Ecuador - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 567

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Most of the following are national holidays, although some are celebrated in certain areas of
the country. Note that the government habitually changes the dates of national holidays to
tag them onto the weekend.
January 1 New Year's Day ( Año Nuevo ).
January 6 Epiphany ( Reyes Magos ).
Celebrated mainly in the highlands.
February/March Carnival ( Carnaval
- literally “goodbye to meat”). The week
before Lent is Ecuador's biggest party.
Monday and Tuesday are holidays. The
beaches are packed and in the highlands
Ambato and Guaranda are famous for
celebrations. Don't be surprised to get wet,
as throwing water is part of the fun.
March/April Holy Week ( Semana Santa ).
The big processions in Quito are on Good
Friday, a public holiday.
May 1 Labour Day ( Día del Trabajo ).
May 24 Battle of Pichincha ( La Batalla del
Pichincha ). Celebrating the decisive battle
for independence in 1822 (highlands only).
July 24 Birthday of Simón Bolívar, the man
who dreamed of a united South America
and helped liberate Ecuador.

August 10 Quito Independence Day
( Día de la independencia ).
October 9 Independence of Guayaquil
(Guayaquil only).
October 12 Columbus Day ( Día de la Raza ).
November 2 All Souls' Day or Day of the
Dead ( Día de los Muertos ).
November 3 Independence of Cuenca
(Cuenca only).
December 6 Foundation of Quito.
Bullfights are the order of the day
(Quito only).
December 25 Christmas Day ( Navidad ).
Most Ecuadorians celebrate Christmas
on Christmas Eve night and relax on
Christmas Day.
December 31 New Year's Eve ( Nochevieja
or Años viejos ). New Year rivals Carnaval as
the country's biggest party. Locals burn
e gies of well-known characters. Note that
safe use of fireworks is absent.

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OPENING HOURS AND HOLIDAYS
Most shops and public offices are open
Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm or
6pm, but family-owned businesses open
at the owner's discretion. Most banks
are open 8 or 9am to 4pm Monday to
Friday. Call centres open 8am to 10pm.
Restaurant and bar opening hours vary
and museums are usually open weekends
and closed Mondays. On Sundays and
public holidays most shops and official
buildings are closed.
The majority of national holidays
mark famous historical events as well as
Catholic festivals. Ecuadorians love to
party with lots of food, drink and late
nights, so it's a great experience. Note
that tourist resorts, especially beach
towns, are extremely busy on national
holidays, with sky-high prices.

a dramatic location, with active Volcán
Pichincha, which covered the city in ash
in 1999, looming to the west and Valle
de los Chillos descending east towards
the Amazon basin. If the altitude doesn't
leave you breathless then the architecture
will. Founded by the Spanish in 1534,
Quito rapidly became a major colonial
centre and its churches, monasteries,
cobbled streets and wide plazas have been
beautifully preserved. The warmest, driest
time is June to September, but the rest of
the year can be chilly, especially at night,
with frequent rain in the afternoons.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Although most visitors stay in the
New Town, the Old Town , also known
as “El Centro Histórico”, is what makes
Quito special. Highlights include the
two main squares Plaza Grande and
Plaza San Francisco , the Palacio del
Gobierno , the Catedral , the gaudy gold
church La Compañia and the Church of
San Francisco . For great views, take a
taxi up to the top of El Panecillo or
climb the stairs of the gothic Basílica del
Voto Nacional .

Quito
At a dizzying elevation of 2850m,
QUITO is the second-highest capital city
in the world after Bolivia's La Paz. It has