Parque Calderón
Parque Calderón
Parque Calderón (Calle Luis Cordero e/Simón Bolívar, Cuenca) – this park is located in the center of Cuenca, and has some charming squares and churches – even street markets. It is named after Abdon Calderón (a hero who Fought for Ecuador’s independence). Even though it doesn’t feel too busy, Parque Calderón is actually surrounded by a tourist bureau, a municipal building, restaurants, cafés and ice cream shops, various markets, and two cathedrals.
La Locanda
La Locanda
La Locanda (Av. 12 de Octube 1820 y Luis Cordero, Quito) – this upscale restaurant, located within Swissotel, offers Mediterranean cuisine with a strong Peruvian influence. There’s also a fine selection of wines. This restaurant also gets points for its stylist interior.
Peruvian plates such as “lomo salteado,” are found alongside some of their more heavily demanded dishes, like “tiradito de lenguado.” But other popular recommendations include baby goat slowly braised in chicha de jora and Marsala wine sauce with green beans and tomatoes, or the classic suckling pig confit served with caramelized onion and risotto in honey and soy black sauce with shiitake mushrooms. For dessert, diners can choose from a traditional crème brulee or tiramisu or consider something with a bit more Locanda character: The Suspiro de Chocolate, a chocolate mousse with pistachio, Tuile of Madeline, and toasted almonds or the Dolce La Locanda, a sweet tropical fruits au gratin in a Grand Marnier zabaglione served with pistachio ice cream.
Fried Bananas Café
Fried Bananas Café (Foch E4-150 y Av. Amazonas, Quito) – located near the trendy Plaza Foch, this restaurant offers both local and Italian pasta dishes (the most recommended one being the pasta con crema de azafran y camarones). Shrimps with mushrooms in fried banana style is another recommended specialty.
El Grill
El Grill
El Grill (Hostería Rincón de Puembo) (Manuel Burbano #6-66 e/Francisco Ruiz, Quito) – located in the Eastern outskirts of Quito, this restaurant offers a variety of grilled dishes as well as local specialties. Diners enjoy coming here for the relaxed atmosphere away from the city, as well as poolside dining.
El Cráter
El Cráter
El Cráter (Hotel El Cráter, Mirador del Pululahua) – located an hour north of Quito (near the Pululahua volcano), visitors are attracted to the mountainside dining that this restaurant offers. This restaurant, which serves both local and international dishes, has been visited by a number of prominent guests, from singer Gloria Estefan to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
Bus (Quito)
Bus (Quito)
Bus (Quito) – Quito’s public transportation system consists of three major bus lines (that use dedicated lanes & stations) – almost as though they are trains. These lines are:
Trolebus (green line) – runs through colonial Quito
Ecovia (red line)
Metrobus (blue line).
The standard bus fare is US$.25 cents per ride (there are free transfers at certain stations).
Because the city of Quito was actually developed between two mountain ranges, bus traffic (like most other traffic) runs in a north-south direction.
Bus maps for the above-mentioned lines can be found here:
http://www.getquitoecuador.com/quito-map-center/quito-map-metrobus.html
http://www.getquitoecuador.com/quito-map-center/quito-trolebus-map.html
http://www.getquitoecuador.com/quito-map-center/ecovia-quito-map.html
CAR RENTALS
CAR RENTALS
CAR RENTALS – the following car rental agencies operate in Quito:
Avis Rent a Car +593 2 2440 270
Budget Rent a Car: +593 2 3300 979
Hertz: +593 2 2254 257
Thrifty Car Rental: +593 2 222 8688
Quito Astronomical Observatory Museum
Quito Astronomical Observatory Museum
Quito Astronomical Observatory Museum (Av. Gran Colombia y 10 de Agosto – Parque La Alameda, Quito) – founded in 1873, this museum is a major attraction for students, scientists and tourists – providing a vivid history of the various scientific instruments that were used by early astronomers and scientists. The Observatory’s main attraction is the Merz equatorial telescope, made in Germany and specifically designed for the Quito sky. This telescope was installed in 1875, has the same operating system of the modern telescopes and has not stopped working since the date on which the observatory dome opened. Besides the astronomical relics the observatory saved, highlights its architecture which is inspired in the design of the observatory of Bonn, Germany.
A practical reason for the existence of this site is because Ecuador is located in a strategic geographical position (where solar-physics studies can be performed year-round, providing data for the scientific community working to understand Sun-Earth interactions). Admission: US$2.00 (adult), US$1 (students & seniors), US$.50 cents (children). Hours: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (Tuesday – Sunday).
Plaza de San Sebastian
Plaza de San Sebastian
Plaza de San Sebastian (Calle Mariscal Sucre y Talbot, Parque Miguel León, Cuenca) – located in the westernmost part of Cuenca, this plaza is located by a 19th century church of the same name. This plaza (the largest in Cuenca) was used to hold bullfights back in the 18th century. Nowadays, it’s a popular geographic point of reference for both visitors and locals (with some popular restaurants & cafes located nearby).
Plaza & Monastery of San Francisco
Plaza & Monastery of San Francisco
Plaza & Monastery of San Francisco (Calle Cuenca e/Sucre, Quito) – this is one of the oldest Spanish colonial era structures in Quito (the monastery was founded by Franciscan missionary Joedco Ricke). It’s surprising to hear that this plaza was built over an Inca temple. The monastery is worth a visit and here you will find yourself surrounded by intricate golden designs of angels with a sun-shaped face. There is also plenty of beautiful artwork inside the building that dates back to the 16th century (as part of the Museo Fray Pedro Gocial). It is said that, since the indigenous peoples once worshipped a sun god, that Christian imagery of the sun was used to help convert these individuals to the Catholic faith. Like other structures in Quito, the Monastery also went through periods of renovations due to damage from previous earthquakes (explaining the various architecture influences seen there). Admission (Museo Fray only): $2.00 (adult), $1.00 (children). Hours: 7:00 am – 11:00 am daily; 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm (Monday- Thursday).
