Day 2: QUITO
Breakfast at the hotel. City tour of Quito with a visit to the equator line. Duration of the excursion day including transfers - 8 hours. During the city tour of Quito, you will see fascinating panoramas, churches, domes, and roofs that are historical relics, and learn about colonial art, architecture, culture, legends, and traditions. Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and is located at an altitude of 2800 meters. Despite the earthquake in 1917, the city has the best-preserved and least-altered historical center in Latin America. The architecture and rich interiors are examples of the Quito School of Art, a fusion of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish, and indigenous art. Artists of this school worked with stone and wood to depict the most important religious events. After a one-and-a-half-hour walking tour exploring the Old Town, you will understand why Quito was the first city in the world to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Quito got its name from the Kichwa tribe that inhabited the region long before the Spanish conquest. In 1533, Sebastián de Benalcázar captured the city, which was initially the capital of the Inca Empire, and in 1541, it was elevated to the status of a Spanish city. Its full name is San Francisco de Quito. The city was the capital of the Quito state until the end of Spanish colonial rule. The Franciscan order was the first to establish itself in Quito. The Franciscans immediately began building a monastery, which became the center of education and art and has its own schools of painting and sculpture (the Church of San Francisco is visited during the tour). Around the main square, Plaza Grande, are the main buildings of the country: the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Archbishop's Palace, and the City Hall. We will visit the best example of colonial art in the city - the Jesuit church, whose facade is covered with intricate carvings. Quito is the capital city and has many contrasts, which you can appreciate by visiting the Old Town and the new areas. A beautiful view of the entire city will open up to you from the Panecillo viewpoint with the statue of the Virgin Mary with wings - the patroness of the city. We head to the "Middle of the World" (the equator line). There are two places to visit the equator line, and we will visit both places: 1.) Ciudad Mitad del Mundo. Ciudad Mitad del Mundo is a tourist and commercial center where visitors can discover a monument commemorating the geodetic expedition of 1736 that determined the passage of the equator at this location. The tourist complex "Middle of the World" belongs to the prefecture of Pichincha province, Ecuador. It is located in the parish of San Antonio in the Quito metropolitan district, north of downtown Quito. On the complex grounds stands the headquarters of the Union of South American Nations. Between 1979 and 1982, a 30-meter monument was erected, marking the spot where, it was believed, the equator line passed. A line indicating the equator extends from the center of the monument, and over the years, countless tourists have crossed it. However, in reality, the entire structure is located 240 meters south of the actual equator line, which was accurately determined in the 20th century thanks to the advent of GPS positioning. 2.) Intiñan Museum. In this museum, we will be able to conduct a series of experiments that explain the influence of the equator line on the natural forces of nature. Here, you will also receive information about the culture of ancient peoples, and we will see a series of totems from various cultures of South America. Traditional dwellings of different cultures existing in the country, such as a house with items belonging to an indigenous family that lived in this place many generations ago, are also exhibited here. Return to the hotel. Accommodation at Plaza Grande 5* Royal Suite www.plazagrandequito.com (breakfast)
