Historic cities
Ecuador's historical treasures
As a culture lover you can indulge yourself in the beautifully restored historic centres of cities such as Quito, Cuenca and Guayaquil. Stroll through the streets, visit the best museums and enjoy traditional dishes in the best restaurants in the evening.
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A beautiful city with a rich past
Quito, situated at about 2,800 meters altitude in the Andes Valley, is an attractive city with a rich past and a beautiful colonial centre. The colourful, picturesque streets, the busy squares and the authentic local atmosphere make it definitely worth a visit. In the new part of the city centre, you can find nice shops and markets. In the old part of the city centre, however, you can find the beautiful squares Plaza de la Independencia and Plaza San Francisco.
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Choose to stay at the Illa Hotel
The idea of the Illa Experience concept is that you will not only come to stay the night, but that you will have an authentic experience and get acquainted with the culture in Quito. The hotel is located in a historic mansion that was built in the 17th century. The building has been divided over three floors and each floor is inspired by a different historical period.
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A cocktail while overlooking the city
At the lively Plaza San Francisco you will find the characteristic hotel Casa Gangotena. A beautiful hotel where you are assured of a wonderful stay. But even if you are not a guest here, we advise you to visit this hotel for a drink on the rooftoop terrace. The view over the city is great.
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The most beautiful city of Ecuador
Cuenca was founded in the 16th century and has a beautiful colonial centre with an impressive cathedral and many stately Spanish colonial buildings. In the town itself, you will find a number of attractive boutique hotels, of which the interior surround you with an atmosphere of bygone days. The inner man can be pampered in one of the many excellent restaurants.
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Hormero Ortega hat factory
As far as we are concerned, a stay in Cuenca is always combined with a visit to the factory of Homero Ortega, the place where the best Toquilla straw hats are made, better known as the Panama hat.
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The Guayaquil of the 19th and 20th century
In the centre of the city of Guayaquil you will find parque Histórico. This park shows what Guayaquil looked like in the 19th and 20th century. The buildings are built with the materials of that time and the main activities of that time also take place there, such as cocoa and tobacco production. All this takes place in a beautiful tropical botanical garden with a special flora and fauna of the Equatorial region. You will see monkeys, iguanas, tropical macaws, hummingbirds and even crocodiles.
The three most important cities of Ecuador
Quito
After Havana in Cuba, Quito has the largest historical centre of Latin America. In 1978, the colonial centre of Quito was added to the list of World Heritage of UNESCO. Together with the Polish Cracow it was the first city in the world whose centre was placed on this list and the historical centre is a real attraction for tourists. The church 'Compañía de Jesús' is one of the most important sights of the city. This church was built between 1605 and 1765 and is made of volcanic rock, decorated with more than fifty kilos of gold leaf. If you are in town on a Monday, it's worth checking out the change of presidential guard at the 'Plaza de la Independencia'.
Cuenca
Cuenca is known for its world-famous Toquilla straw hat, actually called Panama hat, and its extensive ceramics industry. A walk through the cobbled streets with beautiful courtyards, across the flower-filled squares and along the green/white plastered houses with wooden doors and cast-iron balconies, is enough to understand why this city has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1999. The 52 churches in the historic centre of the city are impressive. The El Sagrario church and the 'old' cathedral are historically the most important. However, the cathedral of The Immaculate Conception, or the 'new' cathedral (built in 1885) is the most impressive of all, with three huge domes and impressive marble interiors.
Guayaquil
The Malecón 2000 is the most pleasant place in town. Here you can stroll along a beautiful wide promenade on the western bank of the wide Río Guayas. It is always busy in this part of the city, but because it is car-free here, there are no problems. As part of the promenade you will find the beautiful park 'Jardines del Malecón' near the Imbabura street. In this park you will find at least 350 plant species, an artificial estuary and a lagoon where ducks, geese and fish live. Because the Malecón connects some of Guayaquil's most famous monuments, this is generally considered by the inhabitants to be the most popular part of the city.
Travel through Ecuador?
Would you like to make a trip to Ecuador yourself, including a visit to the historic cities and are you curious about the possibilities? Then take a look at the travel itineraries that we have put together for inspiration. You can book these trips directly, but we are also happy to create a personal programme based on your wishes and ideas.
Do you have a question? Feel free to contact us. Call +31 73 610 62 04 or send an e-mail to info@sapapanatravel.nl. We are happy to help.