At just short of 10,000 feet above sea level, Quito is a sprawling Latin American city set among rolling green mountains and majestic volcanoes.  With uneven development and strict historical preservation, visitors to Quito can see a little bit of everything, from old colonial buildings to sparkling new high-rises, abject poverty to the highest luxury.  A trip to Quito guarantees that you will get a taste of all Latin America has to offer, even on the tightest budget.   

The first place to see in Quito is the Centro Historico – the old town, appointed in 1978 as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site.  A huge restoration project was completed in 2006, and the streets are now safer, the buildings cleaner, and the entire area newly revived.  With its majestic colonial architecture you can easily spend a few hours just wandering around and hit some amazing sites, but do some planning and make sure to see the Plaza de Independencia and the Iglesia de la Compañia, with its sparkling gold interior.  If churches are your thing, you won’t be disappointed, as the old town is lined with magnificent centuries-old monasteries that are open to the viewing public.  

Outside of the Centro Historico, be sure to catch the anthropological museum, Museo del Banco Central, and Parque la Carolina, with an exhibition center, botanical gardens, basketball courts, a skatepark, a pond for paddleboat rentals, and of course plenty of pick-up football/soccer any time of day. 

For shopping in Quito, the New Town has several great places.  Avenida Amazonas is lined with street stalls selling crafts, and the stores on the side also sell other treasures such as Panama Hats and local artwork.  On the weekends, Parque El Ejido fills up with booths selling crafts and artisan goods, including jewelry, hammocks, famous woolen textiles, clothing, and artwork.

On the outskirts of the city are two activities not to miss – the TeleferiQo and Mitad del Mundo.  The Teleferico is a cable car that takes you up to over 12,000 feet altitude, where on a clear day you can get a view of the entire city and Andean valley.  The top has a few bars, restaurants, and shops, as well as some trails that can take you higher up.  Mitad del Mundo, or the middle of the world, is a monument set in the 1980’s where the equator was originally thought to have been.  It has since been determined that the equator is actually 200 meters to the north, where there is now a small museum where you can do cool equator tricks like see water drain two different ways down a basin and balance an egg on the head of a nail.  The museum also includes some indigenous artifacts such as shrunken heads and the opportunity to practice dart-blowing.  Definitely worth a trip.

To take true advantage of Ecuadorian nightlife, you must learn how to salsa.  Bars in Quito tend to be very generic and extranjero, but the salsa clubs are where the most fun is to be had.  Take a few lessons at one of the many schools in the Mariscal.  Private classes are super-cheap and can be taken on a pay-as-you-go basis.  Once you’re ready, most of the nightlife is centered in the Mariscal as well, though if you’re looking for a more relaxed scene you can head to La Floresta or Guapulo.

Tourism in Ecuador isn’t as built up as it is in neighboring countries like Peru, so unlike other major cities going out, eating, and accommodation in Quito remains very budget-friendly, and gets even cheaper as you go to the smaller towns.  There are hostels in Quito aplenty, of all styles, and all very inexpensive.  Most are clustered in the Mariscal, though there are a few gems to be found in the Centro Historico as well, at equally low prices. 

Many are attached to restaurants and nearly all have great common areas for you to meet other travelers.  Quito is the starting point for travel to most other locations in Ecuador, so you can probably find some fellow backpackers headed your way to spend a few days with, or at least get some great ideas for the next leg of your trip.