Set at an altitude of 2800m in a valley at the foot of the soaring Pinchincha volcano, the Ecuadorian capital has a beautiful old colonial quarter of narrow streets lined with exquisite churches, monasteries and mansions that warrant a day or two of exploration. The modern new town is packed with hotels, restaurants, tour companies and other useful facilities, and makes a convenient place to recuperate between trips around the country.

Quito is surrounded by natural beauty, by the mountains ringing the city, some volcanic, some with white-capped peaks, lushly forested hills and a fertile valley. Long before the Spanish arrived, Quito was a busy place. It was a major Inca city and was destroyed by the Incas in a scorched earth policy that only briefly halted the Spanish invasion. Sebastián de Benalcázar recognized the city's location and founded San Francisco de Quito on top of the few ruins left him. The founding date, December 6, 1534, is celebrated annually with the Fiestas de Quito.

From Quito you can take a Cable Car up to Cruzloma, one of the mountains surrounding the city to visit the Equatorial Monument and live the unique experience of walking in the two hemispheres at the same time. Visit nearby villages, such as Mindo, Puerto Quito, Papallacta where you can experience ecotourism and enjoying seeing the birds, butterflies and orchids, which are unique in the world.

With an ideal climate in all seasons, Quito is a charming and wonderful destination to visit.

Flights to Quito with Avianca

Mariscal Sucre International Airport is the international airport serving Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. It is named after Venezuelan born Antonio José de Sucre, known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" ,a hero of Ecuadorian and Latin American independence. It began operations in 1960, and currently handles about 3.9 million passengers and 125,000 metric tons of freight per year. The airport, one of the highest in the world (at 2800 meters AMSL) is located in the northern part of the city, in the Chaupicruz parish, within 5 minutes of Quito's financial centre; the terminals are located at the intersection of Amazonas and La Prensa avenues.
This Airport is serving flights to Quito from most of the major South American capitals, several cities in the US, and Amsterdam and Madrid in Europe.