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| Quito | ||
| province | Pichincha | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2.011.388 (2020) | |
| height | 2,850 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Quito (San Francisco de Quito) is the capital of Ecuador.
Districts
After a reform in 2008, that's the real thing Urban area of Quito administratively divided into 32 urban parishes (Parroquias urbanas).
For administrative Quito metropolitan area (Municipio del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, MDMQ) a further 33 rural and suburban communities (Parroquias Rurales) are added. Further subdivisions of the urban area that differ from this are those according to the electoral districts and according to the various parishes (17 zones with 167 parishes).
The geographic center is roughly the highly visible volcanic hill of the Panecillo with the figure of the Virgin Mary.
The part south of the Panecillo is the Südstadt without special tourist destinations and mostly a residential area.
The touristically interesting districts north of the Panecillo are:
- The Old town (Centro histórico), the historical city center, well preserved from the colonial times, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site;
- La Mariscal (Mariscal Sucre, too "Gringolandia"), the nightlife and entertainment district;
- Neustadt, Department stores and banks, airlines.
background
getting there
By plane
At the end of February 2013, the old Quito Airport (Mariscal Sucre) was closed and the New Airport Nuevo Aeropuerto Internacional de Quito in a neighboring valley east of the capital newly opened.
You can travel to Quito via the USA (Continental, Delta), Spain (Iberia / LAN / Air Europa) or the Netherlands (KLM). Cheap flights also with Condor from Frankfurt via Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico and Panama to Quito. There are no direct flights from Germany. Depending on the season, the flight price fluctuates between € 800 and € 1200.
Flying in Ecuador itself is expensive. Local airlines are tame, aerogal, LatAm and Icaro. A flight to Guayaquil, about 400 km away, costs at least $ 100. Flights to the Galapagos Islands are much more expensive. There is no exit fee / airport fee. Status: 12/2018
By bus
From Quito there are regular bus connections to the main cities of the country during the day. The buses are quite modern and inexpensive. Prices are around $ 1 per driving hour. Example: Quito-Baños 3.5 hours, $ 3.50. Traveling on public transport is relatively safe in Ecuador. You should keep an eye on your luggage.
The bus terminals were reorganized in 2009, and since then there have been two large bus terminals in the north and south for long-distance traffic in the country. There are also numerous smaller bus terminals for various bus companies and distributed throughout the city. Many bus routes, especially those from the "Valle" that is Cumbayá, Lumbisí or Tumbaco, end at Terminal Rio Coca (0 ° 9 ′ 49 ″ S78 ° 28 ′ 19 ″ W.). There are very good and fast connections from there Ecovia or metro to the city and also to Quitumbe South Station. The buses are highly recommended as they are very inexpensive ($ 0.25 per trip) but you should be careful about pickpockets.
The terminal in the north, the Terminal Terrestre Carcelén (0 ° 5 ′ 21 ″ S.78 ° 28 ′ 11 ″ W.), is the smaller of the two large ones and serves the cities Otavalo, Ibarra and the region in the north to the border after Colombia down.
The new and modern terminal in the south, the Terminal Terrestre Quitumbe (0 ° 17 ′ 46 ″ S.78 ° 33 '24 "W.), serves the region in the south of the country, for coast and in the Amazon region, with the cities Cuenca, Guayaquil, Latacunga and Baños. Buses also go from there to the north of the country.
Both terminals have a direct connection to the city's public transport. Because of the risk of pickpocketing in these chronically overcrowded means of transport, a taxi should always be considered, the price for the taxi, depending on the distance, approx. ATTENTION: If there is a taxi, then only taxis that have a registered number (this is large and clearly visible on the taxi) or that belong to a cooperative.
By train
Quito train station is the terminus on the Andean Railway Ferrocarril Transandino (Stammlinie, Südlinie), which since 2013 has been continuously operated by the tourist train Tren Crucero with start in Guayaquil on the coast and above Riobamba until it is driven to Quito.
In the street
mobility
Taxi makes it possible!
