Quito is the capital and largest city of Ecuador, with about 2.68 million people in the metropolitan district. Set high in the Andes at around 2,850 metres above sea level, beneath the Pichincha volcano, it was founded by the Spanish in 1534 on the remains of an older Inca settlement. Quito is best known for its UNESCO-listed historic centre, one of the best-preserved colonial cores in Latin America, with churches, monasteries, plazas and steep streets spread across the old city. Key sights include Plaza Grande, Carondelet Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, La Compañía de Jesús, San Francisco Church, the Basilica del Voto Nacional and the hilltop Virgin of El Panecillo. The city also works as a gateway to Ecuador’s volcanoes, cloud forests, Amazon routes and the Mitad del Mundo equator monument north of town. Getting in and around is straightforward via Mariscal Sucre International Airport, the Quito Metro, buses and taxis, though the altitude and hilly layout make pacing useful for first-time visitors.
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