LIKE A LOCAL Festive decorations: Catch a taxi or local bus to the suburb of Calderón, Ecuador’s capital of mazapán. These colourful piped dough designs festoon Ecuadorian high days, but can be purchased here year-round in local stores. Before heading back to Quito, stop at Avenida 9 de Agosto, where murals depict Abdón Calderón, the young hero of Ecuadorian independence, after whom the town is named. Ochoymedio: A La Floresta institution since 2001, Quito’s only independent cinema hosts regular film festivals and international screenings. If there aren’t any English- language showings, it’s still worth settling down with a coffee or glass of wine in the movie-themed Rio Intag cafe.
ochoymedio.net Promenade in the plaza: Join colourfully attired Quiteños as they take some air and watch street performers in Plaza de la Independencia. Generally, indigenous women’s dress comprises a skirt, blouse, shawl and hat — but subtle differences indicate which community they belong to. You can pick up indigenous textiles and jewellery at the Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal.
BUY Panama hats: Although the name suggests otherwise, Panama hats are actually made in Ecuador’s Manabí province. True Panamas can take months to weave and cost thousands of dollars, so markets in Latin America can be flooded with cheap fakes. You’ll find affordable yet genuine articles at Sombreros López, which has sold all manner of smart headgear since 1920.
sombreros-humacatama.negocio.site Chocolate: República del Cacao in the Old Town sells single-origin chocolate from small Ecuadorian farms, with products organised by region, from Amazonia to the Galápagos. Pull up a wicker chair in the cafe and feast on red velvet sponges and mirror-like ganache, as well as hot chocolate served in cacao-pod- shaped cups.
republicadelcacao.com Crafts: Handicrafts from all over Ecuador are sold at the Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal, at 611 Jorge Washington in Mariscal Sucre, the northern neighbourhood beloved by backpackers. Browse the 200 stalls that sell everything from panpipes and jewellery to alpaca-wool blankets and tapestries made by Indigenous Salasaca people.
SLEEP £ Selina Quito: More ‘poshtel’ than hostel,
this bolthole in Mariscal Sucre is geared towards longer stays. There’s a coworking space for nomadic types, plus a busy calendar of social events such as yoga classes, karaoke nights and all-you-can-drink happy hours. Tours include guided hikes to the Pichincha and Cotopaxi volcanoes.
selina.com £ £ Swissôtel: The hotel chain’s Quito
outpost in La Floresta has all the luxurious facilities you’d expect, yet the dark-wood interiors look more boutique than branded. As well as high-end Ecuadorian and Japanese restaurants, the hotel provides one of the best breakfast buffets in Quito: churros, Amazonian fruits, ceviche, sliders and build- your-own omelettes.
swissotel.com £ £ £ ILLA Experience Hotel: Sandwiched
between Old Town museums, this design- forward property takes the promise in its name seriously. You might find yourself churning strawberry sorbet in a bronze pail or painting a watercolour of the Quito skyline, all under the supervision of artisans who are experts in ancestral techniques.
illaexperiencehotel.com
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