It is important to clarify how much it will cost on site. The best thing to do is to ask the taxi driver to run the taximeter (for short distances) and agree on a price for long distances. It is often cheaper to do a tour yourself. For example the tour to the center of the earth (Mitad del Mundo) costs about 70 Ecuadorian dólar per person (with the bus 25 cents from Quito). A taxi for a whole day is around 30 Ecuadorian dólar. The driver will take you where you want and wait until you want to continue. The best thing to do is to book a taxi from the hostal for such an event!
Tourist Attractions
Museums
- 1 Museo Nacional del Banco Central, Patria Entre Avenida 6 de Diciembre y 12 de Octubre, Quito (in the Mariscal district). Tel.: 593 (0)2 222 3258. Considered the most important and most visited museum in Quito and Ecuador. The extensive exhibition shows exhibits from the pre-Columbian period up to 12,000 years ago on several levels. Access by taxi or trolebus, Parque del Ejido station.Open: Closed on Mondays, Tue-Fri. 9 am-5pm; Sat 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.Price: Adults $ 2.
- 2 Museo Alberto Mena Caamaño, Sebastian de Benalcázar (in the Centro Historico). Municipal museum, created from a private collection and named after the founder, opened in 1959. Exhibits on art and culture from the colonial era in the 16th and 17th centuries are shown. The historical museum building was built around 1600 and served at times as a troop headquarters and also as a prison.
- 3 Museo Francisco (in the convent of San Francisco Convent). Among other things, paintings by the Quito Art School from the 18th century (Miguel de Santiago, Goribar); The convent / inner courtyard of the monastery itself is also worth seeing.
activities
- Andestrek, Lizarazu N23-209 between Av. La Gasca and Diego Zorilla, Quito. Tel.: 593 99522 48 30, Email: [email protected]. Provider for trekking and mountain tours all over Ecuador, Galapagos, organization of the ascent of Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, German-speaking guides.
shop
kitchen
nightlife
The nightlife in Quito takes place in the district Mariscal from. What seems rather inconspicuous during the day turns out to be a place for night owls at night. Numerous clubs, bars and discos are gathered here and offer something for every taste.
accommodation
Cheap
- Casa Helbling, General Veintimilla 531 y 6 de Diciembre, Quito - Ecuador. Tel.: 593 (03) 256 57 40, Fax: 593 (02) 250 09 52, Email: [email protected]. The hotel is on the edge of Mariscal Sucre (Gringolandia) so it is not noisy. There is an inexpensive Chinese restaurant next door. It is owned by Swiss. The hotel has a cozy lounge, a roof terrace and a kitchen where you can cook yourself and store things in the fridge. The rooms are clean and comfortable, as are the sanitary facilities. Breakfast is not included in the room price, but you can have a good and cheap breakfast in the cafeteria. You can do your own laundry. The atmosphere is very personable and you quickly come into contact with other travelers. You can book tours on site and other information can also be obtained, you also get a small city map of Quito. Luggage can be stored in the hotel free of charge. The hotel is therefore also a good starting point for trips to Ecuador if you don't always want to carry all your luggage with you.Price: Room prices range from $ 12 to $ 30.
medium
- TAMBOCAJAS Guest House, Lizarazu N23-209 between Av. La Gasca and Diego Zorilla. Tel.: 593 995224830, Email: [email protected]. German speaking.Price: about $ 20 per person in a double room.
Upscale
Learn
In the capital of Ecuador there are several national and international universities, private universities, polytechnic universities and also the country's Catholic university.
- Universidad Central del Ecuador, Avenida America between Gilberto Gatto Sobral y Bolivia, Quito, Pichincha. Tel.: 593 (0)2 223 4722. oldest and largest university in Ecuador.
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Diego de Robles y Pampite, Cumbayá, Quito 17-1200-841, Pichincha. Tel.: 593 (0)2 297 1700. private college.
- Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Ladrón de Guevara E11 - 253, Quito, Pichincha. Tel.: 593 (0)2 2507 126. national polytechnic university.
