Quito Ecuador -
The
capital and second-largest city in Ecuador (pop. 1,250,000), 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 that's been spewing ash
recently) will probably be the first things that strike you about Quito. Quito
is Ecuador's principal transportation hub. The 2004 Miss Universe beauty pageant was held in
Quito Ecuador.
If you take a deep breath and dive into the haze, however, you'll find a sight
that makes it all worthwhile. 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. (Before the Spanish arrived, Quito was an important Inca
settlement, and before the Inca, other tribes lived at the site.) 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.
Colonial Quito:
Houses Ecuador's rich history, cobblestone streets & churches.
Plaza de la Independencia
In the center of town and surrounded by churches and government
buildings.
Plaza de San
Francisco: This architectonic complex -
that honors santo patron
of Quito - is constituted by a church and a monastery. Its construction
- on the rests of an inca palace - was directed by the flamenco
missionary Jodocko Ricke. The works began 50 days after the foundation of
the city (1534), reason why is considered the oldest of the continent.
The complex account with 104 Doric columns. It emphasizes the scenery
with images of the sun (the Inca God) that is appraised in the ceiling
of the church. One of its most valuable jewels is the panel of the
Immaculate Virgin of Quito (the only winged virgin of the world), work
of the painter Bernardine de Legarda.
Iglesia de Santo Domingo:
Located in the restlesssquare
of the same name, this church is famous for thereligious beauty and
excellence of his cupolas and sculptures that adorns the interior of the
temple.
The Basilica:
Blessed by the Pope Juan Pablo II,the 30th of January of 1985, this impressive
Basilica, was constructed like perpetual monument of the Consecration
from Ecuador to the Heart of Jesus. The idea to build it, was promoted
by the father Julio Matovelle in 1883. The first stone was placed the
10th of July 1892.
Mirador de Panecillo:
A good alternative
to acknowledge the dimensions and the layout of the old city. The
Panecillo hill - that at the inca's time was a temple of adoration to
the called Sun Yavirac- has on its peak a gigantic image of the Virgin
of the Americas.
E
quator - "Mitad del Mundo" 15
kilometers from Quito, there it is this small city,
that owes its name
to the fact that it's
fount in the latitude 0°, reason why a commemorative monument of 30
meters of height has been built. In its superior part, there is a 5 tons
globe. One of the attractions and mysteries of the city Mitad del Mundo,
is that during the equinoxes (21st of March and 21st of September)
people and objects do not project not even the minimum shade. Mitad
del Mundo Quito Ecuador
Geo-Botanical reserve of
Pululahua: It extends around the volcanic
crater of mayor dimensions of Latin America. A varied vegetation,
numerous birds and the spectacular view of the crater, turns the place -
located less than five kilometers from La Mitad del Mundo into an
attraction of incomparable beauty.
Otavalo:
Every Saturday, this small town of the province of Imbabura ( 100
kilometers north of Quito), get full of colors and get suffocated of
agitation, when the natives begin to exhibit in the Poncho square, the
carpets, blankets, belts and a great diversity of objects, created with
the skill of their hands and the creative impulses of their inspiration.
Cotopaxi National Park:
It takes the name of the highest active volcano of the
world (5897
meters). The park is in the province of Cotopaxi, 50 kilometers
from Quito. The access route is the Pan-American highway, that goes from
north to south by the avenue called Volcano. The fierce Cotopaxi,
crowned with snow tufts, seems to challenge to the Ruminahui, another
giant that tears clouds. A small lagoon, Limpiopungo (3800 m.a.s.l.)
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