|  Quito,
the capital of Ecuador is about 25 miles long north to south and
about 3 miles across. Quito sits high in the Andes with an elevation
of 9,300 ft/2,835 m. The mountains including the active volcano
Mt. Pichincha to the west of the city makes its impossible to
become disoriented. The city is divided into the Old Town, for
historical sights and New Town, visitor services, accommodations,
restaurants, and and everything else. Vintage facades line the
streets and large open plazas are surrounded by cathedrals and
stately public buildings. It has been declared a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Please
note that additional info (prices, activities, etc) are found
to the right of this pages. 
Old Town
Quito's Old Town is a wonder,
blocks and blocks of colonial architecture, some of it dating
to the mid 1500s when the Spanish founded the city. Vintage facades
line the streets and large open  plazas
are surrounded by cathedrals and stately public buildings. It
has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.
Steep, narrow streets characterize
this part of Quito, and cars barely fit in lanes designed for
horse and foot traffic. Residents look down from wrought-iron
balconies at street vendors each with his own small crowd of skeptical
but interested onlookers-hawking miracle products. Storefronts
at ground level sell household wares, clothing, and an astounding
number of shoes. Hotels are generally inexpensive and restaurants
few.
Most visitors come for the
outstanding churches and museums, . Other visitors are content
to wander the cobbled streets that evoke Ecuador's colonial past
more than any others in the country-despite the handbills and
red graffiti from the latest political uprising that occasionally
mar the white-washed walls.
New Town
 Outside
of Old Town, Quito is modern and does not possess the beauty of
the colonial section. It's home to a large selection of hotels,
restaurants, money-exchange houses and upscale souvenir shops.
Also in the New Town is the Casa de la Cultura, a must-see attraction.
It contains the Banco Central archaeological museum, an attached
art museum, a vast musical-instrument museum, an indigenous-clothing
museum and a modern-art museum. It has an amazing display of works
produced by Inca goldsmiths, as well as lots of ancient pottery
and detailed dioramas of life in Ecuador's pre-Columbian civilizations.
Tourists keep this part of Quito in business, supporting dozens
of hotels and restaurants for every budget, along with enough
souvenir shops, tour companies, and banks for two cities.
Safety
With one of the highest concentrations
of bodies in the country, Quito naturally has its share of crime.
It's nothing to cancel a trip over but definitely worth considering.
It is not recommended to walk
alone at night in the old town. Even with company ou should be
careful and keep valuables hidden. Pickpockets, bag slashers and
camera snatchers ply their trades there. One place you should
definitely not go on foot is El Panecillo, the hill directly south
of Old Town that's crowned by the large Virgin of Quito statue.
Walking the streets that lead to the top is an invitation to be
mugged. If you want to take in the view from El Panecillo, hire
a taxi to drive you.
By taking the standard precautions
that you would in any major city, and avoiding a few problem spots,
you should have little to worry about.
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