Quito, which is officially named as San Francisco de Quito is the capital city of Ecuador. The city is located in the Northern part of Ecuador and stands on the Guayllabamba river basin. Nestled among the picturesque eastern slopes of the Pichincha and active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains Quito is a major tourist attraction for its scenic beauty as well for its historical importance. Quito is basically a mountainous region situated at an altitude of 2800 meters above the sea level and is the second highest city in the world. Quito, being a historical city with its existence of human civilization and its origin dating back to the first millennium.  Thus, it is one of the most important tourist attractions in South America. Influence of the Spanish culture is very much evident in Quito. The rich Spanish art and architecture can be well observed in Quito’s numerous buildings, monuments, cathedrals, museums and even in the streets.       

The Centro Histórico:

The Centro Histórico is one of the most important and prominent tourist spot in Quito. The Centro Histórico is a building in central Quito that was build by the Spanish administration built over the ashes of what was a major capital of the Incas. The Inca War general Ruminahui preferred to raze the ancient Inca monument rather than to surrender it to the Spanish conquistadors. The Centro Histórico is the first monument that was made into a world heritage building by the United Nations in the year 1978. A tour through this ancient monument will take one back in the ancient centuries. The meandering streets made out of cobble stone houses uncountable shops and stalls that sells everything starting from Choclo an Andean corn to DVD’s. In the initial phase of the 20^th century, the entire city of Quito used to fit within the boundary of this monstrous building. At present the building only forms to be a slice of the cities glorious past but is certainly one of the richest historical spots in Quito. The plaza of the Centro Histórico has seen of the biggest uprisings, famous battles and executions in the past. However at present this locale bustles peacefully with tourists all the year round flocking from different parts of the world.                        

The Centro Histórico is better known as the Old Town in Quito. The most attractive location in this part of Quito is its plazas. Some of the most prominent and appealing ones are the independence plaza, the manierist and baroque churches. Also there are big cathedrals such as the Cathedral of St. Francis, church of the El Sagrio and the church of Santo Dominigo are one of the largest buildings in South America that were built in the colonial days by the Spaniards. The Centro Histórico was once considered to be dangerous due to its old construction. However in the past few years, much has been done to restore and renovate this ancient monument. The prominent attractions of the monument are the exquisite colonial architecture and the lovely pathways that open up to lovely courtyards. The plaza around the Centro Histórico houses some of the best bars and restaurants in Quito. Tourists can unwind, relax and veer off from the usual guided tours and spend some quality time in the Centro Histórico.