Visit Quito.
Security in the capital.
Quito is the most beautiful city I visited in South America, but I want to bring awareness to people, about the security issue in the capital. When you walk around the city, you have to be quite careful and always on alert. The crime rate is very high, with robberies, pickpockets, and drug dealing happening in the middle of the day. There are many reasons why in the last decade, criminality has increased in Ecuador. First of all, they switched the local currency into US dollars, and prices became steep-high, even by European standards. Covid and lack of tourism made the situation even worse, increasing poverty throughout the country. In 2021, the change of president — from Lenin Moreno to Guillermo Lasso — has sparked many rebellions and dissent in public opinion, due to corruption.
If you have questions about security, locals are always happy to help and give suggestions about places that are better to avoid. The best way to move around Quito is via Uber.
Rules to know to be safe in Quito
At 5 PM it’s time to go back to the hotel — In the evening, Quito transforms into a ghost town; the streets get deserted and you don’t see anyone walking around, due to criminality.
Walk only in the streets where you see many people, and try not to go to the ‘barrios’ — the poorer neighbourhoods.
Dress as poor as you can and don’t take expensive belongings with you! When I visited Quito, in one week I saw in total 6 foreigners, therefore tourists are usually noticed quite fast.
Visit the Historic Center.
Quito, sits high in the Andean foothills, at an altitude of 2,850m — being the 2nd highest capital in the world. The oldest of all South American capitals, Quito is notable for its well-preserved old town and was the first city to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978.
A capital-rich in history and culture, with stunning colonial buildings and colourful houses — this is what makes Quito so unique.
The best way to explore Quito is with a free walking tour, or you can book a tour through Airbnb as I did. With a local girl, I visited the most important monuments in the historic centre, and we also did a cacao and ice-cream tasting tour — definitely my favourite experience in Quito!
WHERE TO STAY IN THE HISTORIC CENTER?
If you want to stay in the beautiful colonial building facing the historic attractions, I recommend Hotel Casona 1914
360° view from ‘Mirador del Panecillo’.
This viewpoint is located in the middle of the city, just 1 km from the historic center. Even though its proximity to the main attractions, you can’t go by walk, because you have to cross a dangerous slum, and locals absolutely recommend you to take an Uber instead.
From the top, you will have a stunning 360° view over Quito, and you can also see the surrounding volcanoes, like ‘Guagua Pichincha’ - 4,784 m (15,696 ft), and ‘Cayambe’ - 5,790 m (18,996 ft).
Cacao Tasting Tour.
If you are a chocolate lover, you should definitely try this experience in Yumbos Chocolate, located in the centre of Quito. You learn all about the production process and you get to sample many of their fantastic chocolates.
Yumbos is an artisanal chocolate factory, and its goal is to create the finest chocolate quality — at the same time, they focus on improving the workers' lives and helping the small communities. Yumbos Chocolate is pure and handmade, without preservatives or artificial flavourings. It’s made from Cacao selected from aromatic varieties, and it won a top prize for chocolate in Ecuador. After tasting it, I see why. My favourite was the chocolate with 60% cacao and coffee aroma. They also have different flavours like orange, paprika, vanilla and herbs.
Taste some artisanal Ice Cream.
The best artisanal ice cream I’ve ever tried, was in ‘Heladeria Restaurante San Agustin’, located in the historic center. You can enjoy it, on a beautiful balcony overlooking the streets of Quito.
The ice cream is all natural, with different fruity flavours like: coconut (my favourite), melon, passion fruit, groundcherry, strawberry, blackberry and fig.
It tastes even better than Italian ice cream!
The best Café in Quito.
‘En-Dulce’ is a small café/bakery — a hidden gem in the historical center, where locals hang out in the morning, to get their boost of coffee, or for breakfast. It’s very hidden, and I found it thanks to a local guide that shared with me this little secret. The different varieties of pastry products are delicious, but the highlight is the local coffee and cappuccino — the best one I had in Ecuador!