Guápulo

Lonely Planet review

If you follow Avenida 12 de Octubre up the hill from the Mariscal, you'll reach the Hotel Quito at the top. Behind the hotel, stairs lead steeply down the other side of the hill to the historic neighborhood of Guápulo. The views all the way down are magnificent. Ramshackle houses stand interspersed among colonial whitewashed homes with terra-cotta-tile roofs, and the odd bohemian café makes for a welcome break.

At the bottom of the hill stands the neighborhood's centerpiece, the sanctuary of El Guápulo, a beautiful church built between 1644 and 1693.

The best views of Guápulo are from the lookout behind the Hotel Quito, next to the statue of Francisco de Orellana ( M04DF; Calle Larrea near González Suárez).