For stall after stall of some of Quito’s most traditional (and cheapest) foods, head straight to the Mercado Central, between Esmeraldas and Manabí, where you’ll find everything from locro de papas (potato soup served with avocado and cheese) and seafood, to yaguarlocro (potato and blood-sausage soup) and fritada (fried chunks of pork, served with hominy).
Mercado Central
Quito
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús
0.45 MILES
Capped by green-and-gold domes, La Compañía de Jesús is Quito’s most ornate church and a standout among the baroque splendors of the Old Town. Free guided…
1.97 MILES
For spectacular views over Quito’s mountainous landscape, hop aboard this sky tram, one of the world's highest aerial lifts, that takes passengers on a 2…
3.31 MILES
In the former home of the legendary painter Oswaldo Guayasamín (1919–99), this wonderful museum houses the most complete collection of the artist's work…
3.29 MILES
One of the most important works of art in South America, Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamín’s Capilla del Hombre stands next to the Casa Museo…
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0.38 MILES
The low white building on the northwestern side of Plaza Grande is the seat of the Ecuadorian presidency. Visitors can enter by joining a free guided tour…
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Museos Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana
1.07 MILES
Newly reopened following a full-scale makeover, Museos Casa de la Cultura encompasses three museums in a single bright, modern space. The expansive Museo…
29.17 MILES
The centerpiece of Ecuador's most popular national park is the snowcapped and downright picture-perfect Volcán Cotopaxi. At 5897m, it's Ecuador's second…
15.38 MILES
At the center of the Mitad del Mundo stands the centerpiece of the park: a 30m-high, stone trapezoidal monument topped by a brass globe containing a…
Nearby Quito attractions
0.23 MILES
Inside this restored colonial home is a small but iconic collection of work by painter Camilo Egas (1899–1962), Ecuador’s first indigenista (indigenous…
0.24 MILES
This monastery is a fine example of 17th-century architecture, with unusual Moorish arches decorated with hundreds of golden pineapples. Many of the…
3. Monasterio Museo Santa Catalina de Siena
0.29 MILES
Guided tours (in Spanish) of the museum at this fully functioning Dominican monastery, founded in 1592, take in 18th-century religious paintings, some of…
0.32 MILES
On the northeast side of Plaza Grande, this former archbishop’s palace is now a colonnaded row of small shops and restaurants, located between Avenidas…
0.35 MILES
While wandering around colonial Quito, you'll probably pass through the Plaza Grande several times. Its benches are great for soaking up the Andean…
0.35 MILES
On a hill in the northeastern part of the Old Town looms this massive Gothic church, Quito's largest, built over several decades beginning in 1892. Rather…
0.37 MILES
On Plaza Grande's southwest side stands Quito's cathedral. Although not the most ornate of the Old Town’s churches, it has some fascinating works by…
0.38 MILES
The low white building on the northwestern side of Plaza Grande is the seat of the Ecuadorian presidency. Visitors can enter by joining a free guided tour…