by Jim Byers
Last updated: 4:15 PM ET, Fri February 5, 2021
Safe. Beautiful. And plenty of wide-open spaces.
When the time is right to travel again, Quito, Ecuador is a place that deserves plenty of consideration.
Quito is the first Cultural Heritage of Humanity destination, declared by UNESCO in 1978. It has the best-preserved historic centre in Latin America. Graceful colonial architecture and church spires that rise into the blue sky are all around.
It is a city located in the heart of the Andes, blessed by a spring climate all year round, surrounded by fabulous landscapes and mountains, surrounded by stunning nature.
The capital of Ecador, Quito sits high in the foothills of the Andes mountains at an altitude of 2,850 meters. Built on the foundations of an ancient Incan city, it's known for its well-preserved colonial centre, rich with 16th- and 17th-century churches and other structures blending European, Moorish and indigenous styles. These include the cathedral, in the Plaza Grande square, and the ornate Compañia de Jesús Jesuit church.
One guidebook calls Quito warm and relaxed, with traditional Ecuadoran culture, including "overflowing market stands, shamanistic healers (and) fourth-generation hatmakers" mixed with a vibrant and sophisticated culinary and nightlife scene.
Metropolitan Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in South America. It's a special, unique place located in the heart of the city and is the resting place for rulers and a place of devotion to the heroes of independence.
The San Roque neighborhood offers up practitioners of ancient medicine, fruit vendors, spice vendors, candy makers and many others. Among the places to visit is La Casa del Alabado, a pre-Inca art museum highly recommended if you're a fan of history and archeology.
San Juan is famous for a dish called motes of San Juan, with boiled corn grains accompanied by fried pork, fried corn grains and avocado. Quesadillas of San Juan features dough cooked in a brick over with fillings of cheese, eggs, sugar and local achira starch.
Ecuador is a cocoa producer and is currently recognized internationally for being the supplier country of more than 60% of the world production of fine aroma cocoa, a raw material that is required and coveted in the European and North American industry for the manufacture of fine chocolates.
In Quito you can find from cooking classes that will immerse you in the aromas of our traditional flavours, or learn how to make the best chocolate in the world, to traditional goldsmith and painting workshops; tour agro-ecological farms and experience the varied flavors of our craft beer and high-altitude coffee. You can learn more about the fascinating world of the famous Ecuadorian rose and delight in the art and culture of the city..
It's important to reiterate that Quito is a Safe Travel Destination that received the World Travel and Tourism Council stamp last year, along with other awards for the airport and city for the excellent implementation of health protocols.
It's one of South America's great cities, but you'll also find amazing rainforests, unique birds and animals, volcanos and rivers and a multitude of outdoor adventures and experiences nearby.
From the Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge to the Pahuma Orchid Reserve, glamping, birding, bicycling, hiking, zip-lining, archaeology, an abundance wonderful outdoor activities are less than two hours from the city.
Only a short 45-minute drive away, the Choco Andino de Pichincha biosphere reserve is a unique natural paradise with mist-shrouded mountains full or orchids and the delightful songs of countless varieties of birds.
Quito is only a short distance from the rugged, beautiful Andes mountains and is less than four hours flying time to the fabled Galapagos Islands, one of the greatest and most sought-after destinations in the world. On top of that, Pacific beaches are less than five hours away by car.
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