Ecuador's capital is presided over by the Virgen de Quito

Quito sits in the Andes at a lofty altitude of 2,850m, South America's second highest capital after La Paz in Bolivia.  

Sprawled at the base of the Pichincha Volcano, Quito's crowning jewel is its UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town with its ornate colonial buildings, lively markets, narrow cobblestone streets, grand squares and more churches and museums than you have fingers and toes. 

Most visitors stay in the New City, where the majority of the restaurants, hotels and tourist facilities lie.

For superb views of the city and surrounding volcanoes and mountains, take a taxi to the top of Cerro Panecillo, where an observation deck is presided over by the watchful gaze of the statue of the Virgen de Quito.