Quito city sights and tastes (Ecuador)

Quito is a common access point for getting to the Galapagos, but don’t let that stop you from staying a few days and seeing what it has to offer.

The city is built on the side of a mountain so plan on taking Ubers/cabs because this can happen:

Additionally, you probably shouldn’t drive there unless you are familiar with the streets. Our GPS couldn’t give us good directions and we ended up going the wrong way down a street. Further, there are many potholes and other hazards, so it’s best to rely on other ways to get where you want to go than a car.

Chocolate tasting (and buying)

Several places have chocolate-making presentations, and you can try many different types of chocolate (and like us, probably buy many bars, which won’t make it home).

Cathedrals, Statues, and Squares

There are several beautiful churches and public squares. A few of which you can go behind the scenes and climb to the top on narrow stairs (sometimes over rebar, and tiny spiral stairs) to get views of the city.

Overview

If hundreds of stairs aren’t your thing or you have bad knees, you can also take a cable car up to the top of a mountain and get great views from there.