancient, yet old by any human measure, is the 16th-century architecture. Catholic and Jesuit churches pepper the magnificent Old Town of Quito, which was among the first cites to be declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the oldest of all the South American capitals, founded by conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1534. Adding to the historic ambience are pastel-hued, Spanish-era townhouses; fuchsia geraniums trail from their balconies, giving Quito its nickname, the Pink City.

Outside the historic core, architectural styles get looser and the neighbourhoods cooler. In Mariscal Sucre, local Quiteños and gringos (foreigners) cut loose at packed clubs; in La Carolina, joggers throng its eponymous park. The place to be, though, is La Floresta: a graffiti-scrawled artists’ refuge, where every surface is a canvas. Founded in 1917, this bohemian ‘hood is home to open-air bars and cafes, as well as high-end Ecuadorian and international restaurants. This marks a change: just a decade ago, cheap almuerzo lunch deals — fruit juice, soup and meat with rice and beans — were the only option around.

While in Quito, be sure to try Ecuadorian coffee and chocolate: despite their quality, these products often don’t make it overseas without being blended with lesser goods, so fill up while you can. And why not? After all, it’s said you require more calories at altitude.

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