Basilica del Voto Nacional and Downtown Quito
Ecuador is a paradise straddling the equator on South America’s west coast. Its diverse landscape includes the Amazon jungle, Andean highlands, and the wildlife-rich Galápagos Islands.
Pause in Ecuador’s capital for colonial cloisters, skyscrapers, and elevated cuisine
Quito, a sky-high capital with its head in a cloud forest, warrants a more extended look. It was founded in 1534 when the Spanish resettled an ancient Inca city in a narrow Andean valley. The city’s crown jewel is its ‘Old Town,’ a Unesco World Heritage Site packed with colonial monuments and architectural treasures. No sterile, museum mile, its handsomely restored blocks, with 17th-century facades, picturesque plazas, and magnificent art-filled churches pulse with everyday life. This amazing place sits on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano.
Feast your eyes from the gold interior of the baroque Compañía de Jesús church and the sprawling cloisters of the San Francisco monastery. Quito was the first city to be named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978.
Stay at Casa Gangotena. The Italianate palazzo, rebuilt in the 1920s and overhauled again in 2011, is now a boutique hotel with 31 rooms and suites that let guests stay inside a UNESCO World Heritage site. Extend the immersion and become a vecino, or neighbor, with an in-room equilibrium treatment from a local limpiadora (herbal healer), a visit to San Francisco monastery’s cloisters and bell tower with a Franciscan monk, or a walking tour of Old Town.
As a Virtuoso travel advisor, I can VIP you at the Casa Gangotena with the following.
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily buffet breakfast for two guests per bedroom, served in the restaurant
- Complimentary 6 course tasting menu dinner for up to two people, once during stay, excluding drinks (alcoholic & nonalcoholic) and gratuities
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
Like the iconic Virgen del Panecillo statue, who spreads her wings high above the historic Old Town from atop one of the surrounding hills, the city continues to rise. Architect Moshe Safdie’s terraced Qorner tower on La Carolina Park and ambitious public works, Quito’s first metro line will open early next year, are forging a new cityscape.
Quito’s Old Town from Casa Gangotena’s terrace
Your culinary journey awaits
Ecuadorian cuisine includes traditional Latin fare, such as ceviche (served with crunchy Tostado de maíz, similar to corn nuts), patacones (fried plantain slices), and the beloved locro de papa, potato soup garnished with cheese and avocado.
Try classic dishes at the 160-year-old, family-run Heladería San Agustín on Plaza Grande in the city center.
French-trained Ecuadorian chef Wilson Alpala reimagines local ingredients at the Relais & Châteaux restaurant Zazu. His menu includes Biche (fish soup), made with shrimp confit and crispy cassava, as well as mixto ceviche (of course).
Corvina ceviche with red onion, orange, and eucalyptus at Zazu.
Luis García
For the Art and Chocolate Lovers
Virtuoso offers an exploration of the most pleasing chocolate and art that Ecuador has to offer. Did you know that Ecuador produces a large percentage of the world’s premium cacao beans?
The two-hour experience consists of two parts. The first hour is a private tour of Guayasamín’s home and all of its most intimate chambers, guided by an art specialist from the museum.
The second hour is a tasting and pairing of To’ak chocolate, guided by a chocolate specialist from To’ak.
Chocolate experience in Oswaldo Guayasamín’s home
All Aboard!!!
Ride the “Devil’s Nose,” a white-knuckle section of rail line in the Andes, aboard Tren Crucero. Experience a four-night luxury rail trip between Guayaquil and Quito as “not just a journey from one point to the other, but a beautifully designed, inclusive tour that allows visitors to experience some of Ecuador’s many cultural facets.”
“Tren Crucero passed through a great variety of landscapes, from lush lowland plantations to the country’s spine of volcanoes and barren Andes mountainscapes. Each day, we made interesting stops: a local ranch with llamas, vicuñas, and beautiful horses, where cowboys displayed their talent; a large rose-growing enterprise with huge hothouses filled with brilliant, multicolored blooms; and a local crafts market to watch skilled artisans carve tagua nuts (I bought a small octopus sculpture). As the sun went down, we retired to traditional haciendas and five-star hotels for the night. I felt we had truly experienced it all.” – Varya Simpson.
Tren Crucero traverses the Andes – Tren Ecuador
From Quito to the Ecuadorian Amazon
Virtuoso offers an Ultra-Luxe Private Tour that will take you from Quito to the amazing Ecuadorian Amazon.
Experience the iconic Amazon Rainforest and explore the beautiful highlights of Quito on this journey across mainland Ecuador.
You will visit the colonial treasures of Quito, known as the “Florence of South America,” and also have the chance to see some of the city’s best museums and enjoy insider access to experience the city from a whole new perspective atop the dazzling 16th-century Convent of Santo Domingo.
Continue onward to the enchanting Ecuadorian Amazon, known for the incredible diversity of wildlife that resides in this section of the world’s largest rainforest. Discover the secrets of this fantastic place. Enjoy the chance to spot an array of nature from a variety of different perspectives.
Amazon Rainforest Lake Reflection, Ecuador
Your journey to wellness, luxury, and unspoiled landscapes
Find natural harmony and tranquility at the Mashpi Lodge.
Located outside Quito, Ecuador, the lodge is “conscious and careful of its jungle environment, which hums with life,” says Virtuoso travel advisor Varya Simpson. There are glass walls throughout, including the 24 earthy guest rooms; crack open a window and fall asleep to nature’s soundtrack.
Head out on a range of forest treks (mud boots supplied). “It’s primeval and tranquil,” says Simpson, “except for the occasional birdsong or frog croak.” Grab your binocs for early-morning birding on the terrace, or get an avian-eye view on a gondola or skybike ride above the jungle canopy.
Mashpi Lodge in Quito, Ecuador
Finally, are you looking for a perfectly unique and top-notch experience in Ecuador? Click here to schedule, and we’ll chat soon!
Produced by Virtuoso Travel and Inspired Travel Designs