Quito
This eclectic city is where you will start your explorations of Ecuador. At 2,680 meters (9,383 feet) Quito is the second highest capital city in the world, and arguably the most beautiful capital city in South America. Located just 23 km (15 m) south of the equator, the city is spectacularly set in a long narrow valley at the foot of the active Pichincha volcano. Nearly 1.5 million people call Quito their home, but despite its sizable population, Quito has retained its charm. It is much smaller, cleaner and peaceful than most Latin American capitals. Its residents are polite and obliging, and always willing to help.
The city's beautiful historic center with its classical buildings and barouche churches dates back to the 16th century, while the north part of Quito is modern and vibrant. The mountainsides are alive with all shades of green, from páramo vegetation, to forest to rock formations.
Here in Ecuador, Quito's climate is often used metaphorically to describe a hot-tempered woman. It may be erratic at times, but it is never dull. The day almost always begins off sunny and warm, and often it stays that way the entire day. Sometimes however, the day begins by luring you into wearing shorts, and by mid afternoon it leaves you drenched in a thunderstorm. Thus it is always good to be prepared for unexpected or expected weather changes here. It usually rains around the same time daily. The city's temperature ranges from 7º C to 27º C (55º F to 78º F). You can expect cool nights and mild days year-round. Dry season or summer starts in June and ends in late September. The rest of the year is considered wet season or winter, although you get many sunny days this time of year. The only big difference is that afternoon thunderstorms are more frequent in the wet season.
The city is unofficially divided into two sections, the north and the south. In between these is the city's heart, the historical center which dates back to the 16th century. Although what you see now in the city center dates back to 1534, the city was the capital of the northern portion of the Inca Empire. Many different indigenous tribes inhabited the area during pre-Columbian times including the Quitus, from whom the city got its name. The Inca Empire eventually conquered the city and ruled it for a relatively short time. In 1533, General Rumiñahui, a great Inca general, razed Quito so the advancing Spaniards could not use it. Within a year, the Spaniards had conquered the Incas and began rebuilding the city, under the direction of Sebastian de Benalcanzar who had come to South America with Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of Peru.
After the Spanish Conquest the city was initially under control of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Although this lasted from 1544 to 1720, in 1563 Quito became a Royal Audencia of Spain, which permitted Quito to have direct dealings with Spain rather than go through Lima on every issue. The Audencia of Quito encompassed from northern Peru to the city of Cali in southern Colombia and east to cover much of the Amazon Basin. In 1720 Quito became part of the Viceroyalty of Nueva Grenada.
La Basilica Church 
Quito's Old City Center