Food and drink

Drink only bottled water. Pasteurised milk is widely available. Avoid dairy products that are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Avoid street food vendors and the cheaper restaurants.

What to eat

To try some typical foods, here is a selection of what we recommend.

Cuy - Guinea pig!
Llapingachos - Fried mashed potato and cheese pancakes
Ceviche - seafood marinated in lemon, onion and spices although not as good as in Peru.
Toffee - a local favourite in Baños. You can watch it being freshly made on almost every street corner
Empanadas de verde - A ground plaintain shell filled with cheese, meat or shrimp
Humitas - Tender ground corn steamed in corn or banana leaves, available in both sweet and savoury
varieties

What to drink

Morocho - made from mote, milk, sugar, and cinnamon
Pilsener and Club - The local beers

Highlights

Quito

Divided into two sections, old and new. The old town is culturally more interesting and was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1978. The new town is where to go for the best restaurants and nightlife.

The Old Town

Plaza de la Independencia - The true heart of the city. The President still conducts business here, so access to the inside may be limited. It is the home of the tomb of Sucre and also houses interesting 17th and 18th century paintings.

Parque Alameda - Houses the oldest astronomical observatory in South America, as well as animpressive monument of Simon Bolivar

Plaza de San Francisco - Constructed by the Spanish in 1553, this church has a high altar made of gold and beautifully carved ceilings.

La Compañia - The finest of all Jesuit churches. Damaged through the years by fire and earthquakes, it has since been restored and has a richly sculptured facade and interior.

Plaza de Santo Domingo - Known for the Chapel of the Rosary found to the right of the main altar, this church and monastery pays homage to Sucre and his battle against the Royalists.

Markets - The Indian market at Avenida de 24 de Mayo at the base of El Panecillo and the Ipiales market. Best visited on Wednesdays or Saturdays, the main market days, but any day offers a visitor some

interesting sites.

The Virgen de Quito - Summit El Panecillo to see Quito’s dominant landmark.

Casa de Sucre - At Venezuela 573 and Sucre, you will find this museum dedicated to Antonio Jose de Sucre, the hero of Ecuadorian independence. Hours are from 8am to noon and 1:30pm to 4pm, Tues to Fri and 8am to 1pm on Sat and Mon.

Teatro Nacional Sucre - Home to the National Symphonic Orchestra, and one of Quito’s oldest and most charming cultural enclaves.

The New Town

Museo del Banco Central - The best archeological museum in Quito. You can see displays of colonial furniture, skeletons showing early surgical methods, pottery, gold relics, religious art and carvings Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana - A great museum for music lovers. The museum features musical instruments not only from Ecuador but also from abroad. It also has a large art collection. The museum is located at Avenidas Patria and 12 de Octubre

Museo de Ciencias Naturales - A good place to stop and acquaint yourself with Ecuador’s flora and fauna before heading to the Galapagos or the Amazon. It’s the best natural history museum in Ecuador. Hours are from 8:30am to 1pm and 1:30pm to 4:30pm, Mon to Fri and 9am to 1pm on Saturday. Metropolitan Touring presents a Ballet Folklorico called Jacchigua at the San Gabriel cinema at 7:30 p.m. on Wed and Fri.

Around Quito

La Mitad del Mundo - Ecuador’s 30m high monument commemorating the nation’s name.

Museo Etnografico - Inside the base of the monument, this museum features exhibits on the many different Indian tribes that have existed in Ecuador. Both the museum and the monument are open from 10am to 4pm, Tues to Fri and 10am to 5pm, Sat and Sun.

Planetarium - Also located on the grounds the Mitad del Mundo. Shows are from 11am to 3pm, Tues to Fri and 11am to 4pm on Sat and Sun

Otavalo – A tiny village 2 to 3 hours north of Quito. Otavalo has probably the best market in all of South America and so should not be missed. Saturday is the busiest day, Wednesday is a close second and during the peak visitor season, June to August, it is open every day.

Avenue of Volcanoes

The long valley south of Quito, leading to Cuenca, is flanked by two parallel mountain ranges containing some of the country's wildest scenery and nine of its 10 highest peaks. Half of Ecuador's population lives in this valley. The area is peppered with isolated Indian villages, where lifestyles seem to have changed little over the centuries, and each community displays distinct styles of traditional dress. Larger towns - such as Saquisilí, Pujillí, Zumbagua, Sigchos and San Miguel de Salcedo - swell with villagers on market days. The peaceful community of Salinas is known for its homemade dairy products, salamis and woollen handicrafts. Many of these villages are only accessible on foot. The Panamerican Highway, which runs the length of the valley, provides spectacular views along the way.

Cuenca

Founded by the Spanish in 1557, Cuenca is the third-largest city in Ecuador and the finest. The old centre has many churches and homes dating from the 16th and 17th centuries lining its cobblestoned streets.The majority of the hotels are found near the old centre, which makes Cuenca a great place to spend a few days relaxing in the colonial atmosphere. Note that Cuencans are more conservative than even the people of Quito - you'll find you attract attention if you don't dress and act accordingly. The Inca fortress of Ingapirca, Ecuador's best preserved pre-colonial ruin is close by.