Ecuador & Galapagos Islands Quito

  • Quito
  • El Panecillo in Quito, Ecuador
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Ecuador’s volcano-flanked capital stands at 2,850m in the highland valley, boasting a beautifully restored historic centre and contrasting modern quarters.

Overview

Quito is one of Latin America's most stunning colonial cities. Occupying a highland valley at 2,850m and flanked by volcanoes, the setting of its historic centre is breathtaking. 

Explore Quito's cobbled lanes, whitewashed façades, gaudy churches and elegant plazas, which echo with the sounds of everyday life of the city's traditional inhabitants. Beyond are the skyscrapers and broad avenues of the contemporary commercial city, and the tourist district of La Mariscal, where busy young workers and backpackers flock to the many bars, restaurants and nightclubs.

High above the city, take a cable car up the Teleferiqo for spectacular views, and  only 25km to the north is the Equator at Mitad del Mundo, where you can take the obligatory photo with a foot in each hemisphere.

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El Panecillo in Quito, Ecuador

The weather in Quito is wide and varied

Just sixteen miles south of the equator and sitting at a dizzying 2850m altitude, Ecuador’s capital city of Quito stretches out along an extensive highland plateau on the slopes of Pichincha volcano, which looms over the historic colonial city. The capital’s weather is determined by this breathtaking and unique location, which provides for year round spring-like temperatures. The days, which receive a steady 12hrs of daylight throughout the year, average a warm 21°C during the day, but as night falls it gets chilly enough to warrant a warm jacket. Most mornings and early afternoons tend to be sunny but there may be rain in the afternoon in any month, even during the drier months of June-September. During the wetter months of mid-February to May and October-December, the downpours are more frequent and tend to last longer into the night or even into the early hours. This is especially true in March and April (the wettest months), but even then you can expect to enjoy at least some clear sunny spells.

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  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

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    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

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    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

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    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

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    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

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