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Atlas Obscura La Plaza Grande

The beautiful center of Old Quito, the Grand Plaza is an anchor of everyday life for thousands of locals.

Surrounded by four buildings that underscore the historical influence of religion and government on Ecuadorian culture (the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, and the Cathedral of Quito), La Plaza de Independencia, as it is also known, is one of the city’s best people-watching spots.  

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Atlas Obscura 2019
1.21km
Museo Franciscano del Padre Almeida

Discover Museo Franciscano del Padre Almeida in Quito, Ecuador: This overlooked, beautiful convent hides an original Hieronymus Bosch among its many treasures.

Brutalism
1.69km
Templo de la Patria
Atlas Obscura 2019
0.36km
La Virgen de Quito

Discover La Virgen de Quito in Quito, Ecuador: This 12-inch-tall wooden sculpture of a winged Virgin Mary has inspired much devotion and countless replicas.

Atlas Obscura 2019
1.22km
The Tallest Winged Virgin Mary in the World

The Ecuadorian monument is also the world's tallest aluminum statue.

Atlas Obscura 2019
1.3km
Cementerio de San Diego

Discover Cementerio de San Diego in Quito, Ecuador: One of the most historic cemeteries in Quito is an eclectic mix of architectural styles and famous tombs.

Atlas Obscura 2019
0.22km
Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús

Discover Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús in Quito, Ecuador: It took 160 years to complete the most ornate church in Ecuador.

Post 2019
1.8km
Guinea Pig-Flavored Ice Cream Proves Big Hit in Ecuador
Atlas Obscura 2019
0.21km
El Panecillo

Discover El Panecillo in Quito, Ecuador: A short volcanic hill in Quito doubles as a stellar observation point of an iconic statue.

Brutalism 1972
4.5km
CIESPAL (Centro Internacional de Estudios Superiores de Comunicación para América Latina)
World Heritage Site 1978
0.01km
City of Quito

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 2,850 m. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in Latin America. The monasteri…

Atlas Obscura 2018
3.22km
Teleférico Quito

Discover Teleférico Quito in Quito, Ecuador: The gondolas let you glimpse a bird's-eye view of one of the world's highest capital cities.

Atlas Obscura 2019
0.08km
Palacio de Carondelet

Discover Palacio de Carondelet in Quito, Ecuador: Ecuador’s historic seat of government has been quietly looted in recent decades, and no one knows how or by whom.

Brutalism
3.12km
Association of Engineers of Pichincha
Atlas Obscura 2019
0.78km
Legend Says the World Will End if This Basilica Is Ever Officially Completed

Construction on the largest neo-Gothic church in the Americas began in the 19th century.

Atlas Obscura 2019
0.05km
Street of the Seven Crosses

Discover Calle García Moreno in Quito, Ecuador: This historic street in Quito is known for its seven stone crosses—and one presidential assassination.

Brutalism
2.6km
Teatro Politécnico, Escuela Politécnica Nacional
Atlas Obscura 2017
1.01km
Abandoned Garcia Moreno Prison

Discover Garcia Moreno Prison Museum in Quito, Ecuador: An abandoned Ecuadorian prison that once held ex-presidents and notorious con artists is frozen in time as a museum.