Historic Center of Quito Building

Address: Historic Center of Quito (Centro Histórico), Quito, Pichincha Province, Ecuador

The Historic Center of Quito is the compact colonial core of Ecuador’s capital, containing a large concentration of 16th- to 18th-century churches, plazas and civic buildings. It was one of the first urban areas in Latin America to receive UNESCO World Heritage status for its preservation and architectural ensemble.

The area contains numerous major monuments within a few blocks of each other, including central plazas, the gilded interior of La Compañía de Jesús and the Cathedral around Plaza de la Independencia. Streets are walkable and many sites are arranged along short routes suitable for half-day or full-day visits.

Quito’s historic centre developed during the Spanish colonial period after the city’s founding and retains a dense pattern of churches, monasteries and civic architecture from that era, with later restoration and conservation work to preserve interiors and façades.

Geographically the historic centre sits on the eastern slopes of the Pichincha volcano within the metropolitan area of Quito, at high elevation in the Andean highlands of northern Ecuador.

• Altitude note: High altitude (Quito sits around 2,850 metres) means visitors should allow time for acclimatization when arriving from lowland areas.
• Visiting tips: Many major churches and museums open in the morning; guided tours provide historical context for the colonial monuments concentrated in the centre.

What to See#

• Plaza de la Independencia: Plaza de la Independencia (Plaza Grande) is the central square flanked by the presidential palace, cathedral and municipal buildings, forming the historic civic core.
• La Compañía de Jesús: Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús is a late-16th/early-17th-century Jesuit church famed for an extensive gilded interior and baroque ornamentation dating from the colonial period.

Quito’s Historic Center (Centro Histórico) is in the heart of Quito and is easily reached by taxi, city buses, or on foot from nearby neighborhoods. If arriving by air, Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) is outside the city and airport shuttles or taxis take about 45-60 minutes into the historic center depending on traffic.

Once in the center, most major sites are within short walking distance of Plaza Grande and surrounding streets.

• Explore the Historic Center early in the morning to see Plaza Grande, the Presidential Palace, and open churches before tour groups and midday heat arrive.
• Take a guided walking tour to get historical context for the major sites (Plaza San Francisco, La Compañía) - self-guided stops often miss the layered colonial history and architectural details.
• Step off the main plazas into nearby streets such as La Ronda and head up to viewpoints around El Panecillo late in the afternoon for sweeping city views that many visitors skip.