Day trips near Quito

Since we are in Ecuador, let's take a look at some easy day trips from Quito, all of which can be done using public transportation.

We're going to visit three places: Sangolqui, the “Middle of the World” complex, and Rucu Pichincha

Sangolqui

The first of our excursions from Quito. It's Monday. Market day. A big day in Sangolqui.

For just $0.25 and a half-hour bus ride from Quito, you’ll enjoy a unique sensory experience. The city center is closed to cars, and hundreds of stalls of all kinds line the streets. Dozens of indigenous people bring all sorts of goods to sell, and their strange accent creates a peculiar cacophony with the Quito accent.

There is a specific street for selling animals. It is very peculiar to see people carrying chickens by their legs or children buying and putting chicks into small bags as if they were storing candy.

There are also a few somewhat unpleasant scenes (especially for the poor pig that was beheaded)

“The mail, the mail…!” In the main square, across from the church, is where the newspaper vendors, shoe shiners, and the marching band gather… everyone is here.

Meanwhile, it's time to attend Mass. It's impressive how Mass is celebrated in Ecuador. The fervor of these people is tremendous. They completely filled the church, and there were still people left outside...

Half of the world Complex and Museum

Let's move on to the second of our excursions from Quito

If you have nothing to do one morning in Quito, you can go to the Tejar bus stop and, for $0.40 and a 50-minute ride, find yourself literally in the middle of the world, on the Equator.

It seems that a few years ago, the only monument that existed was the one in the center that you see below….

…but some clever person thought it would be fun and profitable to build a sort of Disneyland around it, so now they’ve set up a park full of shops and restaurants all around it. The only thing that’s worth seeing, in my opinion, is the museum inside the monument, which has plenty of games for the little ones.

In case anyone wants to know more: https://mitaddelmundo.gob.ec

Rucu Pichincha Mountain

The last of our excursions from Quito. If you enjoy hiking, I encourage you to go on this one to experience views as breathtaking as these. Welcome to Rucu Pichincha.

Este es el «Viejo Guardián de Quito»: En lengua kichwa, Ruku It means “old” or “elder,” and for the residents of the capital and the country, Rucu Pichincha is the ancient ancestor or guardian who watches over the city from the west. It’s nearly 4,700 meters high, so you’ll have to work up a sweat if you want to reach the summit…

How do you get there? For about $7.50, you can take the cable car, which drops you off at an altitude of 4,200 meters, and that’s where the fun begins: a hike of a few hours to the summit… It’s not particularly demanding; the trails are well-maintained, and overall it’s a pleasant walk—except for the altitude, which can leave you a bit short of breath if you haven’t spent some time acclimating to the altitude in Quito.

This is a good plan to follow, though you're free to choose whichever one you want

It's funny to see us all panting like dogs for the first hour and a half, which is the hardest part in my opinion... then it gets less steep and you feel like you're flying and start saying silly things like, “I've acclimatized now, it wasn't that bad...” I guess the lack of oxygen affects the brain 😓

Well, there are other places to visit, such as Otavalo (about 100 km from Quito, or two and a half hours by bus), which I haven't heard good things about, although I haven't been there myself, so everyone can judge for themselves (“you won't see anything better than what you'll see in other places,” “the market is nothing special...”). There are also tours to Lake Quilotoa.

Well, those were my trips from Quito. I hope you found them useful! If you have more information or liked (or didn't like) this post, let me know in the comments!

And if you want to read more about Ecuador: https://999millas.net/category/paises/ecuador/

Texto y fotos : Mike !