Population: 1,200,000
Location: North-central location of Ecuador--situated in the Andes
 Quito
- Franciscan capital of Ecuador, Luz de América, ancient
capital of the northern realm of the Incan empire, Patrimonio
de la Humanidad - lies at 2,800 meters above sea level in a high
valley at the base of Mount Pichincha about 15 miles south of
the equator. Why is it called "Franciscan"? Its full
and formal name is "San Francisco de Quito", reflecting
both its Spanish and Incan origins. Franciscan monks accompanied
the Spanish conquistadors and founded one of America's first Catholic
churches (begun in 1584), in what is now called the Plaza de San
Francisco, in the heart of colonial Quito. Furthermore, the word
Franciscan as an adjective in the Spanish language denotes peacefulness,
a quality for which Quito was known for many years. The name "Quito"
is derived from the name of the indigenous group, the Quitus,
which dominated that region of the Andes before their conquest
by the Incas.
Please
note that additional info (prices, activities, etc) are found
to the right of this pages. 
Luz de América, the
"Light" or "Beacon" of America, refers to
the fact that the city council of Quito was the first in Hispanoamérica
to declare its independence from Spain. In colonial times Quito
had the reputation as a renowned political and cultural center
in all of what is now called Latin America. It has been an artistic,
architectural and literary center for many years. Quito's Spanish
founding was made on the ruins of the Incan capital's northern
domain.
In the early 1980s, Quito was
designated by UNESCO of the United Nations as a World Heritage
Site in recognition of the preservation of its colonial center,
essentially expressed in the architecture of the old city.
 Located
in the inter-Andean valley, Quito is a city of sun and sky, surrounded
by mountains, with three snow-capped volcanoes in view on a clear
day. Its climate has been described by many as eternal spring,
due to its location close to the equator at high altitude. It
has a daily average temperature of about 65° F, with daytime
highs around 75° F and early morning lows around 45° F.
Absolute highs reach 85° F and lows about 40° F on rare
occasions. The seasons are called winter and summer, terms that
refer to rainy and dry seasons rather than variations in temperature.
Some say that the climate at this altitude in the Andes includes
all four seasons each day because of the wide variation in temperature.
At 3:00 a.m. winter begins, between 6:00 and 9:30 you have spring,
from 9:30 until 4:00 p.m. you are in summer and the you begin
fall. Even the rainy season normally includes sunny mornings.
Slightly over a million people
live in present-day Quito. As is typical of Latin American cities,
the population density is high, relative to U.S. standards. But,
somehow, Quito retains a small city atmosphere -probably because
you can still walk to many places you need to go. Ownership of
a car is not a must. Distances are short and the bus system is
quite extensive. While having a smaller feeling, Quito has plenty
to offer culturally. Movies, theater, symphonic concerts, folk
music clubs, book stores, discotecas, salsotecas, museums, art
galleries, antique stores, arts and crafts stores, tourist attractions
and good food abound. There are even jazz bars, country and western
bars, and sports bars which cater to foreigners.
 The
variety of cultural opportunities available may even lull you
into believing that Quito is a lot like the United States. Not
so! Quito is a blend of modern and traditional culture, with strong
Spanish, indigenous, U.S. and northern European influences. It
has stark contrasts between colonial and modern architecture,
rich and poor neighborhoods, "upper" and "lower"
socioeconomic classes. It is cosmopolitan and small-town (almost
rural) at the same time. Where else have you seen a cow or a horse
or a pig grazing in the middle of a four-lane highway in the middle
of town?
Many of these contrasts are
directly related to the massive migration of campesinos from country
to city in modern Latin America. In this sense Quito can certainly
be considered to be representative of many Latin American urban
areas - without the magnitude of problems related to massive population
centers found especially in Mexico and Brazil or even Ecuador's
port city of Guayaquil.
As the capital city of Ecuador,
Quito has relatively good communication links to the rest of the
country. It is the financial, political and administrative center
of the country. After the Galápagos Islands, it is the
most visited tourist center of Ecuador. Travel by land and air
to other points in South America and the world is easier than
from most other locations within the country. Its location makes
it ideal for access to most other areas of the country, including
beaches, mountains, and the Amazon basin. For visitors, especially
visitors who enjoy shopping, Quito is Ecuador's most important
marketing center for the country's artisan products, lying very
close to some of the major production areas and indigenous markets.
While life in Quito is not the least expensive within Ecuador,
it was considered as recently as four or five years ago to be
the cheapest capital city in the world when expenses are calculated
in dollars.
Mountains and valleys, volcanoes,
rivers, and varied plant life provide spectacular scenery in the
area of Quito. Picturesque scenes abound. Don't forget your camera!
Without a doubt, Quito
is an ideal place to learn Spanish and experience Ecuador!
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