- Escuela Politecnica Javeriana del Ecuador, Campus Javier I, Darquea 1553 y 10 de Agosto, Quito, Pichincha. Tel.: 593 (0)2 254 3288. polytechnic university.
- Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Ecuador, Toledo N 22-80, Quito, Pichincha. Tel.: 593 (0)2 322 8085. international university of the Andean countries Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.
- Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial, Burgeois N34-102 y Rumipamba, Quito, Pichincha. Tel.: 593 (0)2 2990 800. private and publicly subsidized technical university.
- Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, Av. Jorge Fernández y Simón Bolívar, Quito, Pichincha. Tel.: 593 (0)2 2985 600. private college.
- Universidad Internacional SEK, Fray Francisco Compte y Cruz de Piedra, Quito, Pichincha. Tel.: 593 (0)2 222 3688. Quito is the center of economic studies, the other two locations of the international university are Spain and Santiago de Chile. In addition, 17 other international schools are affiliated with the SEK University.
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Avenida 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Quito, Pichincha. Tel.: 593 (0)2 241 6722. Catholic college.
Work
security
May 27, 2010 - I was in Ecuador with my buddy in 2000. Our stay was 3 weeks and we spent the days in Quito at Casa Helbling (mentioned in the accommodation). As far as security is concerned, at least at the time, everyone you spoke to constantly warned you. The people from Casa Helbling have pointed out, for example, that you are not allowed to climb the famous panoramic mountain in the city on foot, otherwise you will almost certainly be robbed. In any case, you should only give the taxi driver money when you are back downstairs, because otherwise he will leave you upstairs and you will then be faced with the same problem again. In a pizzeria that was a 10-minute walk from Casa Helbling, we only shook our heads when we didn't want to take a taxi to return and walk (10 p.m.). During an excursion with an employee from Casa Helbling in broad daylight to a shopping center near the airport, she did not even dare to walk through the park but we stayed on the edge of a small wall and she even wanted to leave this place as one Group of young people approached in the park. Last but not least, there was an attempt to steal my friend's wallet in the aforementioned Mariscal pub district. Lots of other stories to tell.
Neither of us are particularly scared, but we felt constricted exploring Quito. I actually hope that the situation has improved and that more recent impressions refute our experience. Please do not hesitate to delete my lines. It is also absolutely important that these experiences are only related to Quito. We did an extensive enduro tour through Ecuador and can only report good things otherwise. The people outside of the cities are very friendly and helpful.
However, our guides have strictly refused any approach to the Colombian border, pointing out that there is the Wild West there, with a brutality that we could not even imagine.
health
The quality of the tap water in Quito is higher than that of the rest of Ecuador, it can be used for brushing teeth. In other areas it is strongly advised to boil the water beforehand.
Practical advice
- Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Avenida Naciones Unidas y República de El Salvador, Edificio "Citiplaza", piso 14, Casilla 17-17-536, Quito. Tel.: 593 (0)2 297 08 20, Fax: 593 (0)2 297 08 15, Email: [email protected].
- Austrian Honorary Consulate General, Gaspar de Villaroel No. E9-53, entre Av. de los Shyris y 6 de Diciembre, Quito. Tel.: 593 (0)2 246 97 00.
- Embassy of Switzerland (Embajada de Suiza), Juan Pablo Sanz y Avenida Amazonas 3617 Edificio Xerox, 2do piso Quito. Tel.: 593 (0)2 243 41 13.
- 1 Quito Main Post Office, Japón N36-153 y Av. Naciones Unidas, Quito.
- A postage stamp for a postcard to Germany costs USD 3.00. You can buy prepaid postcards with tourist motifs for USD 1.97 in post offices around the world.
trips
This is only about 20 kilometers north of Quito Mitad del Mundo, the "Middle of the world", a monument on the equator that gives the whole country its name. Pululahua is a crater and since 1966 the country's first national park, it is located very close to the Mitad del Mundo.
