A colonial capital high on the equator
Quito stretches along a valley below the Pichincha volcano, and its historic centre was one of the first places named a World Heritage site. Baroque churches crowd its streets: La Compañía de Jesús is covered inside in gold leaf, and the Basílica del Voto Nacional has towers you can climb. The TelefériQo cable car rises to over 3,900 metres for views of the volcanoes. North of the city, the Mitad del Mundo monument marks the equator. Mindo's cloud forest, full of hummingbirds, is an easy trip